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 2019 are around housing affordability, alternatives to redevelopment, incentive programs for economic development, and other economic development strategies.
CALED’s Economic Development Policy Recommendations
On January 16, 2019 the California Association for Local Economic Development Board and Legislative Action Committee convened the following organizations and legislators in economic development:
- Senator Connie Leyva
- Senator Jim Beale
- Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes, Chair for the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy
- Chief Consultant for Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy
- California Business Properties Association
- California State Association of Counties
- California Manufacturers and Technology Association
- California Small Business Development Centers
- CA Association of Micro Enterprise Opportunity
- California Workforce Association
- The League of California Cities
- Rural County Representatives of California
- California Forward
- California Treasurers Office
- Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)
See each priority here
CALED’s Board of Director’s approved the following legislative priorities for 2019
Priority 1
Review and make recommendations to improve already existing state financing tools for economic development, including tax increment financing programs, Community Development Block Grant for non-entitlement communities, and Opportunity Zones
Priority 2
Seek and champion new tools and resources for economic development
Priority 3
Work actively and strategically to create relationships and partnerships with new state economic development staff and leaders, such as GO-Biz appointees, senior economic development policy advisors in the Governor’s office, and the Lt. Governor’s Economic Development Commission
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, City Manager, 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)
Jason Haider
Founder and CEO of Xenco Medical
Steven J. Lantsberger, CED; EDFP; HDFP
Bills We Have Taken a Position On
This year CALED has a total of 69 bills that we are monitoring. These bills align with our approved board legislative priorities. If you would like to see a copy of our bills list, please email Alphonse Wilfred at alphonse@caled.org
| Name | Author | Brief Description | CALED Position | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SB 128: Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts: Bonds: Issuance | Senator Jim Beall | Removes the vote requirement for issuing Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) bonds voter | Sponsoring See our sponsorship letter here |
In Committee |
| SB 5: Local-State Sustainable Investment Incentive Program | Senator Jim Beall and Senator Mike McGuire | This bill allows local governments to collaborate on state-approved redevelopment plans, which would be funded by reducing their contributions to local Education Revenue Augmentation Funds (ERAFs). Funding can be used for the following five purposes: (1) affordable housing, (2) transit-oriented development, (3) infill development, (4) revitalizing and restoring neighborhoods, and (5) planning for sea level rise. | Supporting See our letter of support here |
In Committee |
| SB 9: Income taxes: low-income housing credits: allocation: sale of credits | Senator Jim Beall |
This bill would delete the January 1, 2020, date with respect to both of these provisions, thereby requiring the allocation of credits among partners in accordance with the partnership agreement and authorizing the sale of a credit, as described above, indefinitely.
|
Supporting See our letter of support here |
In Committee |
| AB 485: Local government: economic development subsidies | Assemblymember Jose Medina | This bill, on and after January 1, 2020, would similarly require each local agency to provide specified information to the public before approving an economic development subsidy for a warehouse distribution center, as defined, and to, among things, hold hearings and report on those subsidies, as provided. The bill would require local agencies to submit a report to the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development providing specified information and the office to make those reports available to the public through its internet website. The bill would require a warehouse distribution center to provide a local agency any information necessary to comply with these provisions.
The bill would prohibit a local agency from signing a nondisclosure agreement regarding a warehouse distribution center as part of negotiations or in the contract for any economic development subsidy. The bill would declare that its provisions address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. |
Opposing See our Opposition letter here |
In Committee |
| AB1248: Targeted Revitalization Incentive Program: local governments: property tax abatement | Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia | AB 1248 will provide local governments a tool to incentivize the redevelopment and rehabilitation of abandoned or distressed facilities in their communities by attracting investment from small and mid-size manufacturers.
This bill would allow a city or county to offer a partial property tax rebate for qualified manufacturing facilities located in their jurisdiction that invest in excess of $5 million or more in exchange for the manufacturer entering into an agreement requiring that the manufacturer spend a portion of the rebated money to fund local community programs and projects. |
Supporting See our letter of support here |
In Committee |
| AB 1274: California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley | Assemblymember Rudy Salas | This bill would establish in statute the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley for the same purposes. The bill would incorporate language of the executive orders to, among other things, require the partnership to identify projects and programs that will improve the economic vitality of the San Joaquin Valley. The bill would require the partnership, on and after January 1, 2021, to report to the Legislature on its progress.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the San Joaquin Valley. |
Supporting See our letter of support here |
In Committee |
| Conformity to Federal Treatment of Investments in Opportunity Zones Trailer Bill | Senate Budget and Fiscal Review | This trailer bill is to partially conform to the federal provisions on deferred and reduced capital gains for investments in the California Opportunity Zones designated in 2018. Eligible investments include green technology and affordable housing, with criteria chosen to allow incentives to be layered with Infill Infrastructure Grants to incentivize housing. | Supporting and encouraging a strategic expansion of eligible investments
See our letter of support here |
In Committee |