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Sacramento Snapshot: New California bill would expand hunting and fishing opportunities for sick children

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Sacramento Snapshot: New California bill would expand hunting and fishing opportunities for sick children


An effort is underway in California to expand opportunities for hunting and fishing for youth with life-threatening illnesses or who have lost a parent in service to the state or country.

Sen. Steven Choi, R-Irvine, last week introduced legislation that would task California’s Fish and Game Commission with establishing a program to help these youth access more opportunities to fish and hunt big game or upland or migratory game birds. Examples of upland game birds are pheasant, quail and wild turkey; migratory game birds include band-tailed pigeons and mourning doves.

“For some young people facing serious illness, time is not a luxury they have,” said Choi, calling Senate Bill 1021 a measure “about compassion and responsible stewardship.”

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“This bill creates a narrowly tailored and carefully supervised opportunity for them to experience the outdoors while fully respecting California’s conservation framework,” he said.

According to the bill’s fact sheet, youth generally have a difficult time obtaining the needed permits to hunt in California, given the limited number that exist. It said some 1,880 youth applied for the 16 big game tags available to them in 2018.

Sen. Steven Choi, R-Irvine during a press conference in Irvine on Friday, February 13, 2026 unveil a new bipartisan bill, SB 1021, meant to give terminal youth more opportunities for fishing and hunting. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

“This will create unforgettable experiences for youth with critical diagnoses and their families,” the fact sheet said. The bill “will bring awareness to the vital role hunting plays in managing California’s wildlife resources, and it will aid in the recruitment of the next generation of our state’s declining conservationists.”

While eligibility could vary based on a case-by-case medical review, Choi’s office said someone who is between 5 and 18 years old at the time of a referral could qualify for the program, although it would be possible to fulfill someone’s hunting or fishing request after turning 18 because of planning timelines.

The proposed legislation mirrors a similar law in Georgia, where the state is able to give authorization for terminally ill people who are 21 years or younger to hunt big game or alligators.

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Choi’s bill, though, would open the program to youth under 18 years of age who have a life-threatening illness, defined, his office said, as a “progressive, degenerative or malignant (cancerous) condition that places the child’s life in jeopardy,” Choi’s office said. Diagnoses could include chronic lung diseases, cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia, among others.

And since the program is to be established by the Fish and Game Commission, it would also need to utilize existing wildlife management tools and be supervised by qualified instructors and guides, according to Choi’s office, and not weaken existing conservation protections.

Senate Bill 1021 counts Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach, as one of its co-authors. Sens. Christopher Cabaldon, D-Yolo, and Caroline Menjivar, D-San Fernando Valley, are also among the co-authors.

The bill is sponsored by Field of Dreams, a California-based nonprofit that helps children with serious medical diagnoses or special needs, as well as military and veteran families, to experience nature and outdoor activities.

Tom Dermody, the nonprofit’s founder, said the group is backing the bill “because it (Field of Dreams) recognizes that some kids cannot wait years for an opportunity that may never come. This bill gives them hope, dignity and a chance to create meaningful memories, all while respecting wildfire and conservation.”

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In other news

• Gov. Gavin Newsom last week signed into law a bill meant to protect veterans. From Sen. Bob Archuleta, a Democrat whose district includes Brea and Placentia, the bill is designed to protect veterans from predatory and deceptive people or companies that claim to help them access their benefits.

“This is a clear victory for veterans and their families,” Archuleta, a U.S. Army combat veteran, said after the bill’s signing. “California is sending a strong message that exploitation of those who served will not be tolerated.”

The veterans bill had deeply divided legislators in the statehouse. Opponents, including Sen. Tom Umberg, a Santa Ana Democrat and a retired U.S. Army colonel, had expressed concerns that, while well-intentioned, it could create a system in which veterans are not allowed to choose how they file benefits claims.

• Newsom also signed legislation from Umberg last week: In this case, it was an antitrust bill meant to protect consumers and businesses with more clarity during merger reviews.

The new law will give the California attorney general earlier access to federal HSR merger filings, so the office will have more time to review and challenge anticompetitive mergers and give businesses earlier notice to address any potential concerns, according to Umberg’s office.

