![\"Anne](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GARAMENDI2.jpg\")
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)<\/p>\nSolano County opponents of California Forever\u2019s 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\u2019s plans for a major shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing complex.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Jim DeKloe, an outspoken opponent of California Forever\u2019s 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\u2019s end of the legislative session.<\/p>\n
The Sacramento effort followed a contentious Solano County Board of Supervisors meeting in which supervisors rejected the proposed legislation after hours of public comment.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has supported the shipbuilding proposal, criticized the county\u2019s decision, warning of a future \u201creckoning\u201d if the opportunity were squandered. Newsom also noted that the supervisors\u2019 action delayed the proposal rather than rejecting the concept outright.<\/p>\n
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)<\/p>\n
DeKloe described Newsom\u2019s appearance Wednesday at Mare Island, where the governor announced funding for maritime-industry education, as a significant escalation of the state\u2019s support for the effort.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything so far has been Go-Biz did this, and Go-Biz did that,\u201d DeKloe said, referring to the California Governor\u2019s Office of Business and Economic Development. \u201cWednesday was the first time Gavin himself showed sympathy toward them.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeKloe said the governor\u2019s involvement could make the opposition feel intimidated, particularly when facing the financial resources of California Forever.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s intimidating for the average person to go up against billionaires,\u201d he said. \u201cMy message is don\u2019t lose heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeKloe also disputed Newsom\u2019s characterization of the county\u2019s decision as contributing to higher housing costs and unemployment, calling the argument \u201cgeneric.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one really believes this is anything but a real estate venture,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Environmental and local-control concerns<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The organization has raised concerns about provisions it says could significantly limit environmental review and local oversight of the proposed Collinsville development.<\/p>\n
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\u2019 longstanding role in land-use decisions through the county\u2019s Orderly Growth Initiative.<\/p>\n
The group pointed to Newsom\u2019s recent statement that he would have voted for the proposal \u201cin a nanosecond.\u201d<\/p>\n
Local officials seek a different path<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Board has made clear that important questions must still be addressed before moving forward with the proposed Solano Maritime and Manufacturing Act,\u201d James said in a Facebook post. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
James said significant federal and private investment is being directed toward shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing, creating an opportunity Solano County should not ignore.<\/p>\n
For Vallejo, she said, that opportunity is particularly important because of the city\u2019s maritime history, workforce and waterfront.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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,\u201d James said.<\/p>\n
Garamendi pushes broader maritime discussion<\/p>\n
The debate comes as U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-District 8) continues to promote investment in the nation\u2019s maritime industry.<\/p>\n
Garamendi defended the Board of Supervisors\u2019 action in a statement to The Reporter.<\/p>\n
\u201cThroughout my career in public service, I\u2019ve learned the importance of taking the time to get things right,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Board of Supervisors\u2019 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Congressman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0328_NWS_VAC-L-MAREISLAND2.jpg\")
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)<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith China\u2019s growing influence in the global maritime sector, the United States can no longer afford to overlook our maritime industries,\u201d Garamendi said at the time. \u201cThe SHIPS for America Act will give our shipyards and merchant mariners the tools they need to rebuild America\u2019s maritime industry and create good-paying American jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now Garamendi is bringing together representatives from across the maritime sector for a broader discussion of the industry\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
He has announced a Bay Area Maritime Summit, scheduled to be live-streamed on Facebook at\u00a0 7 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 10.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s shipbuilding capacity, the announcement states.<\/p>\n
In announcing the event, Garamendi framed the issue as both an economic and national security concern.<\/p>\n
\u201cAmerica needs more ships,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s an economic and national security necessity.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Solano County opponents of California Forever\u2019s proposed development in Collinsville took their fight to Sacramento Friday, urging legislative…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":446618,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[6797,7,6798,2719,181,23,205,100,993,266,13,38031,11070,121,123,122,2720,5963,6799,3627],"class_list":["post-446617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-benicia","tag-california","tag-dixon","tag-fairfield","tag-latest-headlines","tag-local-news","tag-local-politics","tag-news","tag-north-bay","tag-northern-california","tag-politics","tag-pushly-alerts","tag-rio-vista","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news","tag-solano-county","tag-suisun-city","tag-vacaville","tag-vallejo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=446617"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446617\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/446618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=446617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=446617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=446617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}