A Committee of The Lake Arrowhead Communities Chamber of Commerce
LakeArrowheadGovernmentAffairs.org
LEGISLATION
"All Legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a
Senate and House of Representatives."
(Article I, Section 1, of the United States Constitution)
How Are Laws Made?
Laws begin as ideas. First, a representative sponsors a bill. The bill is then assigned to a committee for study. If released by the committee, the bill is put on a calendar to be voted on, debated or amended. If the bill passes by simple majority (218 of 435), the bill moves to the Senate. In the Senate, the bill is assigned to another committee and, if released, debated and voted on. Again, a simple majority (51 of 100) passes the bill. Finally, a conference committee made of House and Senate members works out any differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The resulting bill returns to the House and Senate for final approval. The Government Printing Office prints the revised bill in a process called enrolling. The President has 10 days to sign or veto the enrolled bill.
Current Legislation
Below is a summary of current legislation that has in impact on our community
Legislation
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Proposed Amended Rule 1111
Reduction of NOx Emissions from Natural Gas-Fired Furnaces
Proposed Amended Rule 1121
Reduction of NOx Emissions from Residential Type, Natural Gas-Fired Water Heaters
UPDATE:
Dear Neighbor,
In an effort to keep you informed, I’m writing to share details about recently proposed amendments to South Coast Air Quality Management District's existing air quality rules, specifically Rules 1111 and 1121, which regulate residential and commercial space and water heating appliances, including central furnaces, wall and floor furnaces, mobile home units, and unit heaters.
If amended, Rules 1111 and 1121 would mandate higher costs by forcing consumers to either choose a much more expensive option of "all-electric" space and water heaters that cost thousands more than natural gas appliances or require consumers to pay a fee to continue using natural gas space and water heaters. It is estimated that the proposed amendments could result in an average increased costs of $1,510 per household to more than 10 million single-family homes, mobile home parks, multi-family residences, office buildings, grocery stores, schools, and other small businesses.
Working families and small businesses already feel the burden of Southern California’s high cost of living. California’s cost of living is estimated to be 40% higher than the national average, with portions of Southern California being even higher. To see the report on the estimated economic impacts of SCAQMD Draft Rules Amendements 1111 and 1121, click here.
I encourage you to visit the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s website here SCAQMD to read about the amendments and view comment letters from local agencies, organizations, and individuals. You can submit your own comment letters here by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The hearing for the proposed amendments will be on June 6th.
You can also visit the Cost of Living Council’s website Home | We Cant Afford This, a coalition of homeowners, renters, workers, and small businesses in the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s region.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my district office at (909) 335-0271.
Sincerely,
ROSILICIE OCHOA BOGH
Senator, 19th District
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The South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) has scheduled a Public Consultation Meeting to present and solicit information and suggestions from the public regarding the latest changes to Proposed Amended Rule 1111 - Reduction of NOx Emissions from Natural Gas-Fired Furnaces (PAR 1111) and Proposed Amended Rule 1121 - Reduction of NOx Emissions from Residential Type, Natural Gas-Fired Water Heaters (PAR 1121), which are scheduled for a Public Hearing before the South Coast AQMD Governing Board on May 2, 2025 (subject to change).
Staff will present the third preliminary draft rule language with updated rule concepts and updates to cost-effectiveness. The updated rule concept establishes manufacturer requirements for the sale of space and water heating appliances that meet low-NOx and zero-NOx emission standards that provide consumers the choice between the types of units.
The Public Consultation is scheduled for:
Thursday, March 6, 2025
1:00 PM (PT)
Join Zoom Webinar Meeting
https://scaqmd.zoom.us/j/97271436016
Zoom Webinar ID: 972 7143 6016
Teleconference Dial In: (669) 900-6833
The following documents are available:
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Third Preliminary Draft Proposed Amended Rule 1111 (space heating)
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Third Preliminary Draft Proposed Amended Rule 1121 (water heating)
The Public Consultation will only be conducted via video conferencing (Zoom), which can be accessed via your computer or smart phone. Alternatively, stakeholders can phone in to participate. We understand that this is not the same as a face-to-face meeting; however, staff will take the time to listen to comments from all stakeholders, as your comments are important. If you have general questions or concerns about these meetings or their format, please contact Heather Farr at hfarr@aqmd.gov or (909) 396-2148.
