Plumas County Supervisor Dwight Ceresola with Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick
ASSEMBLYMEMBER HEATHER HADWICK held a Town Hall meeting at the Milton Gottardi Museum in Loyalton November 19th after confusion of it having been advertised as the “Social Hall,” and amid the noise of the City Center’s roof repair.
Assemblywoman Hadwick was joined by her Legislative Director Andrew Nickens.
She talked of efforts to “hit every one of the 11 counties,” which she described as the “prettiest district,” and very unique. Hadwick co-owns a small farm and pumpkin patch in Modoc County with her husband, and told of having gotten a lot done.
Assemblywoman Hadwick concluded the 2025 legislative year with eight of her own bills signed into law and nine additional bills she co-authored also signed.
Assembly Bill 1038, her legislation aimed at preventing dangerous encounters between people and California’s growing black bear population, was a two-year bill which got reconsideration.
A “big win” was for the tax exemption for Bear Fire victims, which she compared to the L.A. fires and stated, “needs solutions.”
The Assemblywoman told of her fight on a lot of bills which she described as “bad ideas,” and “would not work where we live.” She talked of her work across the aisle and “a lot of good working relationships.” She stated to want to “bring money back and enjoy rural life.” She described how big the difference of “urban versus rural,” and told of teaching people how we live, calling us “frontier” rather than “rural.”
Assemblywoman Hadwick called it a “different fight,” bringing people, including legislators, and doing tours, specifically like a forestry tour in Chester, hoping they make better decisions. That shows we care about where we live, she stated, and how they “truly don’t know what they don’t know.” She stated the “concept of wolves is hard for them,” and the need to “find things to agree on.”
Ca. Cattlemen’s Assoc. President and Rancher Rick Roberti told how the wolf “had taken the whole state.” There was talk on how the deer herd had declined.
The Assemblywoman discussed Secure Rural Schools (SRS) funding with Assembly District 1 receiving nearly 60% of the SRS funds that come to California, and all 11 of our counties rely on this support.
Her focus, she said, was on wolves, health care, and insurance where she would see the most challenges.
On insurance, she said it’s all going up and they needed to “get leadership to change.” She told of needing a new insurance commissioner, calling it “very complex.”
From the audience, Plumas County realtor Mimi Garner told of real estate suffering and called building “moot.” She questioned CA Recycle and wanted the Eastern Plumas Recreation District Park in Chilcoot. The Assemblywoman is in support of a bill for a grant writer in each county.
Sierra County Supervisor Sharon Dryden came in from a Transportation Committee meeting and started discussion on speed limits. Sharon told the Assemblywoman, “Any rural community with a State highway running through it wants lower speed limits.” AB 1013 was discussed which will take effect in January. Section 4 of the bill amended Section 22358.8 of the Vehicle Code allowing a local authority to retain the currently adopted speed limit or restore the immediately prior adopted speed limit on a highway that is not a freeway if that speed limit was established with an engineering and traffic survey.
According to Legislative Director Nickens, “Our understanding is that these communities should have no issue retaining the current speed limits set in these communities. Our office is committed to working with local and state partners to keep residents in rural Northern California safe.”
Following a leisurely talk with constituents, the Assemblywoman and Legislative Director left Loyalton headed to Downieville and then to Yreka.
Assemblywoman Hadwick was joined by her Legislative Director Andrew Nickens.
She talked of efforts to “hit every one of the 11 counties,” which she described as the “prettiest district,” and very unique. Hadwick co-owns a small farm and pumpkin patch in Modoc County with her husband, and told of having gotten a lot done.
Assemblywoman Hadwick concluded the 2025 legislative year with eight of her own bills signed into law and nine additional bills she co-authored also signed.
Assembly Bill 1038, her legislation aimed at preventing dangerous encounters between people and California’s growing black bear population, was a two-year bill which got reconsideration.
A “big win” was for the tax exemption for Bear Fire victims, which she compared to the L.A. fires and stated, “needs solutions.”
The Assemblywoman told of her fight on a lot of bills which she described as “bad ideas,” and “would not work where we live.” She talked of her work across the aisle and “a lot of good working relationships.” She stated to want to “bring money back and enjoy rural life.” She described how big the difference of “urban versus rural,” and told of teaching people how we live, calling us “frontier” rather than “rural.”
Assemblywoman Hadwick called it a “different fight,” bringing people, including legislators, and doing tours, specifically like a forestry tour in Chester, hoping they make better decisions. That shows we care about where we live, she stated, and how they “truly don’t know what they don’t know.” She stated the “concept of wolves is hard for them,” and the need to “find things to agree on.”
Ca. Cattlemen’s Assoc. President and Rancher Rick Roberti told how the wolf “had taken the whole state.” There was talk on how the deer herd had declined.
The Assemblywoman discussed Secure Rural Schools (SRS) funding with Assembly District 1 receiving nearly 60% of the SRS funds that come to California, and all 11 of our counties rely on this support.
Her focus, she said, was on wolves, health care, and insurance where she would see the most challenges.
On insurance, she said it’s all going up and they needed to “get leadership to change.” She told of needing a new insurance commissioner, calling it “very complex.”
From the audience, Plumas County realtor Mimi Garner told of real estate suffering and called building “moot.” She questioned CA Recycle and wanted the Eastern Plumas Recreation District Park in Chilcoot. The Assemblywoman is in support of a bill for a grant writer in each county.
Sierra County Supervisor Sharon Dryden came in from a Transportation Committee meeting and started discussion on speed limits. Sharon told the Assemblywoman, “Any rural community with a State highway running through it wants lower speed limits.” AB 1013 was discussed which will take effect in January. Section 4 of the bill amended Section 22358.8 of the Vehicle Code allowing a local authority to retain the currently adopted speed limit or restore the immediately prior adopted speed limit on a highway that is not a freeway if that speed limit was established with an engineering and traffic survey.
According to Legislative Director Nickens, “Our understanding is that these communities should have no issue retaining the current speed limits set in these communities. Our office is committed to working with local and state partners to keep residents in rural Northern California safe.”
Following a leisurely talk with constituents, the Assemblywoman and Legislative Director left Loyalton headed to Downieville and then to Yreka.
