By Kam Bezdek, NCWA Legislative Affairs Director
This State Legislature adjourned the first year of its 2025-26 legislative session on September 18th at midnight. Governor Newsom faced a budget deficit for a third consecutive fiscal year and spent much of the calendar year managing the physical impact and total economic loss of the LA fires at the outset of the legislative session. This year, NCWA advocated several important issues for the Sacramento Valley, including groundwater, healthy rivers and landscapes, water resources management and funding opportunities for our members and partners. NCWA and its members continued additional lobbying support through Kirk Kimmleshue and Soyla Fernandez, who represent the firm of Fernandez Jensen Kimmleshue Government Affairs. Kirk and Soyla’s lobbying efforts and respected relationships in the State Capitol were paramount to our engagement this year, and with Kam Bezdek joining as Legislative Affairs Director in July, NCWA was fully prepared for the negotiations across multiple priorities that took place at the end of session.
Click here or on the image below for a summary of NCWA’s legislative advocacy over the course of the year.
If you have additional thoughts on our legislative work, we would appreciate your ideas. Please share them with us at info@norcalwater.org.
