By Bernadette Austin

This month CivicWell debuted the inaugural Policy Bridge summit. This gathering drew together 120 attendees from the state and local level including legislators and their staff, local elected officials, leaders from state and local government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. 

I took away plenty of inspiration and insights from this exciting event. 

One of our speakers described local governments as the petri dish of civic innovation. Local governments can experiment to identify and refine what works, and state leaders can amplify and replicate these successes in other communities through investment and policies that remove barriers and reduce risk. 

Furthermore, where the federal government is pulling back, state and local leaders are stepping up. This includes continuing to provide critical services and supporting our most vulnerable populations. One notable example is disaster recovery. Our legislative panel highlighted that more than a year after the Los Angeles fires, FEMA has still not reimbursed jurisdictions and service providers for related expenses. 

If 2025 was the Year of Abundance, 2026 is the Year of Affordability. Our energy panel stressed that we need to look beyond the temptation to pursue affordability for some and instead work towards greater system affordability and resilience for the greater good. Our finance panelists urged creative financing through private sector partnerships and tools like low interest loans and revolving loans. 

Our energy panelists reminded us that the cheapest energy is the energy we don’t use. Energy efficiency measures allowed for relatively flat energy consumption across decades of economic and population growth. Energy efficiency should remain a top priority. Unfortunately, well-intentioned legislation like AB 306 cut off the ability for local governments to promote and advance necessary energy efficiency measures. 

In the year ahead, we must be proactive but also pragmatic. While there is a sense of urgency in the priorities of the communities we serve and the fields and industries in which we work, leaders must be cognizant of the myriad of challenges facing our state. This month’s Policy Corner details legislative topics to track this spring in a sea of over 1,700 proposed bills. 

In a busy political, social, and economic landscape, we look for allies and through-lines so we can more effectively pursue collaboration and co-benefits that address multiple concerns at the same time. One such example can be found in the competing demands on funding to address climate-related concerns. Our funding panelists held up as a prime example the raiding of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to serve other needs. Our funding panelists also reminded us to embrace creativity and co-benefits in addressing funding and financing approaches in the face of evaporating federal resources and the state’s General Fund challenges. 

Our legislative panelists advised attendees to brace for change. In the statehouse, we will witness a cascade of changes with a new Governor this year and a new Senate Pro Tem two years later. Term limits create an increased volume and frequency of legislative turnover. This forces newly elected leaders to learn and take action more quickly. 

Rather than steeling ourselves and bracing for impact, we should seek out ways to embrace the change that we know is coming. At CivicWell, we will continue our decades-long commitment to provide education, assistance, and convenings to support local leaders at all stages to make informed and effective decisions for their constituents and communities. 

In the month ahead, we look forward to our signature event, the CivicWell Policymakers Conference. For 33 years, CivicWell has brought together elected officials from across the state to provide ideas, tools, and partnership opportunities to help them implement innovative solutions locally. We foster opportunities for local leaders to turn their vision into action through robust roundtable discussions; panels on energy, transportation, funding, and economic development featuring esteemed speakers such as State Senator Ben Allen, State Senator Catherine Blakespear, Housing and Community Development Director Gustavo Velasquez, and California Transportation Commission Executive Director Tanisha Taylor. 

Every year I have the privilege to witness leaders make connections that result in a more resilient future for California communities. I look forward to seeing what the 2026 Policymakers Conference has in store. You can find a full list of confirmed speakers and the program agenda on the event website and event photos here.