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By Kam Bezdek, Legislative Affairs Director at NCWA Governor Gavin Newsom signed the California State Budget on June 29, authorizing $351.7 billion in state spending for FY 2026-27. In his public announcement, Governor Newsom noted that this year’s budget “is balanced, structurally sound, and leaves no projected deficit this fiscal year or next, all while preserving historic reserves … Continue reading “California Budget Highlights FY 2026-2027”

By Bruce Houdesheldt, Director of Water Quality at NorCal Water Every Californian deserves access to safe, reliable drinking water. While that goal has not yet been fully achieved, the Sacramento Valley is making meaningful progress through the North State Drinking Water Solutions Network (NSDWSN) with support from the state’s Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity … Continue reading “NSDWSN and SAFER Program Ensure More Communities Have Reliable and Safe Drinking Water”

California Doesn’t Have to Choose Between Salmon and Water By Thad Bettner, Executive Director at Sacramento River Settlement Contractors For decades, Californians have been told that water policy is a zero-sum game: if salmon win, farmers lose; if farms win, fish disappear. That narrative has dominated public debate, fueled lawsuits, hardened positions, and distracted us from a … Continue reading “A Path Forward for Farms and Fish on the Sacramento River “

By California Municipal Utilities Association For decades, California’s water planning efforts largely focused on managing scarcity. Senate Bill 72 marked a significant shift toward a different approach: building long-term water resilience through measurable supply targets, improved planning, and greater statewide coordination. That shift began several years ago when a group of local water agency leaders came together to … Continue reading “California Begins a New Era of Water Planning”