Capitol Farm Connection

Don’t miss this unique and informative interview with State Water Resources Control Board Member Laurel Firestone as she speaks with Emily about water priorities, the status of unimpaired flows and voluntary agreements, as well as the budget process. Emily and Laurel discuss areas of common ground between agriculture and the environmental justice community. And, Laurel pulls the curtain back on the challenges and opportunities of working for the state government.  It’s a must listen!

Dani Diele is Ag Council’s newest staff addition who began serving in her role as membership & public policy coordinator early last fall. Dani discusses the policy issues she is working on for Ag Council, such as ag burning, insurance issues in high risk areas and the upcoming Annual Meeting on March 10, 2021.

With much of our work virtual and conducted remotely, this is a chance for our members and friends to get to know Dani since many people have not had the opportunity to meet her in person. 

Explore how the Biden Administration changes the outlook on a number of policy issues impacting agriculture.  Opportunities arise with immigration reform, school breakfast and lunch programs and climate policies.  Questions emerge around fiscal and economic policy and the balance of Congress over the course of the next four years.  Emily discusses these topics and more with Chuck Conner, CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC).  

NCFC advances the business and policy interests of America’s cooperatives and other farmer-owned businesses, through its work on federal policy issues in Washington, DC. Ag Council and a number of its members are part of NCFC.  For more information, please visit: http://ncfc.org .

Learn about the opportunities and challenges in the Governor's Budget proposal and the outlook for agriculture.

Topics include (but are not limited to):

• Funding for climate smart ag grant programs
• Funds for regulatory alignment at CalEPA and CDFA
• The outlook for food banks
• Potential fee increase at Department of Pesticide Regulation

Ag Council will continue to engage on these and other issues. For further information, please visit www.agcouncil.org.

In the first episode of 2021, the team dives into an area of strong interest to the food and ag community – vaccines.  In this quick and informative “In a Nutshell” episode, Emily and Tricia answer a handful of the major questions regarding the vaccine rollout, distribution, prioritization for the food and ag sector, as well as the role of the state and counties in the process.

Thank you for listening!

Assemblywoman Susan Eggman (D-Stockton) is the featured guest joining Emily and Tricia on this week’s Capitol Farm Connection podcast covering a multitude of issues facing our members and Californians.  

Assemblywoman Eggman discusses growing up on a small farm in Turlock, her run for State Senate, policy priorities, efforts during the pandemic and work to address disparities among Californians, and what gives her hope during this unparalleled year. 

Assemblywoman Eggman is a U.S. Army veteran, a licensed social worker, earned her Ph.D., and served on the Stockton City Council.  She’s a member of the Latino Caucus, the LGBTQ Caucus and the Women’s Caucus in the Legislature. 

The Senate Republican Caucus was muted during debate, Speaker Rendon receives negative press due to denying a new mother the option to vote from home and the Attorney General makes a bold move to vastly increase his powers in a last ditch legislative effort that we successfully defeated.  

A crazy ending concludes an equally crazy legislative year.  Listen in to hear Emily and Tricia discuss issues such as employee leave, workers compensation and the latest update from Governors Central Valley strike teams.  The Ag Council team breaks down the issues and how they defended the industry in this suspenseful legislative year.

Expansion of employee leave, changes to workers comp and limitations on food byproducts used for animal feed are some of the items up for consideration at the end of this year's legislative session.  Emily and Tricia discuss expectations for the end of session as well as the Governor's efforts to support farmworkers through the pandemic.  The Governor is demonstrating a renewed focus in the Central Valley and other areas of high risk in an overall effort to get hospitalization numbers down.  The Ag Council team dives into these issues as well as a new "Housing for the Harvest" program being created by CDFA.  Listen in to learn more!

You are at risk of higher property taxes due to Prop. 15, a ballot initiative qualified for the November election.  Prop. 15 would repeal Prop. 13 property tax protections for businesses in California.  Emily and Tricia break down Prop. 13, Prop. 15 that's qualified for November, all of the political issues surrounding the two propositions and discuss what Ag Council is doing about it.  

**Today's key take-away:  if you want to defeat higher property taxes, vote no on Prop. 15!**

To participate in, or to learn more about the opposition efforts, go to: http://www.agcouncil.org/no-on-prop-15

This podcast is in Q + A format.  Questions include:

- What is the original Prop. 13 as we know it?

- What exactly has qualified for the November 2020 ballot?

- Why should agriculture care?

- Didn't we vote on this already?

- What is the title of Prop. 15 in November?

- What is Ag Council doing about it?

- How can I participate?

Learn about all of this and more in today's episode of "In A Nutshell."

Assemblyman Jim Cooper shares his thoughts regarding calls for change in law enforcement and he speaks about the state budget, water and environmental issues in the Legislature.  

Asm. Cooper is Chair of the Budget Subcommittee on State Administration and he serves on the Insurance Committee, Governmental Organization Committee and the Public Employees Retirement and Social Security Committee. Prior to becoming a member of the State Legislature, Assemblyman Cooper served as a captain in the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and served as Elk Grove's founding mayor and as a council member.