Among hundreds of bills signed into law on Sunday by Governor Jerry Brown was the rural broadband measure championed by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D — Winters).

Several past efforts to increase funding to close the connectivity gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots,” known as the “Digital Divide,” were intensely opposed by the largest telecommunications and cable companies. After a three-year stalemate, this bill represents a cooperative effort between legislators of both houses and both parties, consumer advocates, and representatives from the telecommunications and cable industries to invest in broadband access and rural development.

District Four Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry recently visited the location of the most important project for the restoration of Clear Lake: the Middle Creek Marsh.

Over 1,600 acres of land, farmed for a better part of a century and protected by battered levees, are the focus of federal, state, and local efforts to restore original wetlands. These wetlands are expected to slow the flow of nutrient-rich water and sediment to Clear Lake, providing flood protection, water quality improvement, wildlife habitat, ground water recharge, and recreational opportunities.

There's a new law on the books in California that will remove a barrier for low-income parents aiming to access education. Under a bill signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown last week, poor parents enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) or high school equivalency courses will be eligible for subsidized child care. 

Sacramento, California – Earlier today, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that would require California officials to focus on and address the challenges facing farmers of color in the state by making access to  state and federal resources more equitable. This comes at a critical moment as the current generation of farmers is retiring and new farmers are increasingly represented by people of color, including immigrants and refugees.

“While historic discrimination won’t be solved overnight, the Farmer Equity Act opens the door requiring that  state officials identify and address the ways farmers of color, including black farmers, have largely been ignored,” said Dr. Gail Myers, PhD, co-founder of Oakland-based Farms to Grow, and a leading member of the California Farmer Justice Collaborative.

The Farmer Equity Act, AB 1348, authored by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), directs the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to better provide resources, outreach, technical assistance, and decision-making power to “socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers,” so called because they have been subjected to historic racial discrimination.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry’s AB 317, providing Napa County with permanent, annual funding to support the three farmworker housing centers totaling 180 beds.

Beginning in the next budget cycle, the Napa County Housing Authority will receive $250,000 in matching dollars each year. The bill had been promoted as private-public model for farmworker housing developed by Napa County.