Kern COGSacramento Trip: On Jan. 18 and 19 California Consulting, LLC organized a series of meetings for the Kern COG delegation.  Steve Samuelian and Juan Garza, II from California Consulting, LLC scheduled and organized meetings with several key policymakers and state agencies for the Kern COG delegation. The trip was successful and productive and we are grateful to the Kern COG delegation attendees, especially Councilman Steve Morgan who capably lead the delegation and exhibited outstanding leadership during the trip. We also are grateful to Councilmembers Grace Vallejo, Sam Ramirez, Chip Holloway, and Cheryl Wegman for their attendance and participation.  A special thanks to the Kern COG staff including Robert Phipps and Rob Ball for their attendance and Mr. Phipps for his consistent assistance and help in preparation for the trip.  This was a true team effort and the teamwork led to the ultimate success of the trip.

SJV Regional Policy Council Sacramento Trip:  This year California Consulting, LLC is once again responsible for organizing the San Joaquin Valley Regional Policy Council (all 8 Valley COG's) trip to Sacramento. California Consulting will organize this trip, schedule the meetings, and serve as the lobbying firm for the trip.  Approximately 35 elected officials from the San Joaquin Valley will be part of the delegation, including several mayors and council members.  We organized the very first SJV Regional Policy Council lobbying trip to Sacramento several years ago and are prepared to assist with this effort once again. The trip will take place on Feb. 1-3 with Feb. 1 serving as a travel day. We are planning meetings with several key policymakers and state agencies among others.  Kern COG is the host COG for the SJV Policy Council Sacramento Trip.

Meetings in Sacramento:  Steve has continued weekly meetings in Sacramento regarding transportation issues. Most recently Steve met with CTC Staff member Andre Boutros as well as with Cal-TRANS interim Chief Deputy Director Malcolm Dougherty regarding CMIA funding, the highway 99 bond issue and other transportation related items including the impact of the Governor's budget proposal on transportation funding.

Enterprise Zone: The Governor has proposed in his budget to eliminate enterprise zones. As we did last year California Consulting will assume the role as the lead lobbying firm in the State defending the preservation of Enterprise Zone funding. We intend (as we did last year) to organize a letter writing campaign from cities, resolutions from city councils, testify at Committee hearings and play a vocal and active role in defending the Enterprise Zone program.  Steve continues to serve on the Enterprise Zone "working group" headed by and organized by the Assembly Jobs, the Economy, and Economic Development Committee. The working group is a statewide group of E.Z. stakeholders including proponents and opponents that meets regularly to discuss reaching consensus on E.Z. legislation and E.Z. related issues in the Legislature.

RDAs:  The Governor has proposed in his budget to eliminate RDAs.  California Consulting intends to meet with the State RDA group and coordinate our efforts to assist them in their lobbying efforts to oppose the Governor's proposal.

CTC Commissioner Assemi:  California Consulting will be having their regular monthly meeting with CTC Commissioner Darius Assemi to discuss transportation needs and funding priorities for the Valley.

The United States Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women has announced two grant programs to help combat violence against women.

1. Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program

Grant awards will be used to fund programs that help enforce protection orders and hold offenders accountable for their actions through investigation, arrest, and prosecution of violent offenders, and through close judicial scrutiny and management of offender behavior.

Grant awards range from $400,000 - $1,000,000.

Please click on the following link to read additional information on the Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program:

Click Here for More Information on the Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders 

2. Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program

Grant awards are intended to increase the availability of civil and criminal legal assistance needed to effectively aid adult and youth victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking who are seeking relief in legal matters arising as a consequence of that abuse or violence.  Criminal legal assistance is limited to criminal matters relating to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.

Grant award amounts vary based on the resources needed to successfully implement the proposed project.

Click Here for More Information on the Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program 

If you are a California Consulting client, please contact us if you are interested in pursuing these grants from the Office on Violence Against Women.  If you are not a California Consulting client and would like us to draft and submit an Office of Violence Against Women Grant application, please contact Chief Operating Officer Juan Garza II at (559) 244-0801 or juan@californiaconsulting.org or Director of Grants Rob Garcia at rob@californiaconsulting.org.