Senator Megan Dahle

Have you made a plan to vote by Election Day tomorrow?

Tuesday, June 2, is the deadline for returning your ballot, and tomorrow's primary is the first round in electing a new governor, other state leaders, Assembly members, and U.S. representatives. (Half of California Senate seats -- in even-numbered districts -- are on the ballot; they do not include the 1st Senate District.)

Local offices in counties throughout the North State are also on the ballot, and many of those races will be settled in this election if one candidate gets more than half the vote. There are no statewide propositions up for a vote, but there are a number of local tax measures, bonds, charter amendments and other questions up for the voters' judgment.

In-person polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

If you cast a ballot through the mail, take it into the post office to get it hand-stamped with a postmark before tomorrow to ensure that it will be counted as a timely vote.

If you are an eligible citizen and are not yet registered to vote, you can still register on Election Day at any in-person polling place.

Make your voice heard. Vote.

On Wednesday Team Dahle joined an interagency site visit in Sierra Valley, where ranchers including Paul Roen and Rick Roberti described the extraordinarily difficult summer livestock owners faced last summer as gray wolves killed nearly 100 domestic animals. That's more livestock losses in one valley in California than the entire states of Montana and Wyoming faced last year.

The tour included California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot, Fish and Wildlife Director Meghan Hertel, Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director Paul Souza, and other state and federal agency leaders.

I appreciate their taking the time to see the valley and hear from locals directly, learning about wolves' impact on livestock, but also game herds and even forestry projects — as well as their commitment to providing new tools to prevent livestock conflicts so a bloody summer like 2025 is not repeated in Sierra Valley or elsewhere in California.

One breakthrough was the signing of an agreement between the Department of Fish and Wildlife and Sierra County Sheriff Mike Fisher to authorize the sheriff to do more to work with ranchers to protect livestock — a model the state hopes to copy in other counties.

The fairs don't happen on their own, but with great community-based leaders who contribute their time to the fair boards. Many do have vacancies.

If you'd like to serve on the Tulelake-Butte Valley Fairgrounds board or the fair in your area, consider applying!

Heads up, North State drivers.

Starting tomorrow night, there will be major delays on Interstate 5 as Caltrans District 2 makes repairs on the Cottonwood Creek Bridge, near the border of Shasta and Tehama counties. This is the first weekend of several of these lane closures.

The reality is there's just no easy detour, but if you can plan your trips around the work, you can save a lot of time.

A very well-deserved honor for Plumas District Hospital's innovative work to serve women and babies in their rural community. Congratulations!

We are honored to announce that our “Plumas Model” was the recipient of the National Rural Health Association’s (NRHA) 2026 Outstanding Rural Health Program award. 💙

At Plumas District Hospital, we know that rural health care requires innovation, collaboration, and a deep commitment to the communities we serve. This award reflects the incredible hard work, compassion, and dedication of the team members who helped make the Plumas Model possible.

NRHA’s Rural Health Awards recognize individuals and organizations across the country that are improving the health and well-being of rural Americans. Award recipients were honored last week during NRHA’s 49th Annual Rural Health Conference in San Diego.

🎥 Learn more about the Plumas Model in the video below: https://youtu.be/6-dXPGTDGfg

Nobody wants even a little bit of cancer-causing contaminants in their drinking water. That's obvious.

But how do small communities pay to overhaul their water systems when a new state standard imposes strict new requirements?

That is the question many towns and water boards are facing as new state limits for hexavalent chromium — made infamous by the movie "Erin Brokovich" — take effect.

The State Water Board in 2024 passed a strict new standard limiting the amount of hexavalent chromium in Californians' drinking water. The cap is 10 parts per billion, which is one tenth the level allowed in the U.S. EPA standard.

Community drinking water systems must start meeting the new limit beginning this year. Smaller systems have a extra time to comply, but not much — and they have to the job with fewer ratepayers to share the cost.

That is why I co-signed this letter with my legislative colleagues seeking $100 million in Prop. 4 funding to help small water systems meet the new chromium-6 standard. The state needs to support rural communities that must clean up or replace water sources to meet the standard. Their health matters.

Earlier this month, at the California Salute to Small Business, Brandon Fawaz of Fawaz Farming, based in Siskiyou County's Scott Valley, was one six small businesses honored at the statewide conference of Small Business Development Centers.

Fawaz — third from right, pictured with SBDC leaders from around the state — was highlighted for his innovative practices in agriculture as a first-generation farmer. Fawaz was a student participating in FFA at Etna High School when, as a senior, his parents co-signed on a loan to buy his first piece of equipment to harvest hay. He has been building a diversified agriculture business since, while serving his community through the Farm Bureau and as the president of the Scott Valley Unified School District board of trustees.

Congratulations, Brandon!

I'm excited to share the news that on Friday the Senate passed Senate Bill 1064, a measure to streamline the testing requirements for low-use diesel vehicles under the Air Resources Board's Clean Truck Check program.

This bill does not reduce air-quality standards. It does reduce repetitive requirements to test low-use diesel vehicles as if they were big rigs running continually on the highway. These vehicles are often specialty farm equipment, only used seasonally, and many would put on more mileage driving to the test center than they get in a normal year.

Everyone supports clean air in California, so I appreciate my colleagues' willingness to look at this issue with open minds and see how the Air Resources Board's one-size-fits-all rules were piling new burdens on business without any real benefit.

On this Memorial Day, we take a moment to remember those gave their very lives in service of this country, and our hearts are with the families that have suffered the ultimate loss.

Team Dahle attended the Siskiyou County Teacher of the Year Awards ceremony this week. This inspiring event celebrated the dedication, leadership, and lasting impact of educators from across Siskiyou County.

The ceremony was hosted by the Siskiyou County DKG Gamma Nu Chapter, a local chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, a professional organization that supports women educators and promotes excellence in education, leadership, and service within schools and communities.

The following educators were honored for their work:

• Cheryl Keiner — Mount Shasta High School.
• Heather Cervantes — Butteville Elementary.
• Catherine Gilbert — Willow Creek Elementary.
• Kayla Langford — Butte Valley High School.
• Angelina Rosberg — Fort Jones Elementary.
• Donya Sarti — Jackson Street School.
• Emily Gibson — Sisson School.
• Laura Jaffe-Stender — Seiad Valley Elementary.
• Kim Heilmann — Evergreen School.
• Rebekah Sluss — W**d High School.
• Carla Charraga — McCloud High School.
• Katie McNames — Gold Street School.
• Susan Kaye — Mount Shasta Elementary.
• Leanna McMurtrey — W**d Union Elementary School.
• Dr. Andrea Craddock — College of the Siskiyous.
• Mary Goss — Siskiyou County Office of Education Special Schools and Services.
• Janet Morrill — Yreka High School.
• Evelyn Palmer — Golden Eagle Charter School.
• Tiffani Yeager — Butte Valley Elementary.
• Amy Walton — Etna High School.
• Francisco Hurtado — Discovery High School.

As the school year comes to a close, I thank these and all the other teachers who work so hard in the classroom every day.