Legislative Advocacy

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The City of Indian Wells recognizes the need for active legislative engagement at the local, state, and federal levels to protect and enhance the interests of Indian Wells' residents and businesses. The legislative platform sets forth the City's position on a variety of topics and provides direction for the City's legislative advocates, City Council, and City staff as they work to secure clear and strategic initiatives in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.

Legislative Platforms

Local Priority Legislation

SUPPORT for Community Project Funding (CPF) request for $5 million for the Coachella Valley (CV Rail) Project Tier II Approval and Environmental Documentation phase
SUPPORT for Cal Cities 2023-24 State Budget Requests
OPPOSE closing the Chuckawalla Valley State Prison (CVSPP) in Blythe
SUPPORT for a comprehensive analysis of all water import alternatives as part of the long-term solution for the Salton Sea
SUPPORT for City of La Quinta’s Highway 111 Resurfacing Project
SUPPORT for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program Funding for the Coachella Valley Rail Project
SUPPORT for Lift to Rise’s application for SCAG’s REAP 2.0 Programs to Accelerate Transformative Housing (PATH) NOFA – Funding for Lasting Affordability
SUPPORT for Palm Desert Mid-Valley Station Placement as part of the proposed Coachella Valley Rail Project
SUPPORT for Community Project Funding (CPF) request for $5 million for the State Route 79 (SR-79) Realignment Project
SUPPORT for CVAG’s Addressing Climate Change, Emergencies and Sand Storms (ACCESS) Indian Canyon Drive project nomination
SUPPORT for City of Palm Desert’s Critical Bridge Infrastructure Project
SUPPORT for City of La Quinta’s Washington Street Improvement Project
SUPPORT for City of La Quinta’s Washington Street Pavement Resurfacing, Ramp Improvements, and Drainage Improvements Project

State Priority Legislation

Each legislative session, the City takes positions on proposed legislation via position letters. Position letters for the 2023-24 legislative session have been submitted as follows:

SUPPORT
- AB 1708 (Muratsuchi) - Theft
- SB 747 (Caballero) - Land use: economic development: surplus land.
- ACA 13 (Ward) - Voting Thresholds
- AB 2172 (Wallis) - Irrigation districts: Imperial Irrigation District: electricity: assessment and inventory of assets.
OPPOSE
- AB 480 (Ting) - Surplus Land
- Ballot Initiative 21-0042A1 – California Business Roundtable (CBRT)
- SB 423 (Weiner) - Streamlined housing approvals: multifamily housing developments: SB 35 (Chapter 366, Statutes of 2017) expansion.
OPPOSE UNLESS AMENDED
- SB 584 (Limón) – Laborforce housing: Short-Term Rental Tax Law

Federal Priority Legislation

Each legislative session, the City takes positions on proposed legislation via position letters. Position letters for the 2023-24 legislative session have been submitted as follows:

SUPPORT
- TBD
OPPOSE
- TBD

Salton Sea

Addressing Salton Sea revitalization and restoration efforts continues to be a priority for the Coachella and Imperial Valleys. As the Sea continues to shrink, health, environmental and economic concerns grow. Understanding the substantial impact these issues have on the region, Council approved the inclusion of the Salton Sea into its Legislative Platform as an environmental and sustainability policy goal.

To date, the City has:

Supported and encouraged legislation at the federal and state level to address the revitalization and restoration of the Sea.
Supported the call for Congressional Hearings to obtain the federal government’s support to address the Salton Sea.
Provided Council opportunities to adopt Resolutions (where appropriate) in support of efforts that prioritize the restoration of the Salton Sea

Legislative Resources