Legislature Returns for Sprint to the Finish Line

After a month-long recess, lawmakers this week returned for a final sprint to the finish line.  The Constitution mandates that legislative measures not passed by midnight on August 31 are officially dead for the remainder of the 2023-24 legislative session. 

There are approximately 1,350 bills in the Senate and Assembly that still await action, and many of them will be stopped in either the Senate or Assembly Appropriations Committee, which is currently meeting to advance certain measures directly to the full legislature or hold them on the so-called “Suspense File” that will be acted upon on August 15.

Bills held on the Suspense File later this month will be dead for the remainder of the session, while those released will be eligible for consideration by the full Assembly and Senate.

WMA is closely monitoring key bills affecting the manufactured housing community industry that are on the Assembly and Senate Suspense Files, and we have made the case for and against several measures, including the following:

AB 2022 (Addis, D-Morro Bay) – Opposed by WMA

This bill deals with how parkowners and managers operate in emergency situations and requires managers or responsible parties to be able to assist in evacuations of parks if requested by first responders. 

WMA argued with the staff of the Senate Appropriations Committee that AB 2022 was largely duplicative of existing law and appeared to be an attempt to make it easier to file failure-to-maintain lawsuits against parkowners in the event of a natural disaster or emergency.

While we do not know what will ultimately happen to AB 2022, an annual fiscal cost of $2.6 million and 13 new full-time positions in the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) have been noted in the fiscal analysis of the legislation. 

To read the language of AB 2022, please click here.

AB 2387 (Pellerin, D-Santa Cruz) – Supported by WMA

This bill would allow mobilehome parks to add up to 10 percent of the permitted number of spaces for a park and be exempt from local fees or taxes.  In a year when housing is a key priority, WMA has made the argument — along with the bill’s sponsor (California Manufactured Housing Institute) that the projected annual cost of $189,000 to HCD is a small price to pay for creating thousands of new homes in California. 

To read the current text of AB 2387, click here.

Please visit the WMA website to learn more about the status of key bills affecting WMA members by clicking here.

Elections Dominate Last Days of Session

Like it or not, the top priority of most legislators is to get re-elected.  Votes cast in the last weeks of the session are largely the most controversial ones a lawmaker will make over the two-year session, as most tough decisions are put off until the end. 

Legislators running for re-election, another office, or looking to get a job with a high-power lobbying firm are actively looking for bills they can tout on the campaign trail, and their opponents in the upcoming election are scrutinizing their votes to do everything they can to make a mountain out of a molehill.

There are 23 Assemblymembers and 10 senators who are not running for re-election and 10 Senators. That is a 27.5% turnover in the Legislature, and many of these races will see a progressive liberal Democrat running against a more moderate mainstream Democrats. The winners will set the stage for the 2025-26 legislative session. 

If progressives win most of the open seats, the state will likely veer even more left, but if moderates can pull off enough victories, the state may move back toward the center.  Either way, the 2024 election is important for many more reasons than who becomes President of the United States.

Check to make sure you’re registered to vote and learn how to cast your ballot by visiting the Secretary of State’s website. Learn more by clicking here.

WMA Convention & Expo Registration Coming Soon

Believe it or not, the WMA Convention & Expo is right around the corner, and registration for this exciting event is now open. This year’s Convention & Expo will be held at the M Resort Spa Casino in Henderson, Nevada (just outside Las Vegas).

The event starts with a golf tournament benefiting the Frank J. Evans Charitable Foundation’s scholarship fund on the morning of October 14. The convention continues through the President’s Dinner Dance on October 17. To learn more about the upcoming convention and fill out your registration form, please click here.

It is an honor to serve WMA. Please feel free to reach me directly at chris@wma.org or on my direct line at the office at 916.288.4026 if I may be of assistance or if you need additional information.