At the time of this writing, the California Legislature has left town having completed the first year of their two-year legislative session. Those bills that successfully made their way through the legislative process are now sitting on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk awaiting action via his signature or veto. He has until October 14 to do so. WG advocates are just as actively engaged in this final stage of the process as we were, as the bills were being heard in policy committees and on the Assembly and Senate Floors. Advocacy letters are being written and questions are being asked and answered between the Newsom Administrations’ senior staff and WG on the fine details of several of the bills. While still busy on regulatory issues, there is thankfully a brief respite from feverish lobbying activity on legislation as we enter the fall months.

Fall offers a time of reflection for the State Government Affairs team. We look back on the session and see what lessons we’ve learned and what we should be anticipating on a legislative and regulatory level in the upcoming year. My top-of-mind reflection this year is a sense of immense pride in our team and in the world-class industry that we have the privilege to represent. Our advocates engage on numerous issues throughout a typical day. Labor, water, crop protection, environment, tax and workplace safety are just a few of the many issues that require our immediate attention. We provide ongoing reports to our membership on the wins/losses of those issues. What you don’t see is our many wins on issues that have not made their way into bills. This is the result of being present at the Capitol and engaging early with legislators and their staffs as policy concepts are being developed. I’ve compared being in the Capitol to a doctor’s rounds. A significant part of our job is to be on the lookout for issues before they become major problems. Countless bad ideas have been tossed in the trash bin over the years. We don’t highlight these bad ideas because we want them to stay where they belong—in the trash. If we are lucky, they’ll stay in the dustbin of history.

My pride in my team comes from watching them take on all of these complicated and challenging tasks, knowing that the legislative fight will likely get difficult. Strategies and tactics are developed to figure out the best way to tackle a policy problem as the bill process moves forward. The wins and losses are heartfelt, too. They truly hope for and work diligently toward the best possible outcomes for each of our members’ operations. Your wins and losses are ours as well. We are in this together.

So, what is it that I’m trying to say? Quite simply, we have your back. We have your back by being on the lookout and managing legislative and regulatory issues early on so you can focus the greatest amount of your energy and attention on maintaining and, hopefully, further growing your business. Your success is obviously good for your business, your employees, your local community, your state and your nation. We grow the best and most nutritious food in the world. I know that each of our members is proud of that fact, and so are we. WG State Government Affairs is even more proud and grateful that we have this opportunity to help represent your interests. We will continue advocating for your operations with passion and steadfastness. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We love hearing from you.

I wish you all a happy fall season.