Governor Gavin Newsom presented his first State of the State to the Legislature. Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama), who represents Wheatland, CA and the region devastated by the Camp Fire, issued the following statement: 

"I applaud the Governor for agreeing with Republicans that the high-speed rail costs too much. We should stop funding this multi-billion dollar train to nowhere - all of it.

“It is encouraging to hear the Governor speak about the recovery of Butte County and the needs of the thousands of families devastated by the Camp Fire.

“But singling out Wheatland, a town of 3,497 people where the median home value is $306,000, is disingenuous at best. Wheatland in Yuba County is not the epicenter for the pent-up demand for affordable housing. 

"San Francisco’s median home value is $1,374,800. Multiple generations of families are living together to afford skyrocketing prices in the Bay Area.

“Wheatland, unlike Marin County, did not use its powerful political allies in Sacramento to exempt itself from the housing element law that allowed them to plan for fewer low-income housing units lasting through 2028.

“With its small town resources, Wheatland continues to make a good faith effort to meet the state’s housing element requirements. And it is my hope that Wheatland will have an equal seat at the table with the Administration to have the resources to meet the state’s requirements.”