Thursday, May 22, 2025

Is Gallego Setting His Sights Higher? With a trip to Pennsylvania, Sen. Ruben Gallego enters the 2028 conversation. Gallego, D-Ariz., is used to taking his message on the road in a swing state. But now the first-term senator, fresh off his hard-fought win last year, is heading far from home to speak to voters in Pennsylvania, the quintessential presidential battleground state. Gallego attended a town hall in Bucks County, a key swing area outside Philadelphia that Donald Trump flipped by a few hundred votes last year.

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Trump’s Budget Proposes Cutting $600M From Utah’s Biggest Water Project The White House wants to cut funding for the project that delivers Colorado River water to millions on the Wasatch Front — but no one will say what those cuts would entail. Tucked 28 pages into President Donald Trump’s budget recommendations for next year, released May 2, was a proposed funding cut to the Central Utah Project to the tune of $609 million. Congress must approve the final budget. The Central Utah Project is “the largest and most complex water resources development project” in the state, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The project is a complicated system of reservoirs and pipelines that bring water from the Colorado River system to the Wasatch Front for irrigation, municipal and industrial uses, supporting the region’s rapid growth. It also provides opportunities for recreation, water conservation and fish and wildlife protection. Story

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Because it’s Fun to Give Away OPM: Assembly lawmakers advanced a plan on Monday to grant undocumented immigrants access to phone bill discounts, providing potential financial support for immigrants as the Trump administration pursues mass deportations. Democratic Assemblymember Avelino Valencia’s AB 1303, which passed with a vote of 60-12, would make California the first state to allow undocumented immigrants and others without Social Security numbers to sign up for a state Lifeline phone discount program. This program offers low-income households up to $19 off their monthly phone bill. Additionally, it protects undocumented immigrants by prohibiting program administrators from sharing applicants’ personal information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement without a warrant. California Democrats are concerned that the Trump administration could weaponize personal information collected by government programs to track, apprehend, and deport undocumented immigrants. Earlier this year, ICE sought access to federal tax data to support an ongoing crackdown on undocumented immigration.

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Howard Reinstated; Some NIOSH Cuts Reversed Dr. John Howard, the longtime director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), has been reinstated to his position after receiving a termination notice earlier this year. Moreover, key programs cut under the guise of efficiency have also been restored in response to the backlash against the agency's sweeping cuts. Up to 90% of NIOSH's workforce, including Howard, received layoff notices as the Department of Health and Human Services began shifting NIOSH functions into the new Administration for a Healthy America. The Administration, through DOGE, initially stated that it would make mistakes and correct them. This serves as clear evidence of its ability to acknowledge mistakes and rectify them. HHS has reinstated more than 300 NIOSH employees and restored several programs, including the Respiratory Health Division, Division of Safety Research, Division of Compensation and Analysis Support, and the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, which certifies new respirators. Layoffs at the World Trade Center Health Program have also been reversed. Howard has been NIOSH director since 2002 after serving 11 years as chief of Cal/OSHA's Division of Occupational Safety and Health.  He has been lauded for his work in the World Trade Center Health Program and research on worker health and cutting-edge technology, such as nanotechnology. Howard noted that while some NIOSH employers were reinstated, others were not. He says he will continue to make the case for restoring the rest and "restoring the agency's capacity." Some 600 NIOSH employees remain laid off. [Cal-OSHA Reporter]

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Candidates for Governor Wave Green Flags for Union Millions At the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento, seven Democrats—former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, former Senate President Toni Atkins, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former State Controller Betty Yee, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond—courted the California Federation of Labor Unions and the State Building and Construction Trades Council. This illustrated fidelity to unions, whose anticipated $40 million in election spending secures policy loyalty. The Democrats' eagerness to trade principles for union funds, favoring special interests over taxpayers, was evident. It represented an impressive bow to the true masters of Sacramento. Story


 

Save the Date for the 2025 Battery Energy Storage Systems Fire Safety Symposium Join us on July 24, 2025, at the California Natural Resources Agency in Sacramento, CA for a Battery Energy Storage Systems Fire Safety Symposium. This Symposium is geared towards sharing valuable insights on improving emergency response, the latest research and technology, understanding codes and standards, and updates on state initiatives to local fire departments and officials. Registration information for in-person and virtual attendance will be available soon. More

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Cal/OSHA’s Latest on Lead Exposure: Clarification for the Construction Industry On May 5, 2025, the California Department of Industrial Relations made an important announcement that affects employers in the construction industry. Cal/OSHA has clarified lead exposure prevention guidance specific to protecting workers conducting dry abrasive blasting during construction work. California’s recently amended lead standards for the construction industry went into effect on January 1, 2025 (California Code of Regulations, title 8, section 1532.1) as part of a broader effort to provide greater protection for workers from the health effects associated with lead exposure. These requirements, which are generally more protective than existing federal regulations, emphasize increased use of protective measures, including substitution, engineering controls, and administrative controls. More

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Judge Says Defense Department Must Resume Use of PLAs

·        A U.S. District Court judge in Washington, D.C., has granted a preliminary injunction against the Department of Defense and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for not following a Biden-era executive order mandating the use of project labor agreements on some federal jobs.

·        Judge Rudolph Contreras ruled in favor of North America’s Building Trades Unions and the Baltimore-D.C. Metro Building and Construction Trades Council on May 16, ordering the DOD to set aside PLA-avoidant guidance, even for projects not related to the plaintiffs.

·        Contreras’ order sides with the plaintiffs and says that the DOD must resume the practice of using PLAs. The agency did not respond to requests for comment.

NABTU President Sean McGarvey, practicing his standup routine, praised the ruling. “PLAs aren’t political gimmicks or special-interest carveouts,” McGarvey said in a statement. “They are proven workforce development tools that undergird strong economic growth in communities across the country.” More

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California High-Speed Rail Project Seeks Outside Investors CEO Ian Choudri is seeking outside investors. “Our outreach to the private sector has received strong interest,” he stated in a May 15 news release. In January, the authority held an industry forum to engage potential partners, including private equity firms. The authority will soon request expressions of interest for public-private partnerships. Discussions may cover monetizing assets like train sets, station facilities, track access, fast cargo, and parcels movement. Other opportunities include transit-oriented development, real estate, fiber optic lines along the right-of-way, and leasing certain assets to the private sector. More

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Unions Want Higher Tax Labor groups are considering whether to seek a renewal of tax increases on incomes over $250,000 in 2026 or 2028. Voters approved Proposition 30 in 2012 and Prop 55 in 2016, raising tax rates on high earners to fund schools and healthcare programs. This tax is set to expire in 2030. SEIU and the California Teachers Association, who previously supported the tax, are key players in deciding the timing for the renewal effort. They will likely garner support from various labor, healthcare, and progressive organizations. [Politico]

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New Solar Tariff The International Trade Commission has recommended levies of up to 3,521 percent on solar imports from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, citing material injury to U.S. manufacturers. This decision allows the Commerce Department to impose trade penalties. Reactions vary in the solar industry, with the Solar Energy Industries Association warning that tariffs will increase costs for manufacturers and developers reliant on foreign parts. Conversely, U.S. manufacturers like First Solar welcome the ruling, arguing it addresses China's subsidization of cheaper solar components in Southeast Asia. More