The District Digest is a monthly newsletter and includes legislative updates from the California Downtown Association.
2024 Legislative Session
- Government Affairs: August 2024: Legislative Retail Theft Package Signed into Law
- Government Affairs: August 2024: Assembly Select Committee on Downtown Recovery, Friday, August 16, 2024
- Government Affairs: August 2024: Property Crime & Retail Theft Legislation
- Government Affairs: April / May 2024: CDA’s Legislative Priorities Moving in the State Capitol
- Government Affairs: March / April 2024: CDA Prioritizes Key Bill the Legislature Kicks into High Gear
- Action Alert: Yes on Prop 1
- Government Affairs: January 2024: Governor’s 2024-2025 January Budget
2023 Legislative Session
- Government Affairs: October 2023: Governor Signs CDA’s Priority Legislation into Law
- Government Affairs: September 2023: CDA Urges Governor to Sign Priority Legislation
- Government Affairs: August 2023: CDA Priority Legislation to See Action in the Final Month of 2023 Legislative Session
- Government Affairs: June 2023: As State Budget Deadline Nears, CDA Joins Coalition to Secure Funding for Public Transit Systems
- Government Affairs: April 2023: CDA Prioritizes Major Issues as the Legislature’s Policymaking Kicks into High Gear
- Government Affairs: February 2023: Bill Introduction Deadline
- Government Affairs: January 2023: Governor’s 2023-2024 January Budget Overview
2022 Legislative Session
- Government Affairs: December 2022: The California Legislature Convenes the 2023-2024 Session
- Government Affairs: October 2022: Governor Signs CDA Priority Legislation into Law
- Government Affairs: July 2022: Governor Newsom Signs CDA-sponsored Bill to Strengthen PBID Formation and Renewal Process
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Government Affairs: June 2022: CDA’s Sponsored Bill to be Considered by the State Senate
- Government Affairs: May 2022: State Assembly Approves CDA-sponsored Legislation
- Government Affairs: April 2022: CDA-Sponsored Legislation Passes Key Assembly Policy Committee
- Government Affairs: March 2022: Bill to Improve PBID Formation and Renewal Introduced in the State Assembly
- Government Affairs: February 2022: State Legislature Turnover
- Government Affairs: January 2022: Governor Newsom Unveils “California Blueprint”
2021 Legislative Session
- Government Affairs: December 2021: A Strong Year for CDA’s Government Affairs Program
- Government Affairs: November 2021: Redistricting Process to Shake Up California’s Legislature, Congressional Delegation
- Government Affairs: October 2021: Governor Newsom Signs Legislation Expanding Outdoor Dining And Flexible Alcohol Sales
- Government Affairs Update September 2021: Governor Signs CDA-Sponsored Bill to Allow for Remote Meetings During State Emergencies
- Government Affairs Update August 2021: Priority Legislation to See Action in the Final Month of 2021 Legislative Session
- Government Affairs Update July 2021: Priority Legislation to See Action in the Final Month of 2021 Legislative Session
- Government Affairs Update June 2021: Governor and Legislature Agree Budget Plan, Homelessness and Housing Among Key Priorities
- Government Affairs Update May 2021: Governor’s “May Revise” Budget Proposal Provides Major Investments in Homelessness & Housing
- Legislative Update April 2021: CDA Prioritizes Major Issues as the Legislature’s Policymaking Kicks into High Gear
- Legislative Update March 2021: CDA Takes Early Action on Key Legislative Priorities
- Legislative Update February 2021: Governor, Legislative Leaders Agree on Relief for Californians Experiencing Hardship During Pandemic
- Legislative Update January 2021: Governor Newsom Lifts Statewide “Stay-at-Home” Order; Restaurants & Personal Services to Reopen
2020 Legislative Session
- Legislative Update December 2020: Legislature Returns with Renewed Focus on Bills to Help Californians Hurt by the Pandemic
- Legislative Update November 2020: Voters Reject Efforts to Dismantle Commercial Property Tax Protections and to Enact “Rent Control” on Residential Housing
- Legislative Update September 2020: A Strong Year for CDA’s Government Affairs Program
- Legislative Update August 2020: CDA Priority Legislation to See Action in Legislature’s Final Weeks of Session
- Legislative Update July 2020: CDA Priority Legislation to See Action During the Final Month of Legislative Session
- Legislative Update June 2020: CDA’s Government Affairs Coalition Work Helps Defeat Bill Nullifying Commercial Leases
- Legislative Update May 2020: Governor Green-Lights Counties to Open Most Retail Business, Restaurants & Places of Worship
- Legislative Update April 2020: Modifications to State’s “Stay-at-Home” Order Coming; Legislature to Reconvene in May
