Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom Honored as Legislator of the Year

Stockton, CA - Special districts in San Joaquin County and across the state recognized Assembly Member Rhodesia Ransom as the Association's 2025 Legislator of the Year at an event held at the San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District featuring local special district leaders from throughout the Central Valley.

Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom was honored for her support of the local service specialists responsible for providing water, sanitation, healthcare, fire protection, parks, open space, resource conservation, mosquito abatement, and other essential services and infrastructure to communities throughout California.

"I may be new to the Legislature, but I'm not new to the work or the communities I serve. Coming from local government, I understand how decisions made in Sacramento impact fire services, water, flood control, and special districts on the ground. I'm honored to be selected as Legislator of the Year by the California Special Districts Association and grateful for their partnership as we work together to strengthen California."

-Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom

Leading the State's Committee on Emergency Management

As Chair of the Assembly Committee on Emergency Management, Assemblymember Ransom has worked closely with special districts, local governments, and first responders to strengthen California's disaster preparedness and response.

In her first year as Chair, Assemblymember Ransom and her committee led statewide efforts to support communities impacted by natural disasters, including:

• Responding to the Southern California wildfires by meeting with first responders and coordinating legislative support for affected communities.
• Authoring AB 1285 (Protecting Communities from Lithium Battery Fires) and AB 1531 (Strengthening Wildfire Prevention Efforts) to better protect firefighters, improve wildfire prevention, and modernize the state's emergency response framework; both bills were signed into law by the Governor.
• Authoring her first Assembly Joint Resolution, adopted by both the Assembly and Senate, urging federal leaders to restore FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, resulting in the restoration of $870 million for hazard mitigation projects across California.

Assemblymember Ransom also serves on multiple legislative committees and commissions, including the Local Government Committee, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, and the Delta Protection Commission, where she continues to elevate the voices of local agencies and special districts in state decision-making.