Board adopts 2026 legislative platform, adds transit and local‑control language on billboards

EUREKA, Calif. — The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted Jan. 27 to adopt its 2026 legislative platform, which lays out the county's state and federal priorities for the year and a set of specific earmark and budget requests.

Deputy CAO Sean Quincy and county lobbyists walked supervisors through platform changes, including added language asking for tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, opposition to offshore oil and gas drilling, requests to reauthorize drinking water state revolving funds, and protections for funding and operations as federal changes around HR 1 (federal rules affecting benefit administration) go into effect.

Karen Lang, a state advocate, warned supervisors the Legislative Analyst's Office projected a substantial out‑year deficit and said counties should prepare for fiscal pressure and faster timelines to respond to policy changes. "The legislative analyst ... identified that the state would have an $18,000,000,000 deficit in the 26–27 fiscal year," she said, describing the uncertain fiscal outlook that shaped parts of the platform.

During board discussion supervisors asked staff to add a brief statement supporting rural public transit operations and to strengthen language opposing any state action that would expand the lifetime entitlement of nonconforming billboards on scenic highways (to protect local control). Supervisor Roy moved the amendment; the board approved the platform with those edits and confirmed a prioritized list of federal and state funding requests (public health lab, Redwood Drive, Scenic Drive, a document digitization project, and offshore wind capacity building among them).

Staff said the federal earmark list is intentionally short because congressional offices can carry only so many projects; the board asked staff to continue refining priorities and to work with the county's federal and state advocates.