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.

Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), in partnership with Women In Government, a national, non-profit, non-partisan organization of women state legislators, released a podcast on Type 2 Inflammation in Asthma today. This new podcast, found here, will uncover how atopic, allergic, and inflammatory diseases like asthma affect our families and communities.

(SACRAMENTO, CA) Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) secured Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature yesterday on legislation that will speed the permit process for low-income Central Valley communities to deliver clean drinking water for residents. The bill, Senate Bill 974, exempts new water projects that serve small, rural communities from some provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The exemption allows low-income communities to find relief for the expensive and exhaustive permit process to produce water wells and related projects.

Hurtado, a principal co-author of the measure, said, “We must take bold moves to address the languishing mental health system. This starts by creating a visible and accountable office with the purpose of focusing on suicide prevention. We cannot continue to watch our loved ones struggle to access care when they are in crisis.

A heat advisory has been issued for August 15th and 16th in the Southern Central Valley. Temperatures are expected to near 110 degrees over the next week. The following locations will be open as cooling centers in the Central Valley to help residents escape the heat:

Contaminated water has long plagued California’s Southern Central Valley, a region home to many farmworkers. SB 974, a bill by Senator Melissa Hurtado, seeks to provide safe drinking water by exempting small disadvantaged communities from certain CEQA provisions.

Senators Scott Wilk, representing the 21st Senate District and Melissa Hurtado, representing the 14th Senate District, announced they have submitted a request to Governor Newsom urging him to issue an Executive Order to keep EDD phone lines and operations open and fully staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until the delay in claims processing is addressed.

Central valley COVID-19 relief package advances to the Assembly for approval. This district-specific legislation focuses on clean water, jobs, workforce training, and protecting our most vulnerable.