- Legislative Update March 2020: State Health & Emergency Leadership Ramp-Up Fight Against COVID-19 Outbreak
- Legislative Update February 2020: Governor Newsom Doubles-Down on Homelessness During State of the State Address
- Legislative Update January 2020: Governor Newsom Pushes $1.4 billion Homelessness Plan
2019 Legislative Session
- Legislative Update November 2019: The 2019 California State Legislature’s Year Has Ended
- Legislative Update September / October 2019: CDA Picks Up Legislative Win, Asks Governor Newsom to Veto Harmful Legislation
- Legislative Update August 2019: CDA Priority Legislation to See Action in Legislature’s Fiscal Committees This Week
- Legislative Update July 2019: CDA Priority Legislation to See Major Action as Legislature Returns from Summer Recess
- Legislative Update June 2019: Governor & Lawmakers Prioritize Funding for Homelessness & Housing in 2019-20 State Budget
- Legislative Update May 2019: Governor’s “May Revise” Budget Proposal Released, Legislative Deadlines Fast Approaching
- Legislative Update April 2019: CDA Tackles Policy Priorities as the Legislature Kicks into High Gear
- Legislative Update March 2019: CDA Board Establishes 2019 Legislative Priorities
- Legislative Update February 2019: A Record 2,576 Bills Introduced in the Legislature Before Last Friday’s Deadline
- Legislative Update January 2019: Governor Newsom’s State Budget Invests in Housing and Homelessness
2018 Legislative Session
- Legislative Update December 2018: A Strong Year for CDA’s Government Affairs Program
- Legislative Update November 2018: Voters Overwhelmingly Approve CDA Supported Housing Initiatives – Props 1 & 2
- Legislative Update October 2018: CDA Supports Housing Initiatives to Address Affordability and Homelessness – Props 1 & 2
- Legislative Update September 2018: Sidewalk Vending Legislation Signed into Law and “No on Proposition 10” Update
- Legislative Update August 2018: CDA Focused on Final Legislative Priority in Final Weeks of Legislative Session
- Legislative Update July 2018: CDA Board Opposes Initiative that Would Kill New Housing Projects
- Legislative Update July 2, 2018: Initiative that Would Cripple Assessment-based Improvement Districts Pulled from the November Ballot
- Legislative Update April 2018: CDA Focused on Two Priorities as Legislature Kicks into High Gear
- Legislative Update March 2018: CDA Board Engaged in 2018 Legislative Priorities
- Legislative Update February 2018: Bill Introduction Deadline Passes – CDA Reviewing Hundreds of Legislative Proposals
- Legislative Update January 2018: Lawmakers Kill Rent Control Bill in Contentious Committee Hearing
2017 Legislation Session
- Legislative Update December 2017: Ballot Initiative Filed to Repeal Costa-Hawkins — California’s Rent Control Law
- District Digest November 2017: Public Safety Reform Ballot Measure Draws Attention from CDA
- District Digest October 2017: AB 56/SB 2 – Affordable Housing; AB 1479 (Bonta, D-Oakland) – Civil Liability, Public Records Request Act – Public Records Act requests; and SB 611 – Reforms to the DMV’s Disabled Parking Placard Program
- District Digest September 2017: CDA-sponsored SB 2 and the Housing Package Approved by the Legislature
- District Digest August 2017: Countdown To End Of 2017 Legislation Session Begins; AB 1479 (Bonta, D-Oakland) – Civil Liability, Public Records Request Act; SB 611 (Hill, D-San Mateo) – Reforms to the Disabled Parking Placard Program; and SB 2 (Atkins, D-San Diego) – Affordable Housing
- Action Alert August 15, 2017: AB 1479 (Bonta, D-Oakland) – Civil Liability, Public Records Request Act
- District Digest July 2017: AB 1479 (Bonta, D-Oakland) – Civil Liability, Public Records Request Act; SB 611 (Hill, D-San Mateo) – Reforms to the Disabled Parking Placard Program; SB 2 (Atkins, D-San Diego) – Affordable Housing; and AB 56 (Holden, D-Pasadena) – Infrastructure Financing
- District Digest June 2017: SB 2 (Atkins, D-San Diego)- Affordable Housing; AB 56 (Holden, D-Pasadena); and AB 1326 (Cooper, D-Elk Grove & Cervantes, D-Corona)
- District Digest May 2017: SB 2 (Atkins, D-San Diego)- Affordable Housing; AB 1326 (Cooper, D-Elk Grove & Cervantes, D-Corona); and 2016-17 State Budget
- District Digest April 2017: Urban Revitalization
2010-2016 Legislation Session
SB 608 Action Alert
Senator Carol Liu has authored legislation entitled “Homeless Right to Rest” act that while intended to be protective, likely will result in the opposite, encouraging detrimental yet protected activities within our BID areas. The CDA Board of Directors is in communication with various entities in Los Angeles and around the state discussing this issue and taking action.