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Umberg called the effort “a first-of-its-kind measure in the antitrust space, creating a fairer, more efficient merger review process that balances the needs of businesses while protecting consumers.”

• Assemblymember Tri Ta, R-Westminster, is behind a new bill to ensure genetic data is protected.

Assembly Bill 1727 would make it illegal to intentionally sell or transfer someone else’s DNA sample or genetic data to a third party without their consent. An example Ta’s office used in a statement: Someone could throw away a used straw; the bill would make it illegal for someone to pick up that straw and extract their genetic data without knowledge or consent.

“Taking a person’s DNA is not a lighthearted act,” said Ta. “It is a planned and malicious crime to steal someone’s genetic material and use it for any reason. That is why it is critical that there be real consequences.”

The bill does exempt law enforcement and higher education institutions from its provisions.

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4.6 earthquake jolts Northern California awake, residents report shaking homes for miles

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4.6 earthquake jolts Northern California awake, residents report shaking homes for miles


4.6 earthquake jolts Northern California awake, residents report shaking homes for miles

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READY… ACCORDING TO THE MONTEREY COUNTY OF EMERGENCY SERVICES THERE’S ONLY BEEN 429 EARTHQUAKES IN OUR AREA THAT ARE ABOVE A 4.0 MAGNITUDE. BUT OFFICIALS AND EXPERTS SAY IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL THE NEXT BIG ONE. NOW TO PREPARE YOU CAN SIGN UP WITH YOUR COUNTY’S EMERGENCY SERVICES ALERTS BY GOING ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE. YOU CAN ALSO DOWNLOAD THIS APP CALLED MYSHAKE. IF A QUAKE ABOVE 4.5 MAGNITUDE HITS CALIFORNIA, YOU CAN GET AN ALERT A FEW SECONDS YOU FEEL IT IN YOUR AREA. THAT DEPENDS ON HOW CLOSE YOUR ARE TO THE EPICENTER. IT WILL REMIND YOU WHAT TO DO AND ALLOWS YOU TO SHARE AND SEE WHAT DAMAGES HAVE BEEN REPORTED NEAR YOU. NOW DOWNLOADING SOME SORT OF ALERT SYSTEM IS IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF US LIVING NEAR THE COAST. I SPOKE WITH SANTA CRUZ COUNTY’S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, AND THEY HAD FOUR REMINDERS: FIRST ONE – PREP YOUR LIVING SPACE. TRY TO AVOID PLACING BOOKSHELVES AND BIG FURNITURE NEAR ENTRY WAYS THAT COULD FALL AND BLOCK DURING AN EARTHQUAKE. SECONDLY – LIKE FOR ANY NATURAL DISASTER: HAVE A PLAN. WHEN IT COMES TO AN EARTHQUAKE, UTILITIES LIKE YOUR WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM MAY NOT WORK. THIRD – MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GO BAG PREPPED WITH YOUR FOOD, WATER, CASH… AND THE LAST ONE: PUT ALL YOUR ESSENTIAL IDENTITY AND HEALTH DOCUMENTS IN ONE PLACE SO YOU CAN JUST GRAB IT AND GO. THE BIGGEST EARTHQUAKE TO HIT OUR NECK OF THE WOODS WAS THE LOMA PRIETA QUAKE IN 1989. THAT CLOCKE

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4.6 earthquake jolts Northern California awake, residents report shaking homes for miles

Updated: 9:36 AM CDT Apr 2, 2026

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A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Northern California early Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, with many saying they felt their homes shake for a few seconds in a 100-mile stretch, including San Francisco. The quake hit at 1:41 a.m. PST east-southeast of Boulder Creek, the USGS said. It had a depth of 6.7 miles. Boulder Creek, which has about 5,000 people, is about 65 miles southeast of San Francisco.Some residents said they were first awakened by earthquake alerts on their phones, then felt their beds and windows shake. Some items were knocked off store shelves in Boulder Creek.The shaking was felt in other parts of the Central Coast, including Marina, where at least one resident said they felt slight shaking and were awakened by it.The National Tsunami Warning Center said there is no tsunami danger from the earthquake. No damage or injuries were immediately reported.

