Politics

2019 End of Session Legislative Wrap-Up

The 2019 California legislative year has concluded. The Legislature adjourned in the early morning hours of September 14th and Governor Newsom has completed taking action on those bills that made it to his desk. Listed below are some of the notable bills that Western Growers advocated on through the year.

Matthew Allen Oct 22 2019 in Politics

CA Legislature Passes Utility Wildfire Response Bill

Last Thursday, the California Assembly passed AB 1054, the utility wildfire response bill requiring PG&E, SCE AND SDG&E to make $5 billion in aggregate safety investments (system hardening) without return on equity that would otherwise be borne by ratepayers.

AB 1054 Summary

AB 1054 includes numerous provisions related to addressing wildfires caused by utility infrastructure:

Matthew Allen Jul 16 2019 in Politics

Governor Newsom Appoints Karla Nemeth as Director of CDWR

Last Friday, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that Karla Nemeth has been reappointed as director of the California Department of Water Resources, which is a position she has served in since 2018. Western Growers, as well as many other ag and water organizations, strongly supported Nemeth’s reappointment.

Dave Puglia Jul 02 2019 in Politics

U.S. Supreme Court Sides with Employers in Class Arbitration Case

In a victory for employers, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in Lamps Plus, Inc. v. Varela that courts cannot order an arbitration to be conducted on a class-wide basis unless there is an arbitration agreement that expressly authorizes class arbitration.