Current Legislative Action

Overview

CALED has led the way in teaching economic developers, local elected officials, and state representatives the value of economic development and how it is used to grow businesses, generate revenue to support community development programs, and retain and create quality jobs. CALED provides tools and resources to enrich and empower their communities to build, wealthy, healthy, viable economies. One of the many ways we accomplish this is through legislative action.

As CALED drives further into this legislative session, we are looking to advance our priorities and will continue to work with partners on issues impacting economic development. Some of the major themes in 2018 are around housing affordability, alternatives to redevelopment, incentive programs for economic development, and other economic development strategies.

CALED’s Board of Director’s approved the following legislative priorities for 2018

Priority 1

Make recommendations to improve already existing tools for economic development (i.e. EIFD Cleanup)

Priority 2

Protect the economic development set aside in the non-entitlement Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and advise for redesign of program

Priority 3

Work with GO-biz to seek re-authorization of the California Competes program providing input on making it even more effective

Legislative Action Committee Members

The CALED Board of Directors confirmed the creation of our Legislative Action Committee (LAC) and adopted the guiding policy for how this group would review legislation and make recommendations to the Board of Directors. Aaron Laurel, Economic Development & Housing Director for the City of West Sacramento and Robert Burris, President and CEO of Solano EDC, are the Co-Chairs for the LAC. Furthermore, this page includes current bills we have taken a position on and upcoming important legislative events that you should be aware of.

Aaron Laurel Co-Chair, Economic Development & Housing Director, City of West Sacramento

Robert Burris Co-Chair, President & CEO of Solano EDC

Gurbax Sahota, President and CEO of California Association for Local Economic Development

Matthew Hargrove, Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs for California Business Properties Association (CBPA)

Bills We Have Taken a Position On

*Name*	*Author*	*Brief Description*	*CALED position*	*Status*
Governor’s Budget Re-Authorizing California Competes	Governor’s Office	Governor extends California Competes Tax Credit funding for another 5 years which includes re-authorizes the New Hire Tax Credit; allocates $20 million for small business support	CALED supported See our letter of support here	Going through Budget Process
SB 1145	Senator Leyva	Allows EIFDs to fund maintenance costs of financed facilities	Sponsoring See our letter of support here	In Committee
AB 1743	Assembly Member O’Donnell	AB 1743 would allow students to gain college and career readiness skills through access to high quality career technical education (CTE) by extending funding for the Career Technical Education Incentive Grant (CTEIG) Program. This bill would provide ongoing funding of $500 million per year with a 1:1 local match as well as $12 million per year for regional CTE coordinators to provide technical assistance and support to local CTE providers.	CALED is a part of a coalition. See our coalition letter of support here	In Committee
Governance & Finance Committee Omnibus Bill	California State Senate	The Senate Governance & Finance Committee Omnibus Bill includes CALED’s EIFD improvements	CALED is supporting	In Committee
CDBG – SB 106	Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review	SB 106, a budget trailer bill, was authorized to help with the redesign of CDBG to allow set aside for economic development. Read background here	CALED opposed in prior year and now is working with the HCD on addressing outcomes	SB 106 was passed and a Redesign Working Group was created and is in progress right now
AB 1547	Assemblymember Quirk-Silva	This bill is aimed at helping California businesses by making several changes for economic development financing programs operated by the State Treasurer’s Office. One of those changes is to eliminate the California Industrial Development Financing Advisory Commission (CIDFAC)	CALED is supporting this bill See our letter of support here	In Senate Business, Professions, and Economic Development Committee
Tax Fairness, Transparency, & Accountability Act of 2018	American Beverage Association California PAC and California Business Roundtable Issues PAC	This act would drastically limit local revenue authority. In part, it eliminates local authority to impose a tax for general purposes by majority vote and instead requires all local proposed tax increases subject to a two-thirds vote.	CALED is opposing this act See our letter of opposition here	Proposed for the November ballot but has not yet qualified