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Northern California early Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, with many saying they felt their homes shake for a few seconds in a 100-mile stretch, including San Francisco.

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The quake hit at 1:41 a.m. PST east-southeast of Boulder Creek, the USGS said. It had a depth of 6.7 miles. Boulder Creek, which has about 5,000 people, is about 65 miles southeast of San Francisco.

Some residents said they were first awakened by earthquake alerts on their phones, then felt their beds and windows shake. Some items were knocked off store shelves in Boulder Creek.

The shaking was felt in other parts of the Central Coast, including Marina, where at least one resident said they felt slight shaking and were awakened by it.

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The National Tsunami Warning Center said there is no tsunami danger from the earthquake.

No damage or injuries were immediately reported.

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April kicks off in the Sierra with chain controls on I-80

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April kicks off in the Sierra with chain controls on I-80



Just days after Northern California saw a stretch of record high temperatures, the high Sierra Nevada is once again getting snow.

Chain controls went up on Interstate 80 in the Sierra early Wednesday morning.

As of 7 a.m., controls are in effect westbound from the Donner Lake Interchange to Rainbow. On the eastbound side, chain controls are in effect from Kingvale to Truckee.

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Highway 50 is not seeing any restrictions at this time.

Other major Sierra roads seeing chain controls Wednesday include Highways 4, 49 and 88.

Wednesday also marks the day California’s Department of Water Resources will conduct its fourth snow survey of the season. As of Monday, the statewide snowpack is at about 18% of average.

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Meet the moderators; Fresno State to host bipartisan California governor candidate forum

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Meet the moderators; Fresno State to host bipartisan California governor candidate forum


Preparations are underway for a major bipartisan gubernatorial candidate forum set for Wednesday at Fresno State, where several high-profile candidates for California governor will make their case to voters.

The event is expected to spotlight issues impacting not only the Central Valley but also communities across the state, with a strong focus on affordability, agriculture, and water policy.

Confirmed candidates scheduled to appear include:

  • Xavier Becerra, attorney and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • Chad Bianco, Riverside County sheriff
  • Steve Hilton, author and Fox News contributor
  • Matt Mahan, San Jose mayor
  • Katie Porter, former U.S. representative
  • Antonio Villaraigosa, former Los Angeles mayor

The forum will be moderated by Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes and former State Assemblymember Kristin Olsen, who say their goal is to ensure Central Valley concerns remain front and center.

“There are so many issues related to affordability right now, energy costs, housing costs, regulatory costs, even food prices,” Olsen said. “These are real challenges affecting families, farmers, and farm workers in the Central Valley. We want to make sure candidates clearly explain how they’ll address them if elected.”

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Moderators say they are prepared to press candidates for direct answers.

“That will be our challenge,” Olsen said. “We’ll clearly lay out expectations for candid responses, and if someone doesn’t answer the question, we’ll follow up.”

Mendes emphasized the importance of water policy, a critical issue for the region’s agricultural economy, noting that many statewide candidates may lack a full understanding of how California’s water systems operate.

“A lot of candidates don’t fully understand water movement in this state, how storage works, or the difference between surface water and groundwater,” Mendes said.

He added that keeping candidates focused may be one of the biggest challenges during the forum.

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“We might have to stop them and remind them to answer the question instead of running out the clock,” Mendes said.

Mendes, who is a registered republican, and Olsen, who has since switched from republican to no party preference, have both moderated in the past, though this marks their first time moderating a gubernatorial forum.

They stressed that their approach will be firm but nonpartisan.

“This isn’t about being partisan, it’s about answering the questions,” Mendes said.

Organizers say hosting the forum in Fresno is intentional, aiming to elevate issues specific to the San Joaquin Valley — a region they say is often overlooked in statewide political discussions.

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The forum is scheduled to run from noon to 1:30 p.m. and is sponsored by 30 agricultural associations statewide. It will be streamed live on the FOX26 YouTube page.



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