SACRAMENTO — The leadership of the California Legislative Central Coast Caucus, Co-Chairs Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) and Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara) and Vice Chair Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), issued the following statement regarding the federal government's direction to perform a formal evaluation of the California Coastal Commission's handling of the California Coastal Management Program:
"This federal administration has shown time and time again that they value profits over the well-being of our constituents and natural resources. Whether it is reopening damaged oil pipelines or seeking to expand harmful activities in environmentally sensitive areas, their actions show a complete disregard for the long-term health of California's coast. The Administration's efforts to revive oil and gas operations on land and at sea along the Central Coast ignore the decades of lessons we learned from oil spills and the enormous economic value of California's coastal industries. This reality has once again been highlighted by the recent Chevron spill in the San Francisco Bay, which serves as a reminder that the existence and daily operations of these oil facilities pose a threat to our waters."
"Rather than respecting California's authority to manage its own coastline, the Trump Administration has repeatedly sought to undermine the institutions responsible for protecting it. When California's environmental agencies carry out their legal responsibilities, the Administration has responded by claiming political persecution instead of engaging with the legitimate environmental and legal concerns being raised. In their most recent bid to weaken conservation policies, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick accused the Commission of ‘environmental terrorism' simply because it is carrying out the responsibilities entrusted to it under law."
"The Coastal Commission has been protecting our shores for five decades. Throughout that time, it has carried out responsibilities established under the California Coastal Act as part of California's federally approved Coastal Management Program. This longstanding state-federal partnership has helped balance environmental stewardship, public access, and responsible economic development along our coast. We stand with the commission as they fight to uphold California law and protect our coastline from short-sighted decisions that will benefit private interests over public benefit. We reject these attempts to intimidate the Coastal Commission for carrying out its legal responsibilities and remain steadfast in our commitment to upholding the values of the Central Coast."
Earlier this legislative session, members of the California Legislative Central Coast Caucus honored the 50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act by passing Assembly Concurrent Resolution 149.
The caucus' legislative priorities for the 2026-2027 legislative session focus on marine habitats, oil well financing, and emergency response.
The California Legislative Central Caucus is made up of eleven elected officials representing Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. The caucus is led by Assemblymembers Dawn Addis and Gregg Hart as co-chairs and Senator John Laird as the vice chair. Members of the caucus include Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Assemblymembers Steve Bennett, Jesse Gabriel, Jacqui Irwin, Gail Pellerin, President pro Tempore Monique Limón, and Senators Anna Caballero, and Henry Stern.
CONTACT: Michael Guerra, 916-319-2030