The Caspar Community Center was packed to standing-room-only Sunday afternoon, as constituents of State Assembly District 2 gathered to engage Assemblymember Chris Rogers on a broad range of issues, from federal funding cuts and food security to energy and insurance. The town hall, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Mendocino County and the Grassroots Institute, provided an intimate forum for the freshman legislator to answer questions and educate the community about a raft of proposed legislation.
Rogers, who was born and raised in Sonoma County and previously served as Santa Rosa’s youngest mayor, outlined his legislative priorities — focusing on issues affecting children, poverty, climate and health. He emphasized his commitment to reflecting the values of his diverse constituents.
Federal Funding Cuts
A primary concern among attendees was the potential for federal cuts to vital social programs such as local food banks, Meals on Wheels, SNAP and school meal programs. Rogers acknowledged the precarious state budget and the uncertainty surrounding federal actions, stressing the need for California to make difficult choices. He suggested corporate tax breaks should be addressed before cutting essential safety net programs.
“We know, quite frankly, that people will die if we don’t,” Rogers said, referring to the need to address food insecurity with state funding if federal funding is cut.
Health Care Access and Costs
Health care in this rural community was another significant source of anxiety. Constituents voiced concerns about potential cuts to Medicare and Medi-Cal and the economic threats facing rural hospitals, including unfunded mandates like seismic retrofitting requirements. The Mendocino Coast Health Care District, which owns the only hospital on the Mendocino Coast and leases it to Adventist Health, is facing an expensive, state-mandated earthquake retrofit, even though a seismic event poses much less risk to the one-story building than to larger hospitals elsewhere in the state.
Rogers expressed his support for universal health care and highlighted his office’s efforts to advance Assembly Bill 1460, aimed at increasing access to lower-cost medication in rural areas by challenging restrictions on the federal 340B drug program.
“This is our office going up against big pharma, four months into office and so far winning,” he declared.
The 340B program requires pharmaceutical companies to offer drugs at a discount for health clinics, Planned Parenthood, and hospitals. Those organizations can be reimbursed by insurance at the full rate and then reinvest the difference into care, including hiring more nurses or investing in better equipment. It is designed to provide a market benefit for rural communities and support the health system overall, Rogers said.
However, "what started happening in 2020 is that pharmaceutical companies began putting restrictions on how these programs would operate," he explained. "They made it so that many systems could only use one pharmacy to fulfill an entire health system’s needs."
The poster child, he said, is in San Diego County, where a health care district with 30 clinics is allowed to select only one pharmacy under the current restrictions.
Rogers’ bill, co-sponsored by Assemblymembers Juan Carrillo, Rhodesia Ransom and Chris Ward, would eliminate those restrictions.
Housing Affordability
The pervasive housing crisis in California was also a central topic, with questions ranging from proposed budget cuts to housing programs to potential solutions like climate-resilient innovation zones. Rogers pointed to legislative efforts to address barriers to building, such as the availability of financing.
He noted that the state Legislature last year chose to put a climate bond before voters rather than a housing bond. Proposition 4 raised $10 billion for programs addressing climate change, including retrofitting homes to be more climate-resilient.
Rogers also acknowledged that some proposed bills to address the housing crisis could weaken environmental reviews and coastal protections. He said some Assembly members from Southern California "don't understand the intricacies of what we are trying to do."
Regarding a bill that would allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) "by right" on all properties in the coastal zone, he called the legislation “interesting” and emphasized that one-size-fits-all solutions can miss the mark.
Insurance Affordability
Concerns about the increasing unaffordability of the California FAIR Plan for fire insurance also drew significant attention. Rogers outlined ongoing legislative efforts to reform insurance modeling and incentivize home hardening through measures like Assembly Bill 1, which he co-authored.
“What AB 1 says is that if you do the things that make your community safer — home hardening, vegetation management, firewise councils — you should get a discount on your insurance,” Rogers explained.
He added that another significant step would be for the state to assume responsibility for vegetation management.
Finally, Rogers noted that the opportunity to elect a new insurance commissioner in November could help with insurance rates and said that State Sen. Mike McGuire may run for the position.
“If he chooses to do it, I’ll be full-throated in my support,” he said.
Climate Change and Renewable Energy
Rogers responded to a range of questions about climate challenges and possible solutions with a primer on new climate-related bills.
Assembly Bill 388, sponsored by Rogers, aims to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of electricity across power lines, particularly private lines and those associated with renewable energy projects.
“It would bring the cost of green hydrogen from $10 a gallon down to about $3 a gallon, which suddenly makes it viable in California as an alternative,” Rogers said.
Assembly Bill 740, sponsored by Assemblymember John Harabedian and co-authored by Rogers, supports virtual power plants. According to Environment California, virtual power plants are networks of clean energy devices — such as solar panels, electric vehicles and smart thermostats — that can be coordinated to shift electricity usage or store power to meet community needs.
Rogers also discussed Assembly Bill 942, sponsored by Assemblymember Lisa Calderon, a former Southern California Edison lobbyist. The bill would break the NEM 1 and NEM 2 contracts that apply to solar customers who signed up before April 2023. Rogers said he opposes the bill.
While supporters of AB 942 argue that solar customers are costing California billions of dollars, Rogers contended that solar has fundamentally reduced the demand for electricity, avoiding the need to build costly infrastructure.
Disaster Relief
As cutbacks in federal disaster aid are felt around the country, residents at the town hall asked how California would respond. Rogers said he has sponsored Assembly Bill 256 to protect smaller, less populated areas like Mendocino County.
Rogers explained that FEMA aid only kicks in after a threshold of damage is reached.
“What this bill does is it recognizes that in small communities like Caspar, if Caspar had a disaster ... the state will step in and will help even if the federal government doesn't,” he said.
Throughout the town hall, Rogers fielded pointed questions with a blend of earnestness and pragmatic assessment of the political and budgetary realities in Sacramento. He repeatedly emphasized the importance of local engagement and encouraged constituents to continue making their voices heard. As the session drew to a close, he acknowledged the challenges of representing such a vast and diverse district but reaffirmed his dedication to serving the Mendocino Coast.
