Placer supervisors approve state and federal legislative platform

Published on February 07, 2018

The Placer County Board of Supervisors today voted 4-0 to approve the annual legislative platform - serving as the basis for the county’s advocacy efforts with the executive and legislative branches of state and federal government. District 5 Supervisor Jennifer Montgomery was absent from the meeting due to illness.

Helping ensure that federal and state policy and funding decisions benefit Placer County is an ongoing effort for the Board of Supervisors and county staff, affirmed annually in the county’s legislative platform.

At their Jan. 9 meeting, the board authorized board members and county staff to travel to Washington, D.C., to advocate for county priorities, and as part of the Cap-to-Cap contingent of local agencies from the region.

On the state side, specific proposals within the platform are divided into six separate policy areas that touch on every aspect of county operations. While the majority of these proposals are carried over from previous years, new proposals in this year’s platform address issues of local control over land use authority in regards to land development and open space, funding for affordable housing, funding for services and regulatory streamlining.

Some of these items include unclaimed gas tax revenue and how it might impact funding of agricultural program and services, funding for health and human services including Medi-Cal, chronic disease prevention and mental health and substance abuse.

On the federal side, the county will seek legislation and regulations that produce funding for the Placer Parkway and the infrastructure to support economic development in the Sunset Area in western Placer County, and in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Protecting homeowners insurance for residents in Placer’s wildfire-prone areas is another top priority as seen with Placer County’s sponsorship of California Senate Bill 284.

The platform targets its advocacy efforts for key issues and specific proposals and policies. Typically those efforts are to sponsor, support or oppose legislation; address policy, rules or laws; and defend local authority and resources.

Read the full, approved legislative platform on the county’s website.