Our position is to OPPOSE this proposal. It is essentially a rehash of AB 5 which we opposed last year along with many CDA members, and thankfully was soundly defeated.
Clicking this link will provide you with a one page summary of the bill. Note that it states that there is no opposition, but since this summary was prepared the California BID community has mobilized and many of our members already have sent opposition letters.
We are urging all CDA members to please write to State Senator Carol Liu’s office to oppose SB 608. A sample letter template for you to put on your BID letterhead and fill in your specific information can be accessed by clicking here.
Note that the bill will first be heard and discussed by the State’s Housing and Transportation Committee on April 7 in Sacramento. Several CDA members are expected to attend and we encourage you to go if at all possible.
In addition, CDA member Los Angeles Downtown Center BID has taken the initiative to set up an in-person meeting with Senator Liu in her Glendale district office on April 17, at which at least one CDA board member will be present.
We will update you as information is forthcoming. In the meantime, please send your letter to Sen Liu before April 7 and copy info@californiadowntown.com so we are aware of all the letters sent.
Action Alert:
AB 5 (Ammiano; D-San Francisco) Homeless Person’s Bill of Rights and Fairness Act
“HOMELESS PERSON’S BILL OF RIGHTS”
Bill creates a new “Protected Class of Citizen – those who are homeless; perceived homeless and those that live in a residential hotel.” The bill also specifically disallows local ordinances unless specific requirements are met and targets BID employees from being able to appropriately manage homeless issues in public space.
Read the legislation by clicking here, as Amended April 30, 2013.
This sweeping law proposes to amend multiple areas of statute to create a new protected class of individuals and confer them a wide variety of “rights,” including the right to access and occupy virtually any public space in the state, including sidewalks, parks, and bus stops and plazas in our Downtowns, just to name a few.
The bill specifically prohibits BID “agents,” and local law enforcement from restricting homeless individuals conducting certain activities in public spaces (such as sleeping).
As the Sacramento Bee editorialized, this bill would create a “nightmare scenario” wherein businesses are powerless to remove homeless individuals from impeding their daily activities.
We are working with a coalition of business groups, property owners, small business advocates, and local government groups to explain how this bill will negatively impact public spaces in the state.
The bill has already passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee on a strict party line vote of 7-3 (all Democrats voting “aye;” all Republicans voting “no.”)
The bill next moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee where it has been tagged with a fiscal impact. The bill is expected to move to the Suspense File at the committee hearing on May 15.
We ask that you please send members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee a letter of opposition; furthermore set up a meeting to educate any of the committee member with which you have personal relationship or have a bid in the district.
Below you will find the CDA Letter of Opposition to the bill as well as letters from other groups helping us work the bill. You will also find an example letter to the committee.
Click here to visit the Action Alert page.
CDA Legislative Victories
The California Downtown Association (CDA) had several significant legislative victories in 2012:
CDA is extremely pleased to announce that one of the bills that was signed by Governor Brown is a reform measure which helped move forward, SB 1186 (Steinberg/Dutton). This bill will curb lawsuit abuse regarding the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) while promoting increased compliance with disabled accessibility building codes. This is the culmination of a multi-year, bipartisan effort, that included leadership from state level elected officials Senate pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and Senator Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga), with federal support coming from Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). This bill is being hailed as the most comprehensive and significant reform to California’s ADA Law. It passed the Legislature by a two-thirds vote in the wee hours of Friday night. Currently, California has 40 percent of the nation’s ADA lawsuits but only 12 percent of the country’s disabled population.
CDA was also able to stop a few bills which would have imposed unacceptable changes to BIDs/PBIDs. AB 2265 (Hernandez; D-Baldwin Park) would have restricted who could manage a district preventing many management firms from – some currently running a district – from being awarded a contract. This bill would have limited who could be hired to manage the districts, restricting our ability to pick the most qualified individual/firm. After a big push by the CDA to educate lawmakers about the damaging impacts of this policy, the legislation was withdrawn from committee and is dead.
