SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) released the following statement on her appointment as Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee:

“I am honored that President pro Tempore Toni Atkins has appointed me as the Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee,” said Senator Hurtado. “As a daughter of immigrant agricultural workers, I am proud to be the first Latina to lead this committee. When I think about agriculture, I think about the hard work and long days my parents endured, but I also think about the many opportunities employers provided them with—opportunities that allowed them to fulfill the American Dream. My hope is that, as Chair, I can provide a voice for people like them and for those whose voices often go unheard in Sacramento, like those of immigrant women, women farmers, and small farmers.” 

Lisa Tate, Director of Operations at the California Coffee Collective and a Board Member of California Citrus Mutual stated, “I am thrilled that Senator Hurtado is representing growers throughout the state as Chair of the Agriculture Committee. She has shown her genuine support and concern for California Farmers and our state’s natural resources. As a farmer and businesswoman, I value a leader who can balance complex issues, support disadvantaged populations, be true to her values and make a difference.”

“We are excited to work with Senator Hurtado in her new capacity as Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee. We know she will continue to be a voice for those who often go unheard in Sacramento, like farmworkers. Her innovative solutions to the problems we are facing in California offer the fresh perspective we need today,” said Hernan Hernandez, Executive Director of the California Farmworker Foundation.

The Senate Agriculture Committee reviews legislation on a wide array of topics, including food standards and labeling, agricultural technology, farmland preservation and conservation, and food system security.

In California, agriculture represents a $50 billion industry, employing nearly half a million people and growing food on which the state, nation, and globe rely.  Agriculture in California and around the world is transforming as climate change impacts start to take hold. 

Last year, Senator Hurtado was invited to attend the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. She also participated and attended the United Nations Climate Conference in Egypt. Both allowed her the opportunity to hear what other states and nations are doing in this area.

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 as a product of immigrant parents. Senator Hurtado represents the 16th 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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