SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) introduced an organic farming package, which includes three bills that will substantially reduce barriers and obstacles faced by organic farms and farmers. AB 404 [Reporting Requirements for Organic Farmers] would require the California Department of Food and Agriculture to evaluate duplicative reporting requirements that unnecessarily burden organic farmers and streamline the pathway for these farms to gain official certification. AB 405 [Streamlining Requirements for Organic Businesses] would require California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to move from a slow, inefficient paper-based registration and payment process for organic businesses, to an online system that will serve as a one-stop destination for California’s organic farming industry. Lastly, AB 406 [Healthy Soils & Farmland Conservancy Programs] would allow organic farmers whose management practices contribute to better land quality and result in greenhouse gas reductions to apply for grants from the Healthy Soils Program and California Farmland Conservancy Program – potentially bringing millions of new grant funding to organic farming projects throughout the state.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) highlighted the introduction of new legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 319, which resolves inadequacies within the conflict of interest code that regulates the inspectors of mobile home parks. These loopholes were identified in a report published by the California State Auditor, which found that the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) did not require inspectors to report certain investments in mobile home park properties and failed to address these potential conflicts of interest when reviewing inspectors’ disclosure forms.

Today, Assembly Speaker Rendon (D-Lakewood) announced the State Assembly’s Committee assignments. Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) was appointed to the Committee on Utilities and Energy; the Committee on Judiciary; the Committee on Agriculture; the Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials; the Committee on Budget; Budget Subcommittee 3, and received the Vice-Chairmanship of the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policy.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today Assemblymember Damon Connolly introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 99, which stops harmful pesticide usage on sensitive ecosystems along highways in counties that adopt official resolutions restricting the deployment of such chemicals.

Today, Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) released the following statement in response to the release of Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2023-2024 State Budget proposal.