Meeting in person and via Zoom - Advocacy Committee Work
Minutes – 11/3/2026
Present: Julie Bearie, Bill Blankenship, Mike Burrows, Carina Cabrera, Ken Coate, Tony Coleman, Sandra Cuellar, Guillermo Gonzalez, Louis Goodwin, Otis Greer, Sam Hoelscher, Fran Inman, Lowell King, Steve Lambert, Bill Lemann, Ben Lopez, Michelle Martinez, Greg McNiff, Miguel Mendoza, Julie Michaels, Dan Murphy, Vikki Ostermann, Catherine Pritchett, Thomas Rice, Grant Riddle, Michael Rivera, Kelby Sarti, Dan Schenkel, Carrie Schindler, Kristine Scott, Eric Ustation, Ray Watts, Michael Wells, Frank Zebelta
Presiding: Michael Rivera – Harvest, LLPAnnouncements:
• Mr. Ramos, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Michelle Rodriguez, could not attend; the meeting will be rescheduled.
• Goodwill’s Annual Thanksgiving Lunch: Thursday, November 12, 2026, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Goodwill Southern California – Inland Empire Campus, 8120 Palm Lane, San Bernardino, CA 92410. Enjoy food, conversation, and community.
• SB Wellness Center Grand Opening: IEHP Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony on Tuesday, November 17, 10 a.m. to noon; Community Celebration on Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Both will be held at 2050 N. Massachusetts Ave., San Bernardino. Flyer available on the IA website.
• Senator Ochoa-Bogh Holiday Open House and Grand Opening: Monday, November 30, 2026, 5:30–8:00 p.m. at Redlands District Office, 1885 W. Redlands Blvd., Suite 8C, Redlands. RSVP: senate.ca.gov/2427/RedlandsGrandOpening.
• SB Sheriff’s Holiday Open House: Thursday, December 3, 4:00–6:00 p.m.
• Mobility 21 Annual Inland Empire CTC Reception: Thursday, December 3, 5:00–7:00 p.m. at the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens. Save the date!
• Inland Action Holiday Party: Friday, December 4, 5:30–7:30 p.m. at 2329 Willow Drive, San Bernardino. RSVP to mmartinez@inlandaction.com by November 24, 2026.
• YMCA Holiday Home Tour: Sunday, December 6, 2026. Contact Maritza Solis at 909-798-9622 or hometour@ymcaeastvalley.org for sponsorship details. Sponsors featured in the Home Tour Magazine and Redlands Community News.
• 5th Annual 5K at Ontario International Airport: Saturday, February 6, 2027. Early registration: $50 for 5K, $20 for 1-mile Walk (rates increase after December 13). 5K starts at 8 a.m., Walk at 9:30 a.m. Free event with food, entertainment, and activities until 11 a.m. Visit the website for details and the flyer.
• Frank Zabaleta announced that his firm is changing its name from Eadie & Payne to LSL, LLC, effective immediately.
• Bill Blankenship also announced that his company has changed its name from NAIOP to CREDA, effective immediately.
Afya Global, Inc. (WISE Healthcare is the parent organization) was presented in a second reading with Sajid Ahmed, CEO, as primary rep. Members requested additional information.
Approval of Minutes: 10/27/2026 Motion Passed – Lowell King / Kristine Scott
The committees held breakout sessions and plans to reconvened to share the following updates:
Healthcare
• Primary focus: Office of Healthcare Affordability (OHCA). Discussion on advocating for a delay or rework of OCA cost targets. Members agreed this remains a top priority.
• Seismic 2030 requirements: Advocacy to delay costly seismic retrofits for hospitals continues. Recognized as disruptive and expensive.
• MCO Tax Lawsuit: Ongoing lawsuit could impact state budget and healthcare funding. Will monitor for developments.
• Managed care changes: Analyze the impact of HR1 after January 2027.
Transportation
• VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled) mitigation: Discussion on mitigation costs and exemptions for safety projects. Committee will hold a workshop for further review.
• Gas tax replacement: Ongoing advocacy for a fair road user charge as gas tax revenues decline. Emphasis on capping administrative costs.
• Cabinet appointments: Importance of advocating for qualified regional candidates in the new administration.
Education
• Federal: Continued support for Pell Grant increases.
• State: Workforce readiness and CalGrant support highlighted. TK–12 funding stability prioritized.
• Monitoring new governor’s policy directions and county education leader feedback.
Economic Development
• Focus areas: Identified three areas including housing, workforce, and small business support (including HR) as ongoing priorities.
Environment
• Data centers and e-commerce: Continued review and caution in approach.
• Sites Reservoir: Ongoing support for water infrastructure projects.
• Wildfire mitigation: Noted lack of current initiatives and yet need in our region; will continue to monitor.
• Bureau of Land Management: Concerns over agency capacity and staffing.
• Advocacy needs as related to ISR.
Judiciary
Federal:
• Continued support for courthouse expansion and additional judges in Riverside; collaboration with regional partners including MMG and Judge Gee.
State:
• Support for an allocation funding model for judgeships and following a priority list for courthouse investments.
• Advocate for immediate funding of 13 judges included in the 2026 budget, emphasizing court readiness.
Adjourned at 8:33 AM