• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) reintroduced the Alan S. Lowenthal Blue Whales, Blue Skies Act with fellow U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), according to a June 10 press release. The bill would create a new federal program encouraging commercial shipping companies operating off the Pacific coast to reduce their vessel speeds to protect marine life and cut air pollution. The bill would model the new federal program off California’s Blue Whales and Blue Skies vessel speed reduction program, which went into effect in 2014. The program recognizes shipping companies that reduce speeds off the state’s coastline, including shipping lanes in the Santa Barbara Channel. “The Protecting Blue Whales Blue Skies program has made California’s coastline cleaner and safer for both marine life and local communities. It’s a commonsense solution that has delivered a win-win for the both the environment and public health,” Carbajal said in the release. “The program’s successful regional impact supports a case for scaling it to the federal level.” The legislation would essentially expand the program’s scope to include the entire West coast. Participating vessels volunteer to travel hundreds of thousands of miles at whale-safer speeds through designated zones that overlap with habitat for blue, fin, and humpback whales, according to bluewhalesblueskies.org. The program’s goal is to reduce ship strike risk to whales, underwater noise, emissions, and air pollution. Since 2019, 76 shipping companies have participated in the state’s program, the press release states. Over the past decade, it has cut air pollution by the equivalent of taking nearly 6 million cars off the road for a year.
•U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) spearheaded a June 12 letter—signed by 22 legislators including himself—that urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to restore $160 million in critical transportation funding for California that was withheld following the state delaying the cancellation of 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses. Addressed to Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the letter raises concerns regarding the recent implementation of a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration policy that restricts drivers from obtaining a California driver’s license if they do not have an H-2A, H-2B, or E-2 visa—potentially creating a driver shortage that could lead to a supply chain crisis. “Industry estimates suggest this rule could reduce the workforce in states like California by 15 to 25 percent, creating localized pressures that will resonate throughout the supply chain,” the letter states. “We stand ready to work with the department on data-driven reforms and safety audits to ensure consistent, nationwide standards without targeting an essential workforce.” The letter urges the federal department to rescind the rule and refocus its efforts on ensuring public safety on the roads.
• On June 12, U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-California) and Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) introduced legislation to protect voters in the face of misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) to suppress voting. The Fraudulent Artificial Intelligence Regulations (FAIR) Elections Act would ban false election-related, AI-generated content intended to suppress voters, such as misinformation about the time and locations for voting, and to target election workers for abuse, such as deep fakes. “The strength of our democracy relies on our elections being safe, secure, and accessible. As the use of AI spreads rapidly, we must ensure there are guardrails in place,” Padilla said in a statement, “to prevent it from becoming a tool to suppress votes, spread disinformation, or purge eligible voters from the rolls.”
This article appears in June 18 – June 25, 2026.
