Dear Friends and Neighbors – 

As we move through the fall season, it has been great to be back on the Central Coast full time.  We have had our first storms, and I hope that puts the fire season behind us. My spouse had a successful Open Studios as one of the 370 local artists showing their works – over 500 people came by. It is gratifying to know there’s so much local talent, and that it is appreciated by people in and outside of our area.

With the Governor’s bill signing period having passed, I’m pleased to share that all 14 of my bills that went to the Governor’s desk for consideration were signed into law. More on this – and on budget actions that have local impacts – below in the Capitol Update section.

This past month, I’ve been meeting with constituents and local leaders around the district. Rising to the top have been concerns of local hospitals preparing for the impact of federal cuts, and the impending cuts to millions of Californians receiving food assistance. With the federal government failing on these issues, our state is looking to step up in ways that we can. My staff and I are standing by to support our constituents with state programs and assistance. You can always contact my office here.

Warm Regards,

JOHN LAIRD
Senator, 17th District

This year, I introduced a comprehensive bill package intended to enhance consumer protections, strengthen safety standards for new battery storage facilities, provide affordable housing for coastal cities, and support those who provide emergency shelters. Fourteen bills went to the Governor’s desk and he signed all 14.

There were also numerous budget victories that will have meaningful impact for constituents of the 17th Senate District. Those include the Cabrillo- UC Santa Cruz student housing project, restoring funding for food banks, rejecting tuition increases at UCs and CSUs, and securing funding for libraries in Santa Cruz.

In addition to working on my legislative package, I also served on two prominent working groups -- the Senate Cap-and-Trade Working Group and the Redistricting Working Group. As the federal government continues to roll back crucial programs, I was proud to stand with my colleagues to protect our communities from climate change and push policies that will build a cleaner, healthier, and equitable future for all.

Legislation authored by Senator Laird during the 2025-2026 Legislative Session:

SB 22 – Allows consumers to get more of their money back by raising the limit on how much cash can be redeemed from a gift card to $14.99. Signed into Law.

SB 230 – Closes a gap in workers’ compensation presumption coverage for federal firefighters and firefighters employed at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) installations and airports to ensure timely care to work-related injuries like meningitis, tuberculosis, cancer, and more. Signed into Law.

SB 283 – Strengthens safety standards for the development of new battery storage facilities and bolsters coordination with fire officials to ensure they can provide consultation during the application stage, and that there’s a developer-paid inspection prior to a facility going online. The bill also requires the state to review the safest configurations for these facilities, including limitations on construction within an indoor combustible building. Signed into Law.

SB 333 – Allows San Luis Obispo County to address increasing demands on its transportation network and fund new improvements by providing the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments with the authority to seek voter approval for a local sales tax measure.  Signed into Law.

SB 340 – Adds wraparound services to the definition of “emergency shelter,” clarifying that services, such as showers and meals, offered by an emergency shelter cannot be subject to a conditional use permit or other discretionary permit in zones where shelters are a use by right. Signed into Law.

SB 391 – Ensures the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) is compensated for the workload and staff time associated with providing system-level data to research partners by allowing CCCCO to impose reasonable fees. Signed into Law.

SB 428 – Allows the State Auditor to consider additional options when establishing a permanent office location without compromising proximity to the Legislature. Signed into Law.

SB 470– Extends the sunset in SB 544 (Laird, Chapter 216, Statutes of 2023) to January 1, 2030, modernizing the Bagley-Keene Act to maintain important disability and public access to state board and commission meetings. Signed into Law.

SB 484 – Establishes a pilot program to advance affordable housing on the coast, tasking the Coastal Commission with identifying suitable areas for housing and exempting 100% affordable housing developments in those areas from the coastal development permit requirement. Signed into Law.

SB 504 – Strengthens California’s public health infrastructure by permitting health care providers to discuss specific patients living with human immunodeficiency virus when communicating with local and state health officials, only when necessary for public health purposes. Signed into Law.

