Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Those of us on the Central Coast know that fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year. The weather holds and trees turn – as the days begin to get shorter. This year brings a special sense to the region, as we hope the Big Sur fires completely wind down and as the record El Nino in the Pacific portends a very wet winter.    

While the legislative session ended at the beginning of September, the one remaining part of the legislative process is the Governor’s bill signing period, which is winding down as you read this. I’m pleased to report that all 17 bills I sent to his desk this year have been signed into law, bringing the total of 90 bills signed in my six years in the Senate.  

This year’s bill package was oriented to home, from protecting services for older adults and people with disabilities, to strengthening flood protection and expanding access to health care. These new laws address a wide range of issues facing the Central Coast and California.

I also served as Chair of the Senate Budget Committee – spending considerable effort to protect essential services, maintain the state’s fiscal reserves and secure investments in housing, health care, climate, education, and other key priorities.

When the Governor signed the final budget bills just days ago, those bills also included funding I secured for community projects across all four counties in Senate District 17.

Back home I’ve met with residents and first responders affected by the Timber and Plaskett fires in Big Sur, and saw decades of work finally pay off with the conservation of the iconic Wild Cherry Canyon south of the Diablo Canyon power plant in San Luis Obispo County.

Wild Cherry Canyon is particularly meaningful to me. I’ve been involved in efforts to protect these lands since my time as California’s Secretary for Natural Resources. After 25 years of work by conservation advocates, local leaders, and the state, the Coastal Conservancy acted to use funds placed in the state budget to protect this remarkable stretch of coastline and get it ready to open up for the public to enjoy.

And in one of the more unusual stories out of Sacramento this year, I joined Senator Shannon Grove in a bipartisan effort to establish September 25 (or 9 to 5) as Dolly Parton Day in California. Our bill recognizes her contributions to music and childhood literacy through the Imagination Library. It’s received quite a bit of attention across the country – a welcome reminder that we can still find common ground, even if that common ground happens to center around­­­ Dolly Parton.

As we head into the fall and winter rainy season, we’re also preparing for the possibility of significant storms associated with El Niño. We know what severe weather can mean for the Central Coast, from flooding in Pajaro to landslides and closures along Highway 1. The state has taken steps to prepare early, and I’ll continue working with local and state officials to make sure our communities are ready.

There’s plenty more to share this month. Here’s the latest from Sacramento and around Senate District 17. Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

JOHN LAIRD
Senator, 17^th District

Wrapping Up the 2025-2026 Legislative Session

With all 17 of my bills signed into law this year, we've delivered on a wide range of priorities for the Central Coast and California. These bills came out of conversations with people across the Central Coast and a lot of hard work with my colleagues to address the issues they raised.

Among this year's new laws are measures to accelerate flood protection along the Pajaro River, expand access to HIV prevention medication, improve transparency in public employee retirement audits, and make it easier for local wineries to sell their products at farmers markets.

Several bills signed in late August and September deserve particular mention. SB 575 restores the California Sea Otter Voluntary Contribution Fund, which I helped establish 20 years ago and which has raised more than $5 million for sea otter conservation and research. The new law will once again allow Californians to support the fund through voluntary contributions on their state income tax returns.

SB 1261 protects aging and disability services on the Central Coast, while SB 1078 allows the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and other businesses to continue using existing gift card inventory while honoring California’s updated cash-redemption requirements. And I joined Senator Shannon Grove to establish September 25 as Dolly Parton Day in California, recognizing her contributions to music, philanthropy, and childhood literacy.

Beyond my own legislation, we also secured an additional $300 million in the final Greenhouse Gas Fund for transit, affordable housing, clean air, wildfire resilience, and safe drinking water. We also made sure that interest earned by the Fund stays in the fund, so those dollars can continue supporting these investments.

Nearly 99% of the bills I’ve sent to Governor Newsom since joining the Senate have been signed into law. I appreciate the working relationship we’ve built over the past six years. We haven’t always agreed, but we’ve been able to talk through our differences and get things done for the Central Coast and California.

