California Senate leadership has appointed Sen. John Laird chair of the influential Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee for the remainder of the 2025-26 legislative session, according to a media release from his office.
Laird represents the 17th Senate District, which includes Monterey and Santa Cruz counties and extends down the state’s coastline to Arroyo Grande in San Luis Obispo County.
“I am honored to be appointed to Chair the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee,” Laird said in the release. “Having previously chaired the Assembly Budget Committee, I understand the seriousness of this responsibility and know there will be difficult times ahead. I look forward to listening to the priorities of my colleagues to shape thoughtful decisions that balance fiscal responsibility with the real needs of Californians.”
Laird has represented Santa Cruz County in the Senate since 2020. Prior to that, he was the California secretary for natural resources from 2011 to 2019 and was also a member of the state Assembly from 2002 to 2008.
Laird takes the budget committee gavel at an especially tenuous time for California as it continues to respond to steep social safety net program cuts that were included in H.R. 1, the federal spending bill passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in July. Anticipating trickle down impacts to surface in a big way next year, budget planners at local governments across the state, including in Santa Cruz County, have been keeping a close eye on how state leaders will respond with their own fiscal plans.
During his tenure as Assembly budget chair from 2004 to 2008, Laird guided investments in education, health care and public services, according to the media release.
“Senator Laird brings deep experience, sound judgment, and a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility to the Budget Committee,” Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón said in the release. “His previous service as Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, along with his long-standing focus on education, the environment, and working families, will be invaluable as we work to deliver a budget that reflects California’s values and meets the moment.”
