May 8, 2013
Originally released on April 18, the League’s 2013 Hot Bills List has been updated to reflect the most current status of bills of most importance to cities. Several bills have been removed from the original list because they are not expected to move this year. Several bills have been added to the list. The list below is to date as of May 8, 2013.
April 29, 2013
The League will be closely monitoring many hot bills this week as well as other bills of interest to cities, which included in our recently released bills of interest list. The League will report any actions of significance.
April 26, 2013
Enterprise Zones (EZs) were a focus of League advocacy efforts this week. The League has long promoted EZs as a key tool to help cities with local economic development; in this year’s political climate cities must advocate for their survival.
April 25, 2013
Wednesday city officials attending the League’s Legislative Action Day got a powerful lesson in state politics as the Senate Governance and Finance Committee heard two bills by Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) – one that would help local governments and one that would harm them.
April 22, 2013
This is a busy week with the League’s Legislative Action Day scheduled for Wednesday, April 24, the same day many of the League bills are being heard in committees in the Capitol.
April 22, 2013
Last week, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) filed cloture on the motion to proceed to a vote on S. 743, the most recent of three Marketplace Fairness Act bills introduced by Congress this year. Sen. Reid’s action made the bill eligible to be heard on the Senate floor this week.
April 18, 2013
Today the League has released the list of 26 “Hot Bills” for 2013 that reflects positions on these bills as of April 18.
April 17, 2013
Today League-supported AB 1080 (Alejo) passed out of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee.
April 8, 2013
On March 5, the League sent mail ballots to all member cities on two proposed amendments to the League’s bylaws. Ballots must be submitted to the League by April 19.
March 29, 2013
The League has taken an oppose position on SB 673 (DeSaulnier), a bill that would prohibit the approval of any retail or commercial facility estimated to receive more than $1 million in subsidies unless a comprehensive analysis is prepared by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) or a public agency or private entity under contract with OPR.
March 22, 2013
This week, the League issued a support letter for S. 336/H.R. 684, the Marketplace Fairness Act, which would require out-of-state merchants to collect use taxes for electronic and mail sales.
March 22, 2013
The House Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing on Tuesday to discuss tax reform and tax provisions affecting state and local governments, during which the tax exemption for Municipal Bonds was reviewed.
March 15, 2013
Yesterday, the League issued a support letter on AB 1080 by Assembly Member Luis Alejo (D-Salinas), which would authorize local governments to create a new entity called a Community Revitalization Investment Authority (CRIA) aimed at improving low income and deteriorated communities, including closed military bases.
March 13, 2013
The Senate Industrial Relations Committee passed SB 7 (Steinberg) this morning, sending it to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
March 13, 2013
Today, the Senate Governance and Finance Committee heard several bills, including two economic development bills the League has been carefully tracking, SB 33 (Wolk) and SB 1 (Steinberg).
March 8, 2013
This week, the League issued a support letter on AB 564 (Mullin), which provides certainty to successor agencies and all other public and private entities that benefits offered by a finding of completion from the Department of Finance (DOF) can be relied upon.
March 8, 2013
The League of California Cities is now accepting nominations from elected officials interested in serving in one of six at-large board positions (two-year term), or as second vice president (one-year term). All nominees for second vice president must currently be serving or have previously served on the board of directors.
February 28, 2013
In November 2012, the League’s board of directors approved two proposed amendments to the League bylaws which must be approved by a two-thirds vote of those members voting in order to take effect.
February 4, 2013
Next Monday, Feb. 11, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #6 on Budget Process, Oversight and Program Evaluation will hold an informational hearing on redevelopment dissolution issues per AB 26x1 and AB 1484. Representatives have been invited from the Department of Finance to provide an overview of its activities, and a representative from the State Controller’s Office. The hearing will be held at 2:30 p.m. in State Capitol Room 126.
January 24, 2013
This morning Gov. Jerry Brown delivered his 2013 State of the State address touching on a number of issues including education, health care, enterprise, trade missions to China, water, climate change, CEQA, transportation and high speed rail.