Senator Monique Limón joined local firefighters, conservation groups, and graziers from Cuyama Lamb, Ventura Brushgoats, and Shepherdess Land & Livestock for a tour of the Arroyo Hondo Preserve in 2022 to learn about the role that prescribed grazing has played in her district in restoring ecosystems and protecting communities from wildfires. Photo Credit: Sarita Relis
Senator Monique Limón officially started her role as the new leader of the California State Senate on November 17, replacing Senator Mike McGuire, who is terming out in 2026. As the Senate President Pro Tempore, Senator Limón will have the power to set the Senate’s legislative priorities, negotiate the state budget, and determine which Senators serve in key roles in committees.
Senator Limón, who represents Santa Barbara County and portions of Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties, was elected to the Senate in November 2020 after serving two terms as the Assemblymember for the region. She has been a reliable and effective champion for climate solutions, including agricultural solutions, in her 10 years in the legislature.
She has authored two bills sponsored by CalCAN during her tenure. The first bill, Assembly Bill 409 (2019), aimed to increase funding for research, tools, and technical assistance to support farmers and ranchers in making informed management and investment decisions based on both short- and long-term climate risks. Although the bill died due to a lack of funding in the budget process, it highlighted the ways in which agricultural producers are already on the front lines of droughts, wildfires, and extreme heat waves, and the urgent need to support producers in becoming more resilient. The second bill, Senate Bill 675, required the state to develop an action plan and guidance for local agencies to scale up prescribed grazing as a multi-benefit climate and wildfire solution. That bill was passed and signed in 2024 and is currently being implemented.
Successful Negotiator for Climate Investments
In the past two years, Senator Limón has also led successful negotiations on two of the state’s signature climate policies, both of which required two-thirds supermajority votes to pass: Proposition 4 and Cap-and-Invest Reauthorization. Proposition 4, a climate bond, resulted in a one-time investment of $10 billion in a range of drought, flood, and wildfire solutions, which included $300 million for a suite of programs to support climate smart agriculture and local food systems. The Cap-and-Invest Reauthorization, for which Senator Limón led the negotiations this year on behalf of the Senate, will result in annual investments of approximately $4-5 billion in climate solutions. Historically, an average of 5% of that revenue has supported agricultural climate solutions, and CalCAN will continue working with Senator Limón to try to increase that percentage.
In all of these policy efforts, Senator Limón has proven to be a poignant climate communicator and pragmatic dealmaker. She speaks compellingly about the human toll that climate change has had on her constituents, from the loss of life and neighborhoods in the 2017 Thomas Fire and subsequent landslides to the economic hardships faced by farmers and ranchers in the wake of extreme heat waves and prolonged droughts. Senator Limón shares our values and long-term vision of achieving a more just and climate-beneficial food system and has demonstrated the kind of persistence and pragmatism necessary in Sacramento to advance incremental policies and investments to move us closer to that vision.
“Senator Limón gets the myriad challenges farmers and ranchers are facing, and she acts with conviction and urgency to address the rising costs of climate change to communities across California,” said Brian Shobe, CalCAN Policy Director. “We are celebrating her rise to the highest position in the State Senate because she is the driven and effective climate leader we need at this moment in our state and nation.”
Quotes from Senator Limón’s Constituents:
“Limón’s sponsorship of SB 675 was clear-eyed leadership that shows her understanding of the links in agriculture and climate solutions. The bill will protect our communities from fire while supporting our struggling sheep and goat industry,” said Jack Thrift Anderson of Cuyama Lamb, based in Santa Barbara County. “It takes fight to move forward the alternative strategies we need, and Limón has demonstrated that she is ready to hear us and take our voices to Sacramento.”
“Prop 4 and Cap-and-Invest funding—through programs like Healthy Soils and SWEEP—is empowering producers in our region to model innovative, climate-smart practices that reduce costs, protect soil health, and build resilience,” said Bre Sliker, Climate Projects Manager (Agriculture) for the Community Environmental Council. “Senator Limón has been instrumental in securing these investments, and we’re excited to continue partnering with her as we advance the Central Coast’s role as a climate innovation hub.”
“Senator Limón and her team took the time to visit my operation in Upper Ojai, where we were working around a school that had been severely burned in the Thomas Fire,” said Cole Bush of Shepherdess Land and Livestock, based in Ventura County. “The Senator and her team asked the critical questions needed to understand how to expand this work’s reach across high fire-risk severity zones, enhance public education, and catalyze connections between fire departments, community organizations, conservation districts, and others who must collaborate. Senator Limon’s leadership has been impactful from the ground up.”
“The Healthy Soils and SWEEP funding provided by Prop 4 and the Cap-and-Invest Program is supporting dozens of farmers and small water systems in Senate District 19 with cost-saving irrigation infrastructure upgrades and soil conservation practices,” said Helen McGrath of Flying M Ranch, based in Ventura County. “The need and demand for these programs is rising with Ventura County seeing an increase from about 5 HSP projects in 2022 to 27 projects and 15 SWEEP projects in 2024/2025. We are grateful for Senator Limón’s leadership in securing funding that will continue to make great impacts on water and energy conservation in her district and statewide.”
Reception to be held in Santa Barbara, December 9
CalCAN will be co-hosting a reception in Santa Barbara with our partners at the Community Environmental Council’s Environmental Hub for Senate Pro Tem Limón on December 9. Members of our network in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties are invited to join us to celebrate Senator Limón’s leadership and discuss agricultural and climate policy priorities for upcoming years. If you’d like to attend the reception, please email CC [at] calclimateag.org.
