A cadre of new Republican assemblymembers took part this week in the Legislature’s annual tradition of honoring California Ag Day with resolutions from each house.
Asm. Heather Hadwick, standing in support, described her Siskiyou County farm. Known for its pumpkin patch, the family operation also raises hay, vegetables, cut flowers and highland cattle, while Hadwick’s husband runs the local Natural Resources Conservation Office. In her expansive District 1, farming “isn't just our livelihood. It's a cornerstone of our culture, economy and the way of life.” Hadwick loves the hard work, “even when you're feeding cows in a snowstorm, working 18-hour days at harvest or moving irrigation.”
Asm. David Tangipa of Fresno pointed out that California grows far more peaches than Georgia and more oranges than Florida. He asked colleagues to keep farmers and ranchers in mind when pushing new policies.
Asm. Jeff Gonzalez of Indio represents “the hottest district in the state — by heat, not by looks. Well, maybe sometimes by looks.” His Coachella Valley district is at the center of broad Riverside County, which supplies most of the world’s dates and carrots, he claimed.
Asm. Leticia Castillo represents the more populous wing of the same county. She reached back to her father’s roots as a Bracero farmworker to salute the “many generations of immigrants” in her district who “built their livelihoods in the fields, dairies and orchards that fuel our economy.”
On that note: Assembly Ag Chair Esmeralda Soria, who authored the resolution, this week launched her campaign bid for the Senate next year. She plans to fill the role of a previous ag chair, Sen. Anna Caballero, who is terming out of office. Caballero put her support behind the fellow Merced representative.
Lawmakers host immigrant protection forum
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas of Salinas and Asms. Esmeralda Soria, Joaquin Arambula of Fresno and Celeste Rodriguez of San Fernando teamed up last week for an immigration roundtable.
Joined in Fresno by over two dozen labor, business and immigrant advocacy organizations, the lawmakers pressed the economic importance of immigrants in California. Citing U.S. Department of Labor data, the coalition noted that 88% of state farmworkers are immigrants and roughly half are undocumented.
Rivas, the grandson of farmworkers and former chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee, called Trump’s deportation agenda “chaotic” and promised to “defend our immigrant communities and their incredible contributions to California.”
On that note: California Attorney General Rob Bonta shared a warning after receiving reports of people impersonating U.S. Immigrations and Custom Enforcement officers. He doubled down on Rivas’ points, asserting that the federal administration is exercising “racist rhetoric and destructive immigration policies.”
Market relief payment rates vary widely
As promised, Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins beat the statutory deadline for releasing that $10 billion market relief program authorized by Congress in December. Payment rates for major crops under the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program will vary from $29.76 an acre for soybeans to $76.94 an acre for rice and $84.74 for cotton. The corn rate is $42.91.
Keep in mind: Farmers will get 85% of their payments until the signup ends Aug. 15. The remainder of the payments will be distributed depending on how much money is available.
EPA contemplates slashing scientific research office
EPA is weighing gutting the Office of Research and Development, according to a plan viewed by Democratic staff on the House Science Committee.
The office has about 1,500 employees and its website says it provides research to inform EPA decision-making. Under the plan, first reported on by the New York Times, three quarters of the office staff would be let go.
EPA spokesperson Molly Vaseliou said the agency “is taking exciting steps as we enter the next phase of organizational improvements.” She added that, “while no decisions have been made yet, we are actively listening to employees at all levels to gather ideas on how to better fulfill agency statutory obligations, increase efficiency, and ensure the EPA is as up-to-date and effective as ever.”
The Natural Resources Defense Council criticized the plan. The advocacy group’s chief science officer, Ticora Jones, argued that the agency “needs the smartest science to put the smartest protections in place for people and the planet – and maintain them.”
USDA says states can obligate conservation contracts
USDA says it has lifted a pause on obligating contracts for two major conservation programs, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program.
Agri-Pulse reported that a notice said NRCS staff should pause having producers sign FY25 applications for EQIP and CSP. The notice was sent Friday morning by a state NRCS official.
In a statement to Agri-Pulse on Tuesday, the department said it paused the obligation of new EQIP and CSP contracts March 5 “to review criteria that could have impacted on contract ranking.” The statement went on to say, “On March 14, 2025, states were able to begin obligating EQIP and CSP contracts.”
The statement concluded by saying: “Secretary Rollins remains committed to working with American producers and ensuring the timely delivery of conservation program funding.”
USDA didn’t immediately respond to a request to explain the apparent discrepancy between the spokesperson’s statement and the notice.
Groups seek court order to restore erased USDA climate webpages
Farming and environmental groups are seeking a court order requiring USDA to restore culled webpages related to climate change and climate initiatives.
Earthjustice, Environmental Working Group, Natural Resources Defense Council and the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York filed a motion for a preliminary injunction their lawsuit challenging USDA’s move to erase climate-related webpages. The groups want the courts to direct USDA to restore the webpages and prevent the agency from removing any additional information.
They argue the webpage purge hurts farmers, advisors, researchers and advocates who rely on the now-removed information to make planting decisions.
Final word:
“One word: Sackett. S-A-C-K-E-T-T. It is a clear, simple prescriptive definition.” — EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, answering a reporter’s question about how to craft a “durable” definition of “waters of the U.S.”
“We're hoping to get this done in months, not years,” Zeldin said of the administration's forthcoming rewrite of the WOTUS rule.
