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.

CALED Legislative Watch List for 2008

(updated 4/14/2008)

NEW Bills # (Author)	Subject	Status	Recommended Position
AB 1756: (Caballero)	PPP: Requires Bus Transp & Housing to establish Office of Public Private Partnerships to provide info on financing, building, operating fee-producing infrastructure projects.	Passed Assembly Local Government - to Business & Professions Commission	Watch
AB 1850 (DeVore)	Creates Office of Public Private Partnerships in Governor's Office; Gives legislature 90 days notice prior to committing the State to a PPP project	Failed Assembly Business & Professions. To be reconsidered
AB 1836 (Feuer)	Allows creation of infrastructure finance district without voter approval	4/23 to Assembly Local Government
AB 2188 (Arambula)	CDBG: makes permanent requirement to have percentages going to different allocations	4/10 to Assembly Floor	Watch
AB 2311 (Tran)	Requires BT&H to establish international trade offices using only funds from ED & Trade Promotion Account	4/8 to Assembly JEDE; amended & continued	Watch
AB 2312 (Tran)	Volunteer position of CA Trade Representative	4/8 to Assembly JEDE: amended & continued	Watch
AB 2416 (Fuentes)	Requires Small Business Board in BTH to advise Governor re innovative financial products	4/8 to Assembly JEDE; passed and to Appropriations	Watch
AB 2711 (Portantino)	Eliminates MFG Technology Program. Requires BT&H to convene statewide partnership for innovation & technology	4/8 to Assembly JEDE; amended and passed	Watch
AB 2854 (Mendoza)	Small Business Advocate internet posting clearinghouse	4/8 to Assembly JEDE; amended and passed	Watch
AB 2998 (Carter)	Establishes BT&H grant program to micro enterprise development providers; Requires BT&H to contract with a nonprofit intermediary to administer grants. Appropriates $5 million; Amended to include micro in CA WIB mission	4/8 to Assembly JEDE amended & passed: to Appropriations	Watch
AB 3046 (Assembly Committee on Jobs & ED)	Establishes CA Office of Trade and Investment with a rep to serve on Economic Strategy Panel; Requires BT&H to convene advisory group re attracting private investment to CA	4/8 to Assembly JEDE; Passed and to Appropriations
SB 1221 (Kuehl) (Affects CEDA)	Subjects local JPAs to same confusing requirements of State financing authorities re health facilities	Senate Health	Watch
SB 1293 (Negrete, McLeod) (Affects CEDA)	JPA's and adopting bond resolutions at regular meetings, not special meetings	Passed Senate Local Government to Appropriations 4/21	Support as amended
SB 1732 (Romero, McClintock)	Brown Act clarifications	Passed Senate Local Government Judiciary 4/8
New Bills No Action Yet	Subject	Status	Recommended Position
AB 2495 (DeVore)	Legislative intent allowing state to create PPPs with local agencies	2/21/08
AB 2732 (Levine)	Legislative intent to conduct a study of state operations that could most benefit from PPPs	Amended; to Assembly Trans
AB 1651 (Arambula)	Tax credits for reduction of greenhouse gases	Amended 1/7/08
AB 1843 (Garrick)	State Controller reports on how state spends and the resulting benefits of programs	Passed Assembly ED; to Assembly GO
AB 1910 (Coto)	Dept of Insurance; comm. Development investments; makes program permanent	Amended; passed Assembly Ins.; to Assembly Appropriations
AB 2006 (Hayashi)	CA Community Colleges; establishes Center of Innovation for emerging clean tech	Amended; passed Higher Ed; to Appropriations
AB 2206 (Price)	Establish state small business development centers	Amended;, passed Assembly ED
AB 2376 (Price)	Establishes Small and Emerging Contractors Technical Assistance Program	Passed Assembly ED; to ASsembly Trans.
AB 2570 (Silva)	ETP, microenterprise	Assembly Labor & Empl. 4/17
SB 1311 (Simitian)	CPCFA reduces contribution to small business assistance fund	Senate Appropriations 4/14
AB 2003 (Saldana)	Puts $2 billion on November ballot for new solar and wind funding	Amended to Natural Resources
SB 1670 SB 1644 (Kehoe )	Puts $ billion on November ballot for energy efficiency in state buildings and schools	Amended at Sen Environmental Quality
SB 1760 (Perata )	Green Tech strategic research; stage agencies "develop a plan"
SB 1672 (Steinberg )	Renewable clean energy, career tech, job creation bond act $3 billion
CONTINUED Bills from 2007	Subject	Status	Recommended Position
AB 887 (DeLaTorre )	Companion to ACA8 redevelopment and eminent domain	Introduced 7/18/07; on Senate Floor	League/CRA Eminent Domain package
ACA 8 (DeLaTorre)	Ballot measure to amend CA constitution re eminent domain	Assembly Floor
SB 446 (Yee)	Establishes Microenterprise TA funding in Employment Training Panel	Inactive	Watch
AB 765 (Ridley Thomas)	Establishes partnership for distressed urban communities	INACTIVE; program established in Lt. Gov. office with $75,000	SUPPORT original bill; author is deciding what to do with this bill
SB 1103 (Cedillo)	Mandated reporting and hearings for ED "subsidies"; identical to SB 103 vetoed by Governor in 2007. Amended to add 2015 sunset and report from LAO by 2014	Held in Senate; to Assembly 3/24	OPPOSE: LCC/CRA opposed; CMTA "concerned"
AB 1107 (Arambula)	Requires Secretaries of BT&H, Labor and Food & Ag to assess role of small business in goods movement and incorporate recommendations into CA ED strategy.	Amend 8/28/07; Senate inactive file; Opposed by Dept of Finance
AB 1506 (Arambula)	Energy Independence and early adapter business incentive study	Held in Senate Appropriations
AB 1620 (Arambula)	One stop shop for clean tech info	Senate environmental safety
SB 1389 (Padilla)	Changes PUC rules to favor telecom mergers and acquisitions (sponsored by Verizon)	Senate Energy, Util & Commun. 4/14	Support
SB 1662 (Cox)	Equalizes air quality standards for SAC (sponsored by Sac Chamber)	Senate Environ. Quality 4/14	Support
AB 1370 (Lieber)	Life Sciences allowed to extend net operating loss carryfoward (per WS)	Sen. Rev & Tax	Support
Policy and Budget Issues
State Budget Hearings	Support ETP budget, ED initiatives of Community Colleges; and EZs as "investments" not "costs" on state	Ongoing	SUPPORT
Senate Local Government Committee	Hearing on "transparency and accountability" of JPAs. Instigated by Treasurer's Office to explore control of JPAs	Feb 6. In response to Senate Office of Research report	CEDA invited to testify
State Treasurer - CA Debt Limit Allocation Committee	Advocate for expanded IDB allocation	CEDA testified at Jan 23 CDLAC meeting	2008=$120 million (up from $60 million initial allocation in 2007. Treasurer eventually allocated $100 million in 2007)

How to find a bill: Legislative information: www.leginfo.ca.gov

Legislative Update posted as updated, usually weekly on CALED website

Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy, Toni Symonds 319-2090

Senate Business Professions and Economic Development, Missy Johnson 651-4104