2008 Policy Agenda

• Workforce development
• Business retention and expansion with an emphasis on manufacturing
• Defined state's role in economic development
• Establish local economic development as state policy
• Building local economic development capacity

Policy Objectives

1. Make permanent the current Office of Business Investment Services (SB 1537) in the Labor Agency.
2. Legislate the transfer of federal (EDA) Loan funds from Controller to BT&H (AB 3057).
3. Define economic development and economic development organizations in State Law (AB 3057).
4. Provide incentives for business to invest in Economic Development Corporations (AB 2530) or create a special fund to support local EDC’s.
5. Realign the Economic Development program in the Department of Housing Community Development to report directly to the director of HCD and create an assistant to the director for economic development.
6. Establish a public sector professional development institute as part of the Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program.
7. Allocate some funding to support Community Colleges to coordinate statewide (public sector) customer service training initiative at Merced Community College.
8. Seek ways to encourage State and Local Governments to buy local as a way to grow existing small businesses in California communities.
9. Encourage HCD to establish a series of rural technical assistance centers (using CDBG funds) to help promote local job development projects.
10. Encourage State Agencies to identify State owned surplus lands (assets) that could be used for local economic development.
11. Allow local communities to utilize the sales tax override authority to promote economic development.
12. Allow for establishment of regional labor prevailing wage rates in order to encourage economic development activities.
13. Advocate for a new State paradigm for the State’s role in economic development.