• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Chico) introduced the Funding Our Roads and Ecosystems Sustainably Together (FOREST) Act on March 16. The bill aims to fund forest road infrastructure. According to Carbajal’s office, while the National Park Service receives nearly $300 million to maintain 13,000 miles of roads, the United States Forest Service receives just $18 million to maintain 370,000 miles of roads. The FOREST Act aims to close this gap. “In California, we know the importance of our national forests to our recreational and tourism economy—we also know that, in the event of a fire emergency, well maintained and resilient roads make all the difference,” Carbajal said in the statement. “Our FOREST Act ensures that first responders and all those tasked with keeping our communities safe are able to effectively do their jobs, especially during a fire. I’m glad to partner with Rep. LaMalfa on this bipartisan bill that will make the Central Coast and communities across the nation more secure and prepared.”
• On March 17, U.S. Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) introduced two bills aimed at helping the monarch butterfly called the Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat (MONARCH) Act and the Monarch and Pollinator Highway Act. The MONARCH Act, according to Carbajal’s office, provides protections for the Western monarch butterfly, whose population has dropped by 99 percent since the 1980s. The bill would fund butterfly conservation projects as well as the implementation of the Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan developed by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in 2019. The second piece of butterfly legislation, the Monarch and Pollinator Highway Act, would “establish a federal grant program available to state departments of transportation and Native American tribes to carry out pollinator-friendly practices on roadsides and highway rights of way,” according to Carbajal’s office. “The Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove in my district traditionally hosts the largest Western monarch overwintering population in California, but when I went to visit recently, there weren’t any monarchs to be found,” Carbajal said in a statement. “The MONARCH Act and Monarch Pollinator Highway Act make critical investments in conservation projects so we can restore their habitats and preserve this beloved pollinator for future generations to experience and enjoy.”
• On March 19, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 95, which ensures access to up to 80 hours of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave for eligible employees, according to Newsom’s office. “Paid sick leave gives workers the time they need to care for themselves and loved ones while keeping their coworkers, families, and communities safe,” Newsom said in a statement. “Even as case rates and hospitalizations decline and vaccinations ramp up, we can’t let our guard down and must do all we can to stop this virus from spreading.” The bill extends these protections through Sept. 30, 2021. The statement added that businesses employing 25 or fewer workers are exempt from the requirements of the legislation but could receive a federal tax credit for offering supplemental paid sick leave.
This article appears in Mar 25 – Apr 1, 2021.
