•On Sept. 22, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill with more than $66 million in federal funds for Central Coast-based water projects. “Now that the House has passed the Water Resources Development Act, this bill is heading to the Senate carrying key investments I secured for our local infrastructure,” U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) said in a statement. “I will continue working closely with my colleagues in Congress to ensure this critical legislation is signed into law and delivers for our communities.” If passed, the bill will authorize $30 million in federal funds for the Los Olivos Community Services District (LOCSD) for a new septic-to-sewer project. Once completed, the proposed project will collect wastewater from the LOCSD and send the waste approximately 3.5 miles to a connection point with the city of Solvang. The city will then treat and dispose of the LOCSD’s wastewater at its regional facilities. As part of the bill, $2 million in federal funds would go to Solvang to help improve its water supply infrastructure. “Building a sewer system to solve a problem that has persisted for more than 50 years isn’t glamorous, and it certainly is not easy,” LOCSD President Julie Kennedy stated. “This investment gives Los Olivos a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build the solution our community has long supported while ensuring that local decisions remain in local hands.” The bill also allocates $6.3 million for the city of Lompoc to modernize its water treatment plant and construct a stormwater treatment and flood control system.
•Amid his campaign for California’s 24th District seat in the House of Representatives, candidate Bob Smith announced his change of voter registration to “no party preference” on Sept. 18. Smith described his announcement as applying “to how he would serve” if elected, while it’s too late to amend his original party preference—Republican—as it’s printed in November’s general election ballots. “This isn’t a change in my positions,” Smith stated. “It reflects how I’ve approached this campaign from the beginning: as an independent thinker and problem solver focused on results, not party politics.”
•Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed Senate Bill 1288, authored by state Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), into law. Laird introduced the legislation to ensure that gifts for beneficiaries, including nonprofits, are “delivered efficiently and without unnecessary barriers,” he said in a Sept. 28 statement. He described the bill as addressing long-standing legislation gaps that “too often” prevent nonprofits from receiving gifts intended to support their initiatives. For example, state law prior to the bill lacked a clear standard to govern how financial institutions notify beneficiaries when an account holder dies. Laird’s bill requires financial institutions that receive proof of an account holder’s death to notify beneficiaries within 60 days and prohibits institutions from requiring beneficiaries to open new accounts to receive those funds. The bill also puts clear documentation standards in place for nonprofits to follow to establish “their legal identity” and access funds. “When someone makes the decision to leave assets to a nonprofit or another beneficiary, they should be able to trust that their wishes will be carried out,” Laird stated. “SB 1288 removes unnecessary barriers and creates a clearer process to make sure those assets reach the people and organizations they were intended for. I’m grateful to the governor for signing this measure into law.” CalNonprofits was among the bill’s sponsors. The organization’s CEO, Geoff Green, said he appreciated Laird’s leadership “in championing this commonsense protection for our sector and the people we serve.”
This article appears in October 1 – October 8, 2026.
