SACRAMENTO, CA – Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) today issued the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s latest COVID-19 order:

“This is a crisis calling for national leadership from both sides of the aisle. It’s unbelievable that testing access is still haphazard without instantaneous results for everyone. It’s unbelievable our families and businesses are being asked to sacrifice without Congress stepping up to make us whole with effective, targeted relief to the states. It’s unbelievable that some leaders are still using the pandemic as a political weapon as hospitalizations and deaths increase. We all have COVID-19 fatigue – no one likes the situation we find ourselves in. But we must pull together at this critical time to defeat this deadly disease and get California, and our Nation, moving again.”

On behalf of the residents of the 14th State Senate District in California, I write to urge you to select Congressman Jim Costa to be the next Chair of the Agriculture Committee in the United States House of Representatives.

As you are well aware, California is the top agricultural producing state in the nation. The district I represent in the State Senate has three of the top five most productive agriculture counties in California: Fresno, Kern, and Tulare — with Fresno being the most productive.

On behalf of the residents of the 14th State Senate District in California, I write to urge you to select Congressman Jim Costa to be the next Chair of the Agriculture Committee in the United States House of Representatives.

As you are well aware, California is the top agricultural producing state in the nation. The district I represent in the State Senate has three of the top five most productive agriculture counties in California: Fresno, Kern, and Tulare — with Fresno being the most productive.

The people of Senate District 14 face daily challenges and this is the time for us to find solutions to the problems of our community. I invite the residents of Senate District 14 (which includes communities in Kings, Fresno, Kern, and Tulare Counties) to submit budget requests or ideas for state legislation. Act now because we are looking for your proposals by Tuesday, January 19, 2021.

The people of Senate District 14 face daily challenges and this is the time for us to find solutions to the problems of our community. I invite the residents of Senate District 14 (which includes communities in Kings, Fresno, Kern, and Tulare Counties) to submit budget requests or ideas for state legislation. Act now because we are looking for your proposals by Tuesday, January 19, 2021.

The people of Senate District 14 face daily challenges and this is the time for us to find solutions to the problems of our community. I invite the residents of Senate District 14 (which includes communities in Kings, Fresno, Kern, and Tulare Counties) to submit budget requests or ideas for state legislation. Act now because we are looking for your proposals by Tuesday, January 19, 2021.

Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), Chair of the Senate Committee on Human Services, will host two informational hearings on the effects of COVID-19 today and tomorrow. On Monday the committee will examine how foster care is being impacted by the pandemic and on Tuesday it will study the status of food assistance for vulnerable populations during COVID-19.

The LAO report sheds a small glimpse of light on the injustices to poor, farm-working communities in my district. The humble, hard-working men and women of the Valley risk their lives to feed the world. In return, Sacramento and Washington D.C. have disproportionately failed them with inadequate resources and broken policies that further increase their cost of water and put their health at risk. It’s well past time to eliminate bureaucratic delay and help provide these communities with clean drinking water.