Another bill that would have imposed unnecessary changes on districts was SB 949 (Vargas; D-San Diego). This would have allowed for the creation of Community Benefit Districts (CBDs), which were essentially PBIDs, but with significantly lower petition support requirements. It would have also allowed assessment of noncommercial land uses including residential, and have allowed a 20-year district term – much longer than what is currently permissible. It was promoted as new legislation that would mitigate the impact from the loss of redevelopment. However, because the bill was not vetted by CDA members prior to its introduction, there were a number of concerns and potential consequences of the language including changing the vote threshold needed to formulate a district and adding new types of residential properties.
Lastly, although CDA did formerly oppose AB 904 (Skinner; D-Berkeley), its Government Affairs Committee worked with the author to address a number of issues with the bill that would have an impact on downtowns. This bill sought to reduce parking requirements for affordable housing projects in certain urban areas. CDA’s concern was that it could have had a negative impact on existing and future commercial projects by spillover of parking from residential projects without enough parking. CDA continues to work with the League of Cities and the author to craft solutions to the bill should it get reintroduced next year.
The California Downtown Association represents thousands of diversified businesses organizations throughout California within its network of downtown associations, cities, chambers of commerce, business districts, supportive vendors and consultants. Its primary purpose is to exchange information pertinent to business districts and to formulate solutions to mutually shared problems. Established in 1971, CDA currently represent the concerns and interests of over 200 downtown professionals and organizations throughout California, many of which are property-based business improvement districts (PBIDs) – a key part of its membership, while its legislative program is meant to further and advance these goals by addressing proposed changes in law that would affect its membership.
Redevelopment Elimination Watch
- Redevelopment activities and funds support about $304,000 jobs annually, including 170,600 construction jobs.
- Redevelopment efforts contribute more than $40 billion to California’s economy through generation of goods and services.
- More than $2 billion in local and state taxes are generated through redevelopment activities each year.
Learn more about RDAs, the proposed budget, and what you can do to help:
News & Upcoming Hearings
CRA and League Ready to File Lawsuit to Stop the Unconstitutional Actions
Governor’s Budget May Revision – Redevelopment
Action Item – Call Your Legislator Now To Save Redevelopment
Update on Redevelopment from California Consulting and the California Redevelopment Association
Redevelopment Agencies take on huge debt to shield tax dollars from state
Ten Cities Oppose Governor Brown’s Redevelopment Proposal
Key panel wraps up budget work, axes redevelopment
Modesto Opposes Governor Brown Abolishing Redevelopment Agencies
Governor’s Redevelopment Proposal Violates California Constitution
Assembly Budget Committee: Subcommittee Reports 2011-12 Budget
EXCLUSIVE: Senator Wolk Introduces Compromise to California’s Redevelopment Agencies’ Elimination
Governor’s Redevelopment Proposal
California Redevelopment Agency Legislative Update and Important Dates
Benefits of Redevelopment in Long Beach
California State Assembly Budget Subcommittee on State Administration: 2:00 p.m., February 7, 2011 Overview and discussion of the Administration’s proposal to eliminate Enterprise Zones and Redevelopment Agencies. The California Business Properties Association will present and work with a coalition of business groups and local agencies to help educate and fight the proposed elimination.
Editorial: Redevelopment Rush Shows Why Action is Vital
Protect Local Jobs and the Economy
www.protectourlocaleconomy.com
Talking Points on the Administration’s Proposal to Eliminate Redevelopment
Budget Summaries
Governor’s Budget Summary 2011-12 – Complete Summary
Legislative Analyst Office Overview of the Governor’s Budget
Excerpt from Governor’s Budget Summary 2011-12 on “Tax Relief and Local Government”
California Redevelopment Association
Redevelopment Budget Update: Video
The Plan to Protect Redevelopment in California
January 10, 2011, Press Release
Answers to Concerns and Speculation Regarding Proposal to End Redevelopment
Resources
Sample Letter to Governor and Legislators
Sample Resolution in Opposition to Administration’s Redevelopment Proposal
League of California Cities
League of CA Cities Proposition 26 (2010) Analysis
Urgency Redevelopment Legislation Rumor Prompts CRA to Advise Cities, Redevelopment Supporters
City Action Alert Memo Related to Potential Budget Proposal to End Redevelopment
City Officials Vow to Fight Governor’s Plan to Eliminate Redevelopment and Take Funding