For more information, please visit the Space and Water Heating Clearinghouse Webpage or contact:
Jen Vinh (PAR 1121)
(909) 396-2148
Congressman Jay Obernolte
Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA)
Background
As our country grapples with the climate crisis, catastrophic wildfires have become an existential threat to the safety of our communities. Over the past two decades, wildfires in California have increasingly grown in size and severity, with five of the six largest fires in the state’s history occurring in 2020 alone. The federal government has a responsibility to treat these wildfires with the same level of seriousness as hurricanes and other natural disasters while empowering communities to implement science-based methods for mitigating wildfire damage and defending life and property. While we cannot stop the threat of wildfires entirely, we can prepare our communities for worst-case scenarios while working to address the structural issues that have caused these fires to burn more quickly and intensely than ever before. This responsibility should not fall on any one individual but should instead be shared among entire communities, with the understanding that a threat to any one home is a threat to every neighbor.
Summary
The bipartisan Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act will invest $1 billion per year to: • Establish guidelines for communities to conceptualize new Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Plans (CPWRP) that are developed in coordination with community members, first responders, and relevant state agencies. CPWRPs will focus on implementing strategies and activities relating to: o Improving early detection technology, public outreach and education, alerts and warnings, evacuation planning, evacuation execution, and access for first responders o Addressing vulnerable populations, including the elderly and those with disabilities o Hardening critical infrastructure and homes o Applying community-scale defensible space across contiguous areas o Building local capacity to implement and oversee the plan o Deploying distributed energy resources like microgrids with battery storage o Implementing strategic land use planning o Educating community members o Coordinating with existing wildfire plans like a Community Wildfire Protection Plan. • Provide grants of up to $250,000 to develop a CPWRP and grants of up to $10 million to implement a CPWRP o Grants will be prioritized for low-income communities that are at high risk for fire or wildfire and communities recently impacted by a major wildfire. • Complete a report on all federal authorities and programs to protect communities from wildfires. • Study how a CPWRP could be used as certification for insurance companies assessing community resilience. • Continuously update wildfire hazard maps. • Assess impediments to emergency radio communications across departments and agencies. • Allow for structure hardening to be covered under existing community wildfire protection programs.
The Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act is endorsed by Earthjustice, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Silvix Resources, Defenders of Wildlife, Trust for Public Land, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Wilderness Society, John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute, Wild Heritage, Unite the Parks, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Feather River Action!, Forests Forever, Climate Communications Coalition, Heartwood, Tahoe Forests Matter, Eco-Integrity Alliance, Conservation Congress, Friends of the Clearwater, and SoCoCAN!.
Assemblyman Tom Lakey
Fentanyl Crisis Killing Minors—Lackey Pushes Bill to Hold Dealers Accountable
SACRAMENTO – California’s fentanyl crisis is reaching catastrophic levels, claiming the lives of minors at an alarming rate. Despite the outcry from families and law enforcement, the state’s laws remain weak when it comes to holding drug dealers accountable—especially those targeting children.
Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) has introduced AB 568, a bill that would make selling fentanyl to minors a strike under California’s Three Strikes Law, ensuring that those responsible for poisoning children face serious prison time instead of lenient sentences.
“Every day, another family is shattered by fentanyl. How many more children have to die before the supermajority takes action?” Lackey said. “Drug dealers who target kids aren’t low-level offenders. They are predators, and they must be treated as such.”
The statistics are staggering. In 2021, more than 1,500 children died from fentanyl overdoses, many after taking counterfeit pills disguised as medications like Percocet and Xanax. Yet, despite this crisis, the Supermajority has repeatedly blocked attempts to strengthen penalties for fentanyl dealers, leaving children unprotected against this deadly drug.
