CSAC leaders, along with dozens of other California county
officials, were in Washington, D.C. this past week for the
National Association of Counties’ (NACo) Legislative
Conference. The event is held on an annual basis and brings
over 2,000 elected and appointed officials from across the
country to focus on key federal policy issues facing county
government.
During their time in the nation’s capital, CSAC officers and
staff met with key members of Congress to discuss the
association’s federal legislative priorities for 2016. Led
by Amador County Supervisor and CSAC President Richard Forster,
the association covered a variety of topics, including Indian
fee-to-trust reform, funding for the Payments-in-Lieu-of-Taxes
(PILT) program, extending the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program,
and child welfare reform.
For the tenth year running, CSAC hosted its annual congressional
breakfast on Capitol Hill. The popular event featured
presentations by the following members of the state’s
congressional delegation: Representatives Jeff Denham (R-CA),
Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and Jared Huffman
(D-CA). The California lawmakers spoke to county officials
on a variety of issues, including the aforementioned CSAC
priorities, the ongoing drought, and access to reliable broadband
in rural areas.
In addition, and among others, CSAC officers met with Senator
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to discuss the association’s
priorities. Off of Capitol Hill, CSAC leaders sat down with
representatives at the U.S. Forest Service to further coordinate
state and federal efforts to address the tree mortality crisis in
California.
