Emma Murphy
@murphreports.bsky.social
Government and politics reporter for
@pressdemo.bsky.social covering the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
@pressdemo.bsky.social covering the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Pinned
Emma Murphy
@murphreports.bsky.social
· May 1
2025 – Print / Photo | National Headliner Awards
www.headlinerawards.org
Really excited to share that @pressreno.bsky.social and I won a second place #NationalHeadlinerAward for "Trouble on the Tarmac," our coverage of safety problems at the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport #localjournalism
www.headlinerawards.org/2025-print-p...
www.headlinerawards.org/2025-print-p...
After ‘blue wave’ election, here's what elected leaders had to say about how Prop. 50 reshapes the North Bay and California politics. My latest reported with @austinmurphy3.bsky.social for @pressdemo.bsky.social www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/11/04/f...
After ‘blue wave’ election, Prop. 50 reshapes North Bay and California politics
Rep. Jared Huffman was heartened by the blue wave that swept through Tuesday’s off-year elections — capped by voters’ approval of Proposition 50, a measure that reshapes California’s congressional …
www.pressdemocrat.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:20 PM
After ‘blue wave’ election, here's what elected leaders had to say about how Prop. 50 reshapes the North Bay and California politics. My latest reported with @austinmurphy3.bsky.social for @pressdemo.bsky.social www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/11/04/f...
Early returns show strong support for Prop. 50 among voters in Sonoma, Napa counties, fueling landslide win
#California #ElectionDay
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/11/04/f...
#California #ElectionDay
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/11/04/f...
Early returns show strong support for Prop. 50 among voters in Sonoma, Napa counties, fueling landslide win
Initial results from Tuesday’s special election showed voters in Sonoma and Napa counties gave strong support to the statewide redistricting ballot measure championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and…
www.pressdemocrat.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:37 AM
Early returns show strong support for Prop. 50 among voters in Sonoma, Napa counties, fueling landslide win
#California #ElectionDay
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/11/04/f...
#California #ElectionDay
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/11/04/f...
Will Mike McGuire run for Congress if Pop. 50 passes? @austinmurphy3.bsky.social and I took a closer look for @pressdemo.bsky.social #california #election www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/11/01/m...
Mike McGuire won’t say, but signs point to him running for Congress if Prop. 50 passes
Recent campaign spending, a set of social media ads and his conspicuous silence on the question make up a small, but compelling collection of signs Mike McGuire is poised to run for the seat repres…
www.pressdemocrat.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Will Mike McGuire run for Congress if Pop. 50 passes? @austinmurphy3.bsky.social and I took a closer look for @pressdemo.bsky.social #california #election www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/11/01/m...
Sonoma County departments and local nonprofits are bracing for #federalcuts that will likely force county leaders to choose what programs to prioritize. My latest for @pressdemo.bsky.social www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/10/16/s...
Sonoma County departments, nonprofits bracing for federal cuts, painful decisions ahead
County officials expect safety net programs serving many of the most vulnerable residents to be hit hardest, with big pullbacks in federal support for cash aid, health insurance and food assistance…
www.pressdemocrat.com
October 17, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Sonoma County departments and local nonprofits are bracing for #federalcuts that will likely force county leaders to choose what programs to prioritize. My latest for @pressdemo.bsky.social www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/10/16/s...
Sonoma County supervisors on Tuesday approved a language "clean up" of the county's lodging tax policy, but steered clear of addressing exactly how the funds are allocated — the subject of heated debate for years.
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/09/16/s...
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/09/16/s...
Sonoma County supervisors approve ‘clean up’ of lodging tax policy, sidestep spending discussion
The proposed changes and ensuing board discussion Tuesday, kept a wide berth from tackling how the county allocates Transient Occupancy Tax funds, which has been the subject of heated debate for ye…
www.pressdemocrat.com
September 17, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Sonoma County supervisors on Tuesday approved a language "clean up" of the county's lodging tax policy, but steered clear of addressing exactly how the funds are allocated — the subject of heated debate for years.
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/09/16/s...
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/09/16/s...
With federal funding discussions unfolding over the next months, #SonomaCounty health officials worry cuts to critical programs, like housing vouchers, could jeopardize any strides the county has made in reducing #homelessness.
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/09/09/h...
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/09/09/h...
Homelessness is down in Sonoma County, but officials worry funding cuts could jeopardize efforts
Federal and state cuts to safety net spending could jeopardize any strides the county has made in reducing homelessness, health officials told the Board of Supervisors during a Tuesday meeting.
www.pressdemocrat.com
September 10, 2025 at 9:20 PM
With federal funding discussions unfolding over the next months, #SonomaCounty health officials worry cuts to critical programs, like housing vouchers, could jeopardize any strides the county has made in reducing #homelessness.
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/09/09/h...
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/09/09/h...
#SonomaCounty supervisors will vote tomorrow on a 2.4% ambulance rate increase, but the county's contracted ambulance provider says it's still planning to request a second rate hike.
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/09/08/s...
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/09/08/s...
Sonoma County supervisors to vote on ambulance rate hike tied to inflation
The topic has been a matter of significant public interest since revelations earlier this year of the district’s bid for a hefty rate increase after it took over the contract previously held …
www.pressdemocrat.com
September 8, 2025 at 6:44 PM
#SonomaCounty supervisors will vote tomorrow on a 2.4% ambulance rate increase, but the county's contracted ambulance provider says it's still planning to request a second rate hike.
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/09/08/s...
www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/09/08/s...
The race for #SonomaCounty's 4th District is becoming competitive: Former Santa Rosa mayor and police chief, Tom Schwedhelm, has confirmed his plans to run for the seat. #localelections www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
Former Santa Rosa police chief, mayor enters race for Sonoma County supervisor seat
‘I've got the capacity, I've got the energy and the desire to do this,’ Tom Schwedhelm said. ‘I really want to continue to make a difference in Sonoma County.’
www.pressdemocrat.com
August 29, 2025 at 11:06 PM
The race for #SonomaCounty's 4th District is becoming competitive: Former Santa Rosa mayor and police chief, Tom Schwedhelm, has confirmed his plans to run for the seat. #localelections www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
Just in: Santa Rosa is expected to be a ‘key’ piece of Gov. Newsom’s plan to redraw California's Congressional maps www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
Santa Rosa ‘key’ piece of California redistricting maps, Newsom’s plan to outsmart GOP
“Santa Rosa really is the key for Northern California, because it's such a big population base,” Assemblymember Chris Rogers said.
www.pressdemocrat.com
August 15, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Just in: Santa Rosa is expected to be a ‘key’ piece of Gov. Newsom’s plan to redraw California's Congressional maps www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
The Board of Supervisors swiftly approved a $2.8 billion budget yesterday. Likely state and federal cuts, plus stagnant property tax revenue from property taxes - the main source of county discretionary dollars - left supervisors with little to debate.
www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
Supervisors approve $2.8 billion budget, bracing for ‘greatest moment of fiscal uncertainty since Great Recession’
“This week is not the end of our fiscal work,” Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt said Tuesday.
www.pressdemocrat.com
June 11, 2025 at 11:52 PM
The Board of Supervisors swiftly approved a $2.8 billion budget yesterday. Likely state and federal cuts, plus stagnant property tax revenue from property taxes - the main source of county discretionary dollars - left supervisors with little to debate.
www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
I'll be covering the hearings for @pressdemo.bsky.social until the Board of Supervisors approve a final budget. Key factors include: the likelihood of federal funding cuts under the Trump administration, spending reductions driven by the state’s $12 billion deficit and stagnant property tax revenue.
Day 1 of #SonomaCounty's budget hearings kicks off this morning. Supervisors will be deliberating over the recommended which totals $2.7 billion and what to do with limited discretionary funding amid the fiscal uncertainty at the state and federal levels.
www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
Sonoma County budget officials urge ‘caution’ ahead of hearings on spending plan
“This year with everything that’s going on, we really are nervous,” said Peter Bruland, the county’s budget chief. “We don’t feel like this is a year where we can afford to be expanding our services.”
www.pressdemocrat.com
June 10, 2025 at 4:04 PM
I'll be covering the hearings for @pressdemo.bsky.social until the Board of Supervisors approve a final budget. Key factors include: the likelihood of federal funding cuts under the Trump administration, spending reductions driven by the state’s $12 billion deficit and stagnant property tax revenue.
Day 1 of #SonomaCounty's budget hearings kicks off this morning. Supervisors will be deliberating over the recommended which totals $2.7 billion and what to do with limited discretionary funding amid the fiscal uncertainty at the state and federal levels.
www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
Sonoma County budget officials urge ‘caution’ ahead of hearings on spending plan
“This year with everything that’s going on, we really are nervous,” said Peter Bruland, the county’s budget chief. “We don’t feel like this is a year where we can afford to be expanding our services.”
www.pressdemocrat.com
June 10, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Day 1 of #SonomaCounty's budget hearings kicks off this morning. Supervisors will be deliberating over the recommended which totals $2.7 billion and what to do with limited discretionary funding amid the fiscal uncertainty at the state and federal levels.
www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
A branch of the ACLU is suing #SonomaCounty over its use of drone surveillance for code enforcement www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
‘Shattered sense of privacy and security’: ACLU lawsuit sheds light on Sonoma County’s expansion of drone use
What started as a way to search for illegal cannabis operations in remote rural areas is now raising serious privacy and other civil liberty concerns, according to the suit.
www.pressdemocrat.com
June 6, 2025 at 5:52 PM
A branch of the ACLU is suing #SonomaCounty over its use of drone surveillance for code enforcement www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
The Sonoma County Fire District has proposed a 24.25% ambulance rate hike just 18 months into its exclusive $30 million contract with #SonomaCounty www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
Sonoma County’s main ambulance provider seeking nearly 25% rate hike just 18 months into contract
The Sonoma County Fire District is seeking a pair of rate hikes for ambulance service totaling 24.25%, citing unexpected costs and contract disputes.
www.pressdemocrat.com
May 28, 2025 at 5:45 PM
The Sonoma County Fire District has proposed a 24.25% ambulance rate hike just 18 months into its exclusive $30 million contract with #SonomaCounty www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
In Sonoma and Napa counties, more than 50 AmeriCorps members were affected when the federal government terminated millions in AmeriCorps grants — their work suspended, their living stipends gone and the community programs they supported left scrambling.
Give this a read: Sonoma and Napa AmeriCorps programs gutted by federal cuts, forcing urgent local response. Reporting by Tarini Mehta and Adriana Gutierrez for @pressdemo.bsky.social #budgetcuts www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
‘It’s shocking’: Sonoma and Napa AmeriCorps programs gutted by federal cuts, forcing urgent local response
From mentoring students to supporting food banks, AmeriCorps members were pulled from critical roles across Sonoma and Napa after abrupt federal cuts left local programs in crisis.
www.pressdemocrat.com
May 12, 2025 at 6:21 PM
In Sonoma and Napa counties, more than 50 AmeriCorps members were affected when the federal government terminated millions in AmeriCorps grants — their work suspended, their living stipends gone and the community programs they supported left scrambling.
Give this a read: Sonoma and Napa AmeriCorps programs gutted by federal cuts, forcing urgent local response. Reporting by Tarini Mehta and Adriana Gutierrez for @pressdemo.bsky.social #budgetcuts www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
‘It’s shocking’: Sonoma and Napa AmeriCorps programs gutted by federal cuts, forcing urgent local response
From mentoring students to supporting food banks, AmeriCorps members were pulled from critical roles across Sonoma and Napa after abrupt federal cuts left local programs in crisis.
www.pressdemocrat.com
May 12, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Give this a read: Sonoma and Napa AmeriCorps programs gutted by federal cuts, forcing urgent local response. Reporting by Tarini Mehta and Adriana Gutierrez for @pressdemo.bsky.social #budgetcuts www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
Reposted by Emma Murphy
Me, telling you to subscribe to your local newspaper.
May 10, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Me, telling you to subscribe to your local newspaper.
The Board of Supervisors majority approved a building purchase agreement Tuesday. The deal is one piece of a contentious plan proposed by county officials to update and modernize aging and inadequate facilities. #SonomaCounty www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approve controversial Santa Rosa building buy
The board’s Tuesday vote put the properties in escrow, allowing county staff to complete inspections. The board will have to take one last vote in early July to finalize the purchase.
www.pressdemocrat.com
May 7, 2025 at 5:34 PM
The Board of Supervisors majority approved a building purchase agreement Tuesday. The deal is one piece of a contentious plan proposed by county officials to update and modernize aging and inadequate facilities. #SonomaCounty www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
Really excited to share that @pressreno.bsky.social and I won a second place #NationalHeadlinerAward for "Trouble on the Tarmac," our coverage of safety problems at the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport #localjournalism
www.headlinerawards.org/2025-print-p...
www.headlinerawards.org/2025-print-p...
2025 – Print / Photo | National Headliner Awards
www.headlinerawards.org
May 1, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Really excited to share that @pressreno.bsky.social and I won a second place #NationalHeadlinerAward for "Trouble on the Tarmac," our coverage of safety problems at the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport #localjournalism
www.headlinerawards.org/2025-print-p...
www.headlinerawards.org/2025-print-p...
This story by Amie Windsor got a shout out during budget workshops today. Sonoma Water is another county agency directly impacted by federal grant/policy decisions. www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
Amid pleas to ‘Santa Trump,’ dam removals stay on track as feds rule out takeover of PG&E’s Potter Valley plant
Federal government intervention is seen as a last resort for residents who oppose the proposed decommissioning and new water diversion facility to be built as Scott and Cape Horn dams are to be torn d...
www.pressdemocrat.com
April 29, 2025 at 7:53 PM
This story by Amie Windsor got a shout out during budget workshops today. Sonoma Water is another county agency directly impacted by federal grant/policy decisions. www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
State funding makes up about 24% of the county’s preliminary budget revenues, while federal funding amounts to 14%. Changing information at the state and federal levels means some hard decisions may be pushed out as far as October, Rivera said.
Day 1 of #SonomaCounty's budget workshops: The preliminary 2025-26 budget totals $2.6 billion, but uncertainty at the federal and state level means county staff have built the budget with “very little information.” #economy www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
Workshops offer a 1st look at Sonoma County’s budget for the next fiscal year
Sonoma County’s elected leaders and department heads kicked off budget discussions Monday with an overview of the county’s fiscal year 2025-2026 budget.
www.pressdemocrat.com
April 29, 2025 at 4:38 PM
State funding makes up about 24% of the county’s preliminary budget revenues, while federal funding amounts to 14%. Changing information at the state and federal levels means some hard decisions may be pushed out as far as October, Rivera said.
Day 1 of #SonomaCounty's budget workshops: The preliminary 2025-26 budget totals $2.6 billion, but uncertainty at the federal and state level means county staff have built the budget with “very little information.” #economy www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
Workshops offer a 1st look at Sonoma County’s budget for the next fiscal year
Sonoma County’s elected leaders and department heads kicked off budget discussions Monday with an overview of the county’s fiscal year 2025-2026 budget.
www.pressdemocrat.com
April 29, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Day 1 of #SonomaCounty's budget workshops: The preliminary 2025-26 budget totals $2.6 billion, but uncertainty at the federal and state level means county staff have built the budget with “very little information.” #economy www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
A Sonoma County man’s Guatemalan relative was subjected to a 13-hour interrogation at LAX before being sent home. Important story by @skinnypost.bsky.social www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
‘Interrogated and intimidated’: U.S. Customs crackdown lands on Sonoma County man’s Guatemalan relative
The man’s troubling experience at Los Angeles International Airport shares threads with other stories that have emerged from recent travelers into the U.S.
www.pressdemocrat.com
April 18, 2025 at 5:58 PM
A Sonoma County man’s Guatemalan relative was subjected to a 13-hour interrogation at LAX before being sent home. Important story by @skinnypost.bsky.social www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
It’s been a heavy week here at The Press Democrat.
April 12, 2025 at 2:30 AM
It’s been a heavy week here at The Press Democrat.
Sonoma County officials, yesterday, slammed Avelo Airlines' decision to close its base at the county's regional airport and move resources Arizona where the company will provide deportation flights under a federal contract. #sonomacounty #immigration www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...
Sonoma County officials slam Avelo Airlines’ federal contract for deportation flights
“They’ll never get another dime from me,” said Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, adding that the company has chosen to take part in the “deportation industrial complex” r...
www.pressdemocrat.com
April 9, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Sonoma County officials, yesterday, slammed Avelo Airlines' decision to close its base at the county's regional airport and move resources Arizona where the company will provide deportation flights under a federal contract. #sonomacounty #immigration www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news...