Political Watch: March 13, 2024

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• U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla (D-California) sent a letter to the Department of the Interior on March 6 asking it to ensure that there are no more cuts to the Bureau of Reclamation, which is set to lose about 100 employees in California. That’s about 10 percent of its regional staff, according to Schiff’s office. The Bureau supports and operates many of the state’s water management projects, including at Lake Cachuma, and delivers water to more than 31 million Americans and 10 million acres of farmland, according to the senators. “Any federal dollars ‘saved’ from a reduction in staffing will ultimately cost taxpayers more through disrupted supply chains, increased burdens on state taxpayers, and emergency response due to the instability created by these reductions,” the senators wrote in the letter. “Aging dams, reservoirs, and conveyance systems require continuous monitoring and maintenance, and without adequate staffing, the risk of infrastructure failures increases.” The federally managed Central Valley Project operates in tandem with the State Water Project—which supplies water to San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties—to get water to farms, businesses, and residents, according to Schiff’s office. The two systems are interconnected, and Central Valley Project staff are “essential” to State Water Project operations and water deliveries. “Maintaining full reclamation staffing is essential to protect California’s water supply and agricultural economy,” according to the senator’s office. 

• On March 5, U.S. Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and Mike Lawler (R-New York) joined colleagues in the House and Senate to introduce the Child Care and Affordability Act and the Child Care Workforce Act, bills that together form a “bold proposal to make child care more affordable and accessible by strengthening existing tax credits to lower child care costs and increase the supply of child care providers,” according to Carbajal’s office. “Families on the Central Coast share a common concern: the high cost and limited availability of child care. Many families either can’t find the care they need or simply can’t afford it. At the same time, businesses are facing hiring challenges due to the shortage of child care options,” Carbajal said in a statement. “The lack of affordable child care is holding back both families and local economies.” The cost of child care has increased by 263 percent over the last few decades, according to Carbajal’s office. National polling shows bipartisan support for increasing the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, with 86 percent of polled voters supporting it. 

• Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties are receiving $11.4 million and $2.29 million, respectively, of the nearly $300 million in federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funding announced on March 7 for projects aimed at reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries on city and county roads across California. “We’re making roads safer up and down the state with significant investments,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “I’m proud of the lifesaving work Caltrans has done to protect drivers, pedestrians, and bikers as they go about their daily commutes.” The local projects include roundabouts, traffic signals, pedestrian crossing improvements, protected bikes lanes, guardrails, and more. According to Newsom’s office, Caltrans is using the Safe System approach, which emphasizes multiple layers of protection, including safer road designs, to achieve its goal of reducing fatalities and serious injuries on state roadways to zero by 2050. Where feasible, transportation projects Caltrans funds or oversees will include “complete street” features that provide safe and accessible options for people walking, biking, and taking transit, according to Newsom’s office. California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin said the investments highlight “our people-first approach, because we know it will pay the most important dividend of all—their safety.” 

This article appears in Mar 13-23, 2025.