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Senate Rules Committee forwards Department of Conservation nominee to Senate floor after unanimous committee vote
Summary
The Senate Rules Committee voted 5-0 to forward the nomination of Director Lucchese to the full California State Senate after a confirmation hearing that focused on oil-and-gas permitting, carbon capture implementation and land-conservation programs.
The California State Senate Rules Committee voted 5-0 Wednesday to send the nomination of Director Lucchese, nominee to lead the Department of Conservation, to the full Senate after a confirmation hearing that drew questions about oil-and-gas permitting, carbon capture and land-banking for conservation.
The hearing featured three minutes of opening testimony from Director Lucchese and discussion from committee members representing Kern County and the Central Valley, among others. Former State Controller Betty Yee and representatives of conservation and construction industry groups publicly urged the committee to approve the nomination.
Director Lucchese opened her testimony by describing her background in state service and experience at the State Lands Commission. “I am humbled to be here before you today,” she told the committee, and said she has been at the Department of Conservation for about four and a half months. Lucchese said her priorities include clearer, more predictable permitting processes under CalGEM’s jurisdiction and strengthening interagency work across the California Energy Commission, the Air Resources Board, and the Public Utilities Commission.
Committee members used their questions to press Lucchese on multiple policy areas. Senator Grove, speaking for Kern County interests, raised concerns about declining refinery capacity, permit backlogs and the effect of reduced in-state refining on fuel supply and costs. Lucchese acknowledged that upstream permitting numbers have declined and said she is “committed to ensuring that process is as transparent and . . . consistent and predictable as possible moving forward.”
Senator Caballero and Senator Laird focused on land-use and conservation issues. They asked about implementation of SB 905 (the bill creating a state working group on geologic carbon sequestration) and the state’s Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALT) program. Lucchese said the California Geological Survey is leading technical work for carbon sequestration and that the department expects deliverables later this year. She also said DOC’s Division of Land and Resource Protection runs the SALC and related grant programs and praised staff efforts to support applicants.
Former State Controller Betty Yee testified in support, saying Lucchese helped develop a strategic plan at the State Lands Commission and is “a stakeholder-driven leader.” Eric Turner of the California Construction and Industrial Materials Association and Abigail Smet of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County also voiced support from industry and conservation perspectives.
There were no public speakers recorded in opposition. After a brief final set of remarks, Vice Chair Grove moved to forward the nomination to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote. The committee’s roll call recorded Senators McGuire, Grove, Caballero, Jones and Laird as voting aye; the committee chair kept the roll open briefly before the final 5-0 tally was recorded.
The committee concluded open session and recessed into closed session after forwarding the nominee to the floor. The full Senate will consider the nomination at a later date.
