SLO County supervisors approves list of top priorities to advocate for at federal, state levels

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) - The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors approved its 2026 Legislative Platform on Tuesday, officially establishing the County’s state and federal advocacy priorities for the current year.

Among the key elements to this year's platform includes public safety, health and human services, housing, transportation and infrastructure, agriculture and natural resources, and economic
development.

"The legislative platform is about standing up for our communities—protecting taxpayers, strengthening healthcare access, supporting reliable infrastructure, and ensuring that state and federal policies reflect the realities on the ground in San Luis Obispo County,” San Luis Obispo County 4th District Supervisor and Board Chair Jimmy Paulding said in a statement. "I’m proud of the priorities we advanced this year and will continue fighting for local voices to be heard."

In a release, the County listed the following items as the most impactful that were incorporated into the nine-page document that can be viewed here.

• Stabilization of California’s homeowners insurance market. The County will support
  legislative and regulatory reforms that improve insurance availability and
  affordability, and advocate for investments in wildfire risk mitigation.
• Protection of Proposition 13 and taxpayer safeguards. The platform opposes any
  changes that would weaken Proposition 13 protections for homeowners or businesses,
  in alignment with the County’s longstanding position.
• Medicare reimbursement reforms to improve healthcare access. The County will advocate for federal reimbursement structures that better reflect the true cost of providing care in our area which will support recruitment and retention of physicians,specialists, and other healthcare providers.
• Sustainable and reliable water supplies. The platform advocates for policies and
  regulations that prioritize the operational viability of reservoirs and water infrastructure
  while ensuring environmental protections are implemented in a manner that avoids
  unintended impacts to drinking water reliability, agriculture, and public safety.
• Preservation of federal support for county-administered health and nutrition
  programs. The platform calls for amendments to recently adopted federal legislation
  that will shift significant costs to counties and limit access to healthcare and nutrition
  assistance for vulnerable SLO County residents. The Board also received a report on
  Tuesday outlining how as many as 16,000 county residents may lose healthcare or food
  assistance as a result of recent federal changes.
• Fair and transparent Cal Fire mapping procedures. The County will advocate for a
  formal process allowing local governments to either appeal or modify Fire Hazard
  Severity Zone maps prior to adoption, ensuring that local conditions, data, and
  mitigation efforts are fully considered. This is in response to concerns about the
  accuracy of Cal Fire maps for our area that were released last year.

Paulding also pointed out that supporting Diablo Canyon Power Plant was another core issue the Board of Supervisors included in this year's platform.

"We've worked with the cities here in SLO County," said Paulding. "Six of the seven cities signed on to our letter along with the SLO Coastal Unified School District, the Harbor District and some other agencies saying we we want to see an extension of Diablo Canyon up to 20 years. We also want to address the unitary tax issue, which provides local revenue to local government, and we of course, support the conservation of the surrounding lands and the public access that largely has been addressed through the Coastal Commission."