To: Board of Supervisors
From: County Administrative Office
Agenda Section: Departmental
SUBJECT:
title
Adoption of the 2021 State and Federal Legislative Platforms
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Provide input and direction to staff as desired regarding the proposed state and federal legislative platforms for 2021;
2. Provide input and direction to staff as desired on federal policy issues to receive priority federal advocacy services;
3. Provide input and direction to staff as desired on state issues to receive priority state advocacy services;
4. Adopt the proposed state and federal legislative platforms, incorporating any changes desired by the Board, as the final platforms for 2021;
5. Direct the County Administrative Officer to submit the final version of the state legislative platform to Governor Gavin Newsom, Assembly Member Jim Wood, State Senator Mike McGuire, California State Association of Counties, Rural County Representatives of California and Shaw/Yoder/Antwih/Schmelzer/Lange;
6. Direct the County Administrative Officer to submit the final version of the federal legislative platform to President-elect Joe Biden, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, National Association of Counties and Paragon Government Relations; and
7. Authorize and direct the County Administrative Officer to advocate as needed to support the county’s legislative platform, and resolutions adopted by the Board, during 2021.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
All county funds
DISCUSSION:
Each year, Humboldt County departments review and recommend state and federal legislation that would improve and enhance county financing, operation, and efficiency in service delivery. The county contracts with Shaw/Yoder/Antwih/Schmelzer/Lange. (SYASL) to provide state legislative advocacy on behalf of the county and to advise departments on legislative proposals. On Sept. 14, Paul Yoder and Karen Lange of SYASL spoke to your Board regarding the county’s legislative advocacy efforts during the 2020 session of the California Legislature. Mr. Yoder and Ms. Lange also met with a number of department heads regarding particular state issues on Sept. 15.
The county contracts with Paragon Government Relations for federal legislative advocacy services and to advise departments on legislative proposals. Joe Krahn, Hasan Sarsour and Tom Joseph of Paragon have reviewed submissions made by department heads and some members of your Board for inclusion into the federal portion of the 2021 Legislative Platform. SYASL reviewed the state submissions.
This year, some individual members of your Board submitted items for the Board’s consideration.
Supervisor Madrone recommended the following item:
• Expanding Use for Existing Broadband and Utility Lines (page 11)
• Enhancing Existing Firebreaks (page 42)
Supervisor Wilson recommended the following items:
• Infrastructure to Support Zero Emissions Goals (page 8)
• Building in the Wildland Interface (page 10)
The platforms being presented to your Board today are the result of 3 months of collaborative work between departments, the County Administrative Office, SYASL, and Paragon. The platforms take into consideration your Board’s Strategic Priority Framework. In particular, platforms address engagement on issues of statewide concern. These platforms are being submitted to your Board for review and modification as your Board finds appropriate.
Recommended Actions:
In order to most effectively approach advocacy services staff is seeking direction on identification of the primary legislative priorities based on relative importance to the Board and in consideration of the state and federal agendas. Identifying a primary list of state and federal priorities would allow the county, SYASL, and Paragon to work more effectively with state legislators and members of Congress, as well as applicable agencies and would ensure that the county’s effectiveness is not diluted. Below your Board will find current year priorities along with recommendations for 2021 priorities:
State Priorities
• Support increased state investments for public health programs and ongoing COVID-19 response
• Protecting realigned services
• Cannabis - enhancing Humboldt’s ability to compete, retaining local control, and receiving revenue from taxes
• Rural broadband and net neutrality
• Affordable housing, supportive services
• Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) integration
• Child and family support
• Juvenile justice
• Disaster preparedness and response
• Transparency in policing and social justice
• Humboldt bay transportation infrastructure
• Exemptions for independent contractors
Federal Priorities
• Support increased federal investments for local public health programs and ongoing COVID-19 response.
• Protect key healthcare and safety-net programs, including Medicaid/Medi-Cal.
• Support long-term reauthorization of federal surface transportation programs, including increased funding for local roads and bridges.
• Provide federal support to local governments along the coast to help develop and implement sea level rise adaptation plans and projects.
• Support long-term reauthorization of key public lands programs, including the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program and the Payments-in-lieu-of-Taxes (PILT) program.
• Support enhanced broadband service to rural north coast of California.
• Support decriminalizing cannabis at the federal level and allow federal financial institutions to work directly with local cannabis businesses.
• Support increased federal investment for key homelessness and affordable-housing programs.
Previously, staff recommended that the County Administrative Officer (CAO), on behalf of the Board, be authorized to advocate as needed to support the county’s legislative platform, in an attempt to quicken the response time to legislative changes. This recommendation is before your Board again. In addition, staff is recommending that the CAO be authorized to advocate for issues that are adopted by your Board via resolution.
Once the Board’s modifications, if any, are incorporated, the County Administrative Office will finalize the 2021 state and federal legislative platforms and transmit them to state legislative and federal congressional delegations, and the county’s legislative advocates.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impacted directly associated with today’s recommendations. However, many of the proposed legislative actions have potential financial benefits for the county.
This item supports the Board’s strategic framework to be an effective and influential voice for our community at the regional, state and federal levels by advancing local interests in natural resource discussions, and engaging in discussion of our regional economic future.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by advancing local interests in natural resource discussions and engaging in discussion of our regional economic future.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
All county departments, SYASL, Paragon Government Relations, Rural County Representatives of California, Governor, State Legislators and Staffs, Congressional Delegates and Staffs, California State Association of Counties, National Association of Counties
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Board discretion
ATTACHMENTS:
Proposed 2021 State and Federal Legislative Platforms
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: N/A
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: N/A