Solano County opponents of California Forever’s proposed development in Collinsville took their fight to Sacramento Friday, urging legislative leaders to reject a last-minute trailer bill that would streamline the company’s plans for a major shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing complex.
The push came as the California Legislature faced a deadline to act on the proposal, dubbed the Solano Maritime Manufacturing Act. Opponents spent Friday visiting the offices of legislative leaders, seeking to make sure no legislators sponsor the measure before the end of the legislative session. By press time, none had. Local representatives Senator Christopher Cabaldon and Assemblymember Lori Wilson both said they would not sponsor the bill, but that did not preclude some other legislator from taking it up.
Jim DeKloe, an outspoken opponent of California Forever’s plans, spent Friday awaiting word on the bill. Under legislative rules requiring 72 hours between the introduction of a bill and its final vote, time was running short for the measure to move forward by Monday’s end of the legislative session.
The Sacramento effort followed a contentious Solano County Board of Supervisors meeting in which supervisors rejected the proposed legislation after hours of public comment.
Supervisors said they were not opposed to bringing shipbuilding and other maritime jobs to Solano County. Their objections centered on the process, including concerns that the proposal was being advanced at the end of the legislative session without enough time for local review and discussion.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has supported the shipbuilding proposal, criticized the county’s decision, warning of a future “reckoning” if the opportunity were squandered. Newsom also noted that the supervisors’ action delayed the proposal rather than rejecting the concept outright.
Anne Carr, of Vallejo, speaks out against California Forever during the Solano County Board of Supervisors meeting, discussing a shipbuilding facility in Collinsville. (Chris Riley/The Reporter)
DeKloe described Newsom’s appearance Wednesday at Mare Island, where the governor announced funding for maritime-industry education, as a significant escalation of the state’s support for the effort.
“Everything so far has been Go-Biz did this, and Go-Biz did that,” DeKloe said, referring to the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. “Wednesday was the first time Gavin himself showed sympathy toward them.”
DeKloe said the governor’s involvement could make the opposition feel intimidated, particularly when facing the financial resources of California Forever.
“It’s intimidating for the average person to go up against billionaires,” he said. “My message is don’t lose heart.”
DeKloe also disputed Newsom’s characterization of the county’s decision as contributing to higher housing costs and unemployment, calling the argument “generic.”
“No one really believes this is anything but a real estate venture,” he said.
Environmental and local-control concerns
Restore the Delta, which has worked with Solano Together and the Solano County Board of Supervisors in opposing the legislation, also urged residents to contact state legislative leaders.
The organization has raised concerns about provisions it says could significantly limit environmental review and local oversight of the proposed Collinsville development.
Among its objections are provisions that would eliminate environmental review for a large industrial site planned for shipbuilding and other potentially undisclosed industrial uses. Restore the Delta also contends the bill could create exemptions broad enough to allow data centers associated with shipbuilding, limit tribal consultation and override Solano County voters’ longstanding role in land-use decisions through the county’s Orderly Growth Initiative.
The group pointed to Newsom’s recent statement that he would have voted for the proposal “in a nanosecond.”
Local officials seek a different path
Solano County Supervisor Cassandra James, whose district includes Vallejo and Mare Island, said the county should continue pursuing maritime opportunities while ensuring local communities have a meaningful role in determining how development proceeds.
“The Board has made clear that important questions must still be addressed before moving forward with the proposed Solano Maritime and Manufacturing Act,” James said in a Facebook post. “We will continue conversations with the state and bring local stakeholders, including labor, tribes, environmental organizations, community representatives, and industry, to the table as those discussions continue.”
James said significant federal and private investment is being directed toward shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing, creating an opportunity Solano County should not ignore.
For Vallejo, she said, that opportunity is particularly important because of the city’s maritime history, workforce and waterfront.
“I want to ensure Vallejo residents are positioned to benefit from these investments and that local workers have a pathway to the jobs and economic opportunities they can create,” James said.
Garamendi pushes broader maritime discussion
The debate comes as U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-District 8) continues to promote investment in the nation’s maritime industry.
Garamendi defended the Board of Supervisors’ action in a statement to The Reporter.
“Throughout my career in public service, I’ve learned the importance of taking the time to get things right,” he said. “The Board of Supervisors’ vote recognizes that more due diligence is necessary to ensure that development in the area benefits the county and its citizens without harming the Delta.”
Congressman John Garamendi talks about the revitalization of the U.S. shipbuilding industry on Mare Island during a press conference in 2025. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald FILE)
Garamendi, a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, recently presented a $1.092 million federal check to Vallejo Flood & Wastewater to rehabilitate the outdated sewer system on Mare Island.
Garamendi also has been a supporter of federal efforts to rebuild the U.S. shipbuilding industry. In 2025, he helped sponsor the SHIPS for America Act, arguing that the United States needs to strengthen its maritime manufacturing capacity, and advocating Mare Island as a perfect location for such efforts.
“With China’s growing influence in the global maritime sector, the United States can no longer afford to overlook our maritime industries,” Garamendi said at the time. “The SHIPS for America Act will give our shipyards and merchant mariners the tools they need to rebuild America’s maritime industry and create good-paying American jobs.”
Now Garamendi is bringing together representatives from across the maritime sector for a broader discussion of the industry’s future.
He has announced a Bay Area Maritime Summit, scheduled to be live-streamed on Facebook at 7 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 10.
The summit is expected to bring together leaders from the military, labor, industry and education to discuss challenges facing the U.S. maritime industry and potential solutions for rebuilding the nation’s shipbuilding capacity, the announcement states.
In announcing the event, Garamendi framed the issue as both an economic and national security concern.
“America needs more ships,” he said. “It’s an economic and national security necessity.”