“Right now, California treats selling meth and heroin more seriously than selling fentanyl to minors,” Lackey stated. “That is a complete failure of leadership.”
While other states have taken aggressive action to crack down on fentanyl trafficking, California lags behind, leaving law enforcement and grieving parents to plead for stronger protections—only to be ignored by legislative leadership.
“This is not about politics—it’s about saving lives,” Lackey said. “Parents deserve better. Our children deserve better. California’s leaders need to stop making excuses and start protecting kids.”
Contact:
Izzy Swindler
Izzy Swindler
Chief of Staff
Assemblyman Tom Lackey | 34th District
Swing Space Room 5340
Cell Phone: (916) 622-6292
Office Phone: (916) 319-2034
Senator Ochoa-Bogh
A Look Ahead
Week of May 5, 2025
In an effort to keep my constituents informed of the policies being discussed in Sacramento, the following is a brief description of the bills being heard in Senate Policy Committees next week. This is for informational purposes only and does not represent my position on any of the bills. Please note that this information is being sent in advance of the Senate Policy Committees scheduled to meet next week and they have not been presented for a vote yet.
However, I hope that you will share your opinion on any or all of these bills with me by replying to this email or calling one of my offices. I want to hear from you. I want to keep you informed of the legislation that is being introduced in California in the hope that you will be engaged in sharing your position on them. I would also like to invite you to attend one of my town halls to learn more about the legislative process and have your voice heard.
To learn more or monitor the progress of any of these bills, please visit California Legislative Information.
For more information about legislative deadlines and where we are in the legislative process click here.
For more information about how to submit a position letter to committee click here.
If you have additional questions, please feel free to reach out to my office through any of the methods listed here: https://sr19.senate.ca.gov/my-offices
I hope you find this information useful. YOUR VOICE MATTERS.
Thank you,
ROSILICIE OCHOA BOGH
Senator, 19th District
Judiciary
Tuesday, May 6
SB 47 (Umberg) Tasks the State Auditor with conducting an audit of the February 2025 State Bar exam.
SB 346 (Durazo) Enacts the Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act of 2025, which permits local agencies to enact ordinances that require short-term rental facilitators to provide specified information on their platform’s rentals to the local agency.
SB 699 (Ochoa Bogh) Requires Members of the CA Legislature and legislative employees to take a course on the United States Constitution and the California Constitution within six months of the convening of a regular session of the Legislature.
SB 709 (Menjivar) Imposes rent control restrictions on storage-shed units.
SCR 66 (Umberg) Designates May 1 as “Law Day.” Declares that using executive orders to silence opposition and chill legal advocacy is an unlawful attack on the right of Americans to seek counsel.
Local Government
Wednesday, May 7
SB 227 (Grayson) Makes various updates to the administration of the Green Empowerment Zone for the Northern Waterfront area of Contra Costa County.
SB 534 (Padilla) Authorizes the establishment of a Green Empowerment Zone for the Salton Sea and Southeastern Desert Valleys (Salton Sea GEZ) until January 1, 2035.
SB 753 (Cortese) Allows local governments to return shopping carts directly to retailers and recover the actual costs of managing the returns.
SB 782 (Perez) Modifies the framework for enhanced infrastructure financing districts for climate resilience districts in California. Specifically attempts to simplify the process for funding climate resilience districts, focuses their efforts on disaster recovery and prevention, and ensures public transparency and consultation with affected entities.
SB 838 (Durazo) Within the Housing Accountability Act, revises the definition of “housing development project” to not allow projects that include any hotel, motel, bed and breakfast inn, or other transient lodging space in the commercial portion of a project, except as specified.
Additional Resources:
For more information about any of the bills on this list click here.
For more information about legislative deadlines and where we are in the legislative process click here.
For more information about how to submit a position letter to committee click here.