SB 544 – Increases the efficiency of transit and transportation development by streamlining the approval process for uncontested rail crossing applications. Signed into Law.

SB 609 – Increases state efficiency by updating the commercial fishing record confidentiality laws to improve record accuracy and reduce the amount of staff time spent correcting errors. Signed into Law.

SB 697 – Modernizes the stream system adjudication process by allowing use of modern technology when performing investigations into water rights. Signed into Law.

SB 839 – Ensures private pleasure boats and yachts can be held liable for oil spills, and enables data-informed decision-making and inter-agency collaboration to assess whether fisheries should be closed after an oil spill. Signed into Law.

SCR 3 Safe Drinking Water Act: 50th Anniversary - Commemorates the 50^th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act, celebrates the achievements and progress made over the last few decades, and commits to the continued protection and improvement of California’s drinking water resources. Chaptered.

SCR 51 Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month - Proclaims the month of May 2025 as Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month to promote public awareness and understanding of cystic fibrosis and the diverse communities it impacts. Chaptered.

Budget proposals Senator Laird secured and protected:

Rejecting tuition increases for UC/CSU students – Rejected a proposed 8% cut to the UC and CSU systems, and maintained full funding for the higher education segments with only a 3% rolling deferral to be paid off in better budget years.

Restoring funding for food banks – Restored and protected $60 million in funding for California food banks, which had been slated for a drastic cut to just $8 million.

Protecting healthcare services for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) patients – Secured $3.5 million to continue ALS wraparound care, preventing the existing program from ending.

Supporting student housing, UCSC/Cabrillo Housing Project

Improving access to healthcare on the Central Coast, UCSC Med School - Secured $1.5 million to support implementation of the UC Programs in Medical Education Central Coast (PRIME Central Coast) program at UC Davis in collaboration with UC Santa Cruz. 

Funding for local libraries in Santa Cruz – Secured $4.5 million in funding for the Santa Cruz Library through the Building Forward Grant Program.

During a visit to the Elkhorn Slough, I had the chance to climb aboard the famed Western Flyer -- original toilet and all! This historic fishing boat has seen plenty of changes over the years, but the spirit that carried John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts on their 1940 journey to the Gulf of California is still very much alive in its timbers.
 

 
I visited Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch to learn how rebuilding is coming along after the CZU fire. The 3,200-acre ranch, just outside Davenport, is a hands-on classroom where Cal Poly students and researchers study everything from agriculture to forestry. It was great to see students in the university’s workforce training program in action, sharing the research they’ve been leading on-site.

Excited to help cut the ribbon on Santa Cruz Community Credit Union’s new MobiBranch. This innovative mobile unit will bring essential financial services directly to underserved areas in Santa Cruz County -- making banking more accessible and equitable for everyone.

I joined a hard hat tour of Harvey West Studios, a 120-unit permanent supportive housing project taking shape on the Housing Matters campus in Santa Cruz. The building will include on-site recuperative care and health clinics on the ground floor, plus community spaces for case management and peer support. The best part? We’re just one year away from opening these doors to some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

After 30 years of service, Scotts Valley Police Chief Steve Walpole is hanging up his badge. I wouldn’t be surprised if the busiest stretch of his career came in just the last few years -- between the COVID-19 pandemic, the CZU fire, and even a tornado last year, he’s seen our community through a lot. Congratulations to Chief Walpole on a well-earned retirement!

I joined my colleagues for a news conference on the Santa Cruz Wharf to speak out against the Trump Administration’s plans for offshore oil drilling and seabed mining -- plans revealed in leaked documents obtained by the Houston Chronicle. The federal government is moving forward without guardrails, and it’s up to us to provide the political, legal, and policy ones needed to stop them.

It was an honor to attend the Central Coast Construction Trades’ 2025 Outstanding Apprentice Awards. CCCT does incredible work training and supporting people as they build rewarding careers in the construction trades. It was inspiring to see this year’s apprentices recognized for their skill, dedication, and hard work.