Two Days Until Sine Die; Governor has Until September 30 to Sign or Veto Legislation

The California Constitution requires the Legislature adjourn sine die by midnight on August 31. Any bill not acted on by that time is dead. Years ago, the Legislature would literally stop the clock in the Senate and Assembly chambers at 11:59 pm and then proceed to vote on bills well into the morning hours of September 1, but the Supreme Court ultimately ruled that August 31 means August 31 – not early in the morning on the first of September.

Another difference between now and years ago is what is known as a “72-hour rule.” This rule was placed in the Constitution by voters and requires that bills be in print in their final form for at least 72 hours before they can be voted on. The result of that in 2024 is that no more last-minute amendments can be made to bills this year, as doing so would push the 72-hour rule beyond the August 31 deadline.

WMA has generally had a very successful year by stopping bills to enact statewide rent control and right of first refusal for tenant groups to purchase a mobilehome park. For example, we were able to secure amendments to many bills dealing with rooftop solar installation and parking of commercial vehicles in mobilehome parks. 

In addition to stopping the worst of the bad bills, we were also able to secure passage of bills that make it easier to build new spaces in existing parks and make it easier to notify residents about utility disruptions. AB 2387 (Pellerin, D-Santa Cruz) would permit an increase of lots in an existing mobilehome park of up to 10 percent of the number of approved lots without