View my complete 2026 legislative package.

Governor Newsom dropped by the Senate floor on our final day of session.

Budget

Of course, passing legislation was only part of the work this year. As Chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, I also helped negotiate a state budget that was balanced this year and next, cut the structural deficit, maintained roughly $35 billion in reserves, and protected important services during a difficult budget year.

The budget secured emergency funding for reproductive health care providers and hospitals such as Watsonville Community Hospital that have been challenged by federal reductions. We advanced our effort to ensure California’s largest corporations pay their fair share toward the cost of Medi-Cal. I was also part of the negotiating team for the Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act, including securing investments in the water and sewer infrastructure needed to support new housing in disadvantaged communities like those in the Salinas Valley, and also provide additional funds for higher education housing.

Standing Up for California’s Reusable Propane Cylinder Law

This month, the federal government moved to block implementation of legislation I authored in 2024 – SB 1280 – to phase out the sale of disposable one-pound propane cylinders in California and instead require that such cannisters be reusable instead.

These cylinders are commonly used for camping and outdoor recreation, but many are discarded each year, creating waste and posing hazards for workers at recycling and waste facilities – as well as in our parks and beaches. The federal administration tried to make this effort into something it wasn’t – it’s not a matter of outlawing propane canisters, it’s a matter of making them reusable so they won’t litter our public spaces.

Last, but not least…

A big thank-you to our Senate Fellow, Samantha “Sammi” Guerrero, who recently completed her year with our office. Sammi staffed me on the Senate Labor Committee, worked on four of my bills and somehow became our office expert on CalPERS along the way. She brought enthusiasm and dedication to everything she did, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for her.  

This month marked California’s inaugural Dolly Parton Day. Senator Grove and I authored the bipartisan bill establishing September 25 (9-2-5) as a day to celebrate Dolly’s contributions to music, philanthropy, and childhood literacy.

 

Bringing State Funding Home to the Central Coast

One of the most important parts of the state budget is making sure communities throughout the Central Coast see a direct benefit.

This year, I was proud to secure funding for community projects across Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, and San Luis Obispo counties, supporting everything from affordable housing and food assistance to parks, trails, public safety, and health care.

In Monterey County, investments include the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex, the San Pablo Pedestrian Bridge in Seaside, safety improvements around Bixby Bridge and Point Lobos, and coastal protection near the mouth of the Carmel River.

In Santa Cruz County, funding will support affordable housing in the city of Santa Cruz, a permanent Meals on Wheels kitchen, improvements at Watsonville Community Hospital, METRO’s emergency radio system, the Watsonville Cultural District, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center – augmenting June appropriations for a medical school at UC Santa Cruz and additional funds for Santa Cruz library construction.

In San Benito County, funding will support the Youth Alliance Youth Impact Center, a food-storage facility for locally grown food at the San Benito High School District, and expanded grant-writing capacity for local nonprofits.

And in San Luis Obispo County, funding will help move forward the long-planned Avila Beach and Hearst Ranch trails, support wildlife rehabilitation and homeless services, and study conservation opportunities along the Salinas River. Funds for land conservation in the Diablo lands was also included.

$16 Million for Affordable Housing in Greenfield

More affordable housing is on the way to Greenfield. The state recently awarded $16 million to Greenfield Commons II, a planned 100-unit development that will provide much-needed housing for farmworker families and veterans, including those experiencing homelessness. The funding will help close a financing gap that has held up construction, bringing the project closer to breaking ground.

The development will include one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, along with a playground, community room, and other amenities for residents.

After 25 Years, Wild Cherry Canyon Moves Toward Permanent Protection

After a quarter-century of work, Wild Cherry Canyon is finally moving toward permanent protection. I was proud to help secure $40 million in state funding, which the State Coastal Conservancy is now moving forward with to help The Wildlands Conservancy acquire roughly 2,200 acres along the San Luis Obispo County coast, protecting an extraordinary stretch of open space and laying the groundwork for expanded public access.

This year, I secured an additional $2 million to help acquire the underlying property and adjacent lands. My district director Kara Woodruff has been a partner in this project long before we worked together. Seeing Wild Cherry Canyon reach this point is a major milestone for conservation and public access on the Central Coast.
 

With the good news about Wild Cherry Canyon, I had to pull this one from the archives: Kara and me visiting the property back in 2021.

Meeting with Big Sur Residents Affected by the Fires

The Timber and Plaskett fires have brought another difficult stretch for residents and businesses along the Big Sur Coast.

I participated in incident-command coordination with first responders and community leaders and later sat down with Big Sur residents, businesses, and local officials to hear directly about their experiences during the fires – what they experienced, the challenges they faced, and what support they need going forward.

After years of Highway 1 closures and disruptions, another emergency during an important part of the tourism season has been especially difficult for this community. I’ll continue working with local, state, and federal partners as Big Sur moves forward.

Moss Landing Fire

The September 18 fire at the Moss Landing battery storage facility was another difficult day for nearby residents, many of whom were ordered to shelter in place. While the fire is out, and a large majority of the damaged batteries have been removed, the Environmental Protection Agency has warned that unstable batteries remain at the site and additional flare-ups are possible as cleanup continues.

I'm grateful to the firefighters and emergency crews who responded. Residents deserve clear information about the remaining risks and the steps being taken to protect their safety. I'll continue following the cleanup closely and working with local and state officials to make sure the community's concerns are heard.

For the latest emergency information and alerts, visit Ready Monterey County.

Around the District

I toured construction of Costa Vista at Cabrillo College, a first-of-its-kind partnership between a California community college and the University of California. The project will provide hundreds of affordable beds for Cabrillo and UC Santa Cruz students, including family housing and child care. I was proud to help move this project forward at the state level, and it was great to see that work becoming a reality.

I also got a tour of Teen Kitchen Project’s new 4,200-square-foot kitchen in Soquel. The new facility will allow the organization to nearly triple the number of nutritious meals it prepares each year while expanding its Teen Chef program and serving more Central Coast residents living with serious illnesses.

I met with Dominican Hospital’s new president and CEO, Christine McSweeney, to talk about the hospital, health care, and the needs of patients across Santa Cruz County.

And I joined the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council for its annual Labor Day picnic and enjoyed spending time with workers, families, and community members from across the Monterey Bay.

Coming Up: Week Without Driving

Week Without Driving is coming to Santa Cruz County, an opportunity to experience our transportation system from the perspective of people who don't or can't drive. Members of my district staff plan to participate, and I hope you'll consider joining them. A community celebration is planned for Friday, October 2, from 4–7 p.m. at Capitola Mall, bringing together transportation, pedestrian-safety and public-health organizations, along with activities for families.

My district director, Kara Woodruff, attended the Central Coast State Parks Association’s Butterfly Ball and presented former Congressman Sam Farr with a Senate resolution recognizing his receipt of the “John Laird Lifetime Achievement Award” for his lifelong commitment to conservation and protecting California’s coast and public lands. Congratulations, Sam!

My district representative Natalie Boston joined Community Foundation for San Benito County CEO Cassandra Kartashov at the foundation’s first annual State of the Foundation event where Cassandra shared the organization’s strategic plan. She also highlighted the $300,000 in state funding I secured to help hire a grant writer and bring more resources to San Benito County.

Natalie presented Sandra Schwehr with a Senate resolution at the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce’s annual gala, where she was honored as Woman of the Year. Congratulations, Sandra, on this well-deserved recognition of your commitment to education and your work with Little Tree Community, a Wildflower Montessori school in Hollister.  Congratulations also go to San Benito County Clerk Francisco Diaz for being honored as Man of the Year by the Chamber.