Political Watch

• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) was among the 12 senators who co-signed a recent letter to scrutinize the National Park Service’s (NPS) decision to remove Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the list of fee-free days at national parks, while adding President Donald Trump’s birthday to the list. “Not only does this […]

• On Jan. 9, Gov. Gavin Newsom released a $348.9 billion budget proposal for the 2026-27 fiscal year. A press release from Assemblymember Gregg Hart’s (D-Santa Barbara) office stated that the budget maintained funding for key services, especially in areas where the federal government has pulled back. “As we craft our state budget—the guiding policy […]

• State Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) recently appointed state Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) to chair the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee for the remainder of the 2025-26 legislative session. “Sen. Laird brings deep experience, sound judgment, and a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility to the Budget Committee,” Limón said […]

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) announced on Dec. 22 that the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act was signed into law. Carbajal co-sponsored this bipartisan legislation, which expands federal death and disability benefits for firefighters. It updates the Public Safety Officer’s Benefits Program, for example, to cover specific cancers linked to firefighting and emergency […]

• U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff (D-California) and John Curtis (R-Utah) co-introduced the Timeshare Pricing Transparency Act on Dec. 18. This bipartisan legislation aims to protect consumers from confusing contracts, hidden fees, and unclear exit options in the timeshare industry. “Americans deserve to have all of the information they need upfront, before entering any timeshare commitment, […]

• The House of Representatives recently passed U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal’s (D-Santa Barbara) legislation to rename a post office in Goleta for Frederick Lopez, a retired brigadier general in the U.S. Marine Corps with a 30-year career of distinguished service. “General Lopez represents the best of the Central Coast and of our nation’s armed forces,” […]

•U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California), and 27 other members of the California Democratic congressional delegation recently signed a joint letter to condemn the Trump administration’s 2027-2032 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, which includes six lease proposals off the coast of Northern, Central, and Southern California. Addressed […]

• U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff (D-California), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) recently filed a dozen Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the Department of Justice while seeking records of “various episodes of potential executive branch misconduct or corruption,” according to Schiff’s office. One of the FOIA requests asks for records related […]

• U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff (D-California), Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania), Chris Coons (D-Delaware), and Ted Budd (R-North Carolina) introduced the Liquid Cooling for AI Act of 2025 on Nov. 20. As the U.S. works to maintain technological supremacy and ramp-up AI innovation, this legislation puts new directives to certain federal agencies in place. For example, the […]

• On Nov. 17, U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff (D-California) and John Curtis (R-Utah) introduced the bipartisan Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act. This legislation would create the first respiratory protection standards for wildland firefighters. According to Schiff’s office, federal firefighters were prohibited for decades from wearing respiratory protection, despite a growing body of evidence warning about […]

• U.S. Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and Lloyd Smucker (R-Pennsylvania) recently reintroduced bipartisan legislation aimed at improving housing access and affordability for U.S. veterans. The Home for the Brave Act would exempt veterans’ disability benefits from counting toward total income when determining their eligibility for housing assistance programs through the Department of Housing and […]

• In an Oct. 30 letter to President Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) asked the administration to reverse its tariff policies, which Carbajal described as ultimately functioning to impose hidden taxes on American families and businesses. “Despite claims made by your administration that tariffs would lower prices, they have increased the cost […]