Business In 1990, Obernolte launched FarSight Studios, an independent developer and publisher of
family-friendly video games. The company originally produced games for the
Nintendo Entertainment System, and as of 2023 develops for
PlayStation 4,
Xbox One,
Nintendo Switch,
Oculus,
Windows,
macOS,
iOS and
Android. Notable games the studio has developed include
Scarface: Money. Power. Respect.,
Color a Dinosaur,
Game Party,
Hotel for Dogs,
The Pinball Arcade, and the
Sega Genesis version of
Action 52. FarSight Studios claims
Sony,
Microsoft,
Google, and Apple among its clients and employs 25 workers.
Politics In 2005, Obernolte was elected to the
Big Bear City Airport Board, where he served for five years. He then served as president of the board for three years and as vice president for one year. In 2010, Obernolte was elected to Big Bear City Council, where he served as mayor. Obernolte served as state assemblyman for
California's 33rd State Assembly district, which encompasses a wide expanse of the
High Desert (areas of the
Mojave Desert), from the eastern fringes of the
Los Angeles metropolitan area to the
Nevada and
Arizona borders, from 2014 to 2020. He was elected to Congress in 2020 to replace retiring
Paul Cook as representative for
California's 8th congressional district, which includes
Mono County,
Inyo County, and the majority of land mass in
San Bernardino County.
California State Assembly In January 2016, Obernolte was elected to serve on the California Legislative Technology and Innovation Caucus, which is co-chaired by Assembly members
Ian Calderon and
Evan Low. He also sat on the following committees: Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media as vice chair; Budget as vice chair; Appropriations; Budget Subcommittee 6 on Budget Process, Oversight and Program Evaluation; Budget Subcommittee 6 on Budget Process, Oversight and Program Evaluation; Utilities and Commerce; Joint Committee on Arts; and Joint Legislative Budget. In 2016, Obernolte expressed concern over
Frontier Communications's acquisition of
Verizon's voice, video, data, and FiOS network, saying that the takeover "negatively affected" his constituents through poor landline telephone service. In 2016, Obernolte introduced Assembly Bill 2341, which would provide San Bernardino and other rural counties with additional judges to resolve backlogged court systems. The bill would have shifted seats from Santa Clara and Alameda counties to the rural counties including San Bernardino, but died in the Senate Appropriations Committee without a hearing. In 2017, Obernolte opposed
Xavier Becerra's nomination as
California Attorney General. Obernolte said that Governor
Jerry Brown's $179.45 billion budget proposal was "responsible", but expressed a preference for fixing existing programs over creating new ones. He also stated an interest in funding job skills training, improving the state's
Denti-Cal program, repairing infrastructure, and working on the housing crisis. Obernolte pushed for lawmakers to limit long-term funding commitments and said the budget proposal did nothing to address the "state's out-of-control pension debts and retiree health care liabilities." Obernolte co-authored Assembly Bill 1103, which would have allowed California bicyclists to roll through stop signs if it was safe to do so (the "
Idaho stop"). The bill died in committee. Obernolte authored Assembly Bill 1642, which would extend the deadlines to either pay the fire tax, which is a state fire prevention fee, or file a petition for redetermination from 30 days to 60 days. In July 2017, the fire fee was suspended as part of Assembly Bill 398. Obernolte opposed raising
fire insurance costs, which is calculated by factors in the risk of wildfire, fuels, slope and road access for emergency vehicles. Obernolte opposed increases in the minimum wage. == U.S. House of Representatives ==