SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) released the following statement about California’s drought, and the increasing risk of a food crisis:

“Urgent Action is needed in California to avert a global food crisis,” said Senator Hurtado. “The U.S. experienced a food crisis in 1974 when the drought, oil shortages and lack of crop yields created the perfect storm. History is repeating itself, only this time it could be much worse. California is responsible for over 400 commodities in Americas food supply chain, providing two-thirds of our nation’s fruits and nuts and one-third of its vegetables. Urgent actions include: investing in water infrastructure, identifying hunger spots across our state, and a closer look at our land use.”

This legislative session, Senator Hurtado has authored Senate Bill 108—the Human Right to Food Act, that declares it to be a state policy that all people have access to sufficient, healthy food. With the declaration of Senate Bill 108, California’s governmental agencies will be required to consider the human right to food as they create, amend or adopt regulations. Senate Bill 108 will also require reporting on the current and future status of food, food production and food assistance.    

Senator Hurtado has also introduced Senate Bill 464, the Comida Para Todos (Food for All Act.) This bill will provide greater food security to low-income immigrant workers by expanding eligibility for state funded nutrition benefits to anyone ineligible for CalFresh due solely to their immigration status.

Senator Hurtado introduced Senate Bill 559 this legislative session, which allocates $785 million to repairing vital water delivery systems that provide drinking water to communities throughout California and water to sustain the state’s leading agricultural economy. The funds would go to fixing the Friant-Kern Canal, the Delta-Mendota Canal and major portions of the California Aqueduct, all of which have degraded and are losing water as a result of subsidence – the actual shrinking of land. The Senator is also a co-author of the Water Innovation Act of 2021, which will create the Office of Water Innovation at the California Water Commission-furthering new technologies and other approaches within the water sector.

Media Contact: Michelle.Sherwood@sen.ca.gov

About Senator Melissa Hurtado

Senator Melissa Hurtado represents a new generation of Latina leaders as the youngest woman ever elected to the California State Senate and a product of immigrant parents. Senator Hurtado represents the 14th Senate District and focuses on rural community issues that often go unheard — access to clean air and water, food insecurity and poverty, inequities in environmental policies, agriculture and access to health care. In July 2020, she was appointed to the national Biden Latino Leadership Committee alongside former Labor Secretary and current Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis – the only two California Latinas on the Committee.

For more information, visit Senator Hurtado’s Website here or find her on Twitter at @Senator_Hurtado

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