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Receive an update from staff and the County’s State Legislative Advocate on the status of legislation that is of interest to the County; and Consider Support positions on ACA 1 and AB 539 that were discussed at the March 11, 2019 Legislative Committee and referred to the full Board for consideration
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Published Notice Required? Yes _______ No ___X__
Public Hearing Required? Yes _______ No ___X__
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board receive an update from staff and the County’s State Legislative Advocate on the status of legislation that is of interest to the County; and Consider Support positions on ACA 1 and AB 539 that were discussed at the March 11, 2019 Legislative Committee and referred to the full Board for consideration.
SUMMARY:
Staff will provide an overview of legislation considered by the Board’s Legislative Committee on March 11, 2019. The County’s Legislative Advocate, Karen Lange of Shaw/Yoder/Antwih, Inc., will provide a verbal update on developments at the Capitol and key legislation of interest to the County. The items before the Board were reviewed by the County’s Legislative Committee and are discussed individually in the discussion section below.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The legislative program is designed to result in additional funding and cost avoidance relative to Solano County. The cost of preparing this report and compiling the information is a General Fund cost covered in the County Administrator’s administration budget.
DISCUSSION:
The County’s Legislative Committee Members, Supervisor Erin Hannigan and Supervisor John Vasquez met on March 11, 2019 to discuss both Federal and State issues. Karen Lange of Shaw/Yoder/Antwih Inc., the County’s state legislative advocate and Joe Krahn, Hasan Sarsour, and Tom Joseph of Paragon Government Relations, the County’s federal legislative advocacy team, participated in the meeting as well.
The County’s March 11, 2019 Legislative Committee agenda packet can be accessed at the following link:
<http://www.solanocounty.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=30112>
Included in the agenda is a federal legislative update from Paragon Government Relations and is incorporated in this report as Attachment A and an update on H.R. 8 authored by Solano’s representative, Congressman Mike Thompson relating to bipartisan background checks. While this item was listed as an action item, no action was required by the Legislative Committee as it was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on February 27, 2019 on a 240 - 190 vote. Key provisions:
• HR 8 mandates background checks be performed on nearly all gun sales and transfers, including firearm purchases made privately, online, or at gun shows. Under current law, only licensed gun dealers are required to conduct a background check for someone seeking to obtain a gun.
• The background check mandate would not apply to certain firearm transfers, such as a gift between spouses in good faith.
• The bill also would require federal immigration officials to be contacted in the event someone in the U.S. illegally tries to buy a gun.
There were also two state bills included on the March 11, 2019 Legislative Committee agenda and are discussed separately below.
ACA 1 (Aguiar-Curry D) Local government financing: affordable housing and public infrastructure: voter approval.
The California Constitution prohibits the ad valorem tax rate on real property from exceeding 1% of the full cash value of the property, subject to certain exceptions. This measure would create an additional exception to the 1% limit that would authorize a city, county, or city and county to levy an ad valorem tax to service bonded indebtedness incurred to fund the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or replacement of public infrastructure or affordable housing, if the proposition proposing that tax is approved by 55% of the voters of the city, county, or city and county, as applicable, and the proposition includes specified accountability requirements.
Action - Following a short presentation of the bill by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry’s staff, Laura Beltran, the Legislative Committee reviewed the bill and recommended a Support position and referred it to the full Board for consideration.
An amended version of the bill is provided at Attachment B to this report. Specific changes to the bill include:
• Several co-authors were added to the bill.
• Public safety facilities and library facilities were added to the list of what can be included in “public infrastructure” definition.
• A county’s specific request was added regarding homelessness.
• Clarifies that special districts are included in bonded indebtedness section.
• Other minor technical changes were made.
AB 539 (Limón D) California Financing Law: consumer loans: charges.
Under the California Financing Law, a licensee who lends any sum of money is authorized to contract for and receive charges at a maximum rate that does not exceed specified sums on the unpaid principal balance per month, ranging from 2 1/2 % to 1%, based on the consumer loan amount, as specified. This provision, however, does not apply to any loan of a bona fide principal amount of $2,500 or more, as determined in accordance with a provision governing regulatory ceilings and evasion of the CFL. This bill would authorize a licensee, with respect to a loan of a bona fide principal amount of $2,500 or more but less than $10,000, to contract for or receive charges at a rate not exceeding an annual simple interest rate of 36% plus the Federal Funds Rate.
Action - Following a short presentation of the bill by Assemblymember Tim Grayson’s staff, Matthew Powers, the Legislative Committee reviewed the bill and recommended a Support position and referred it to the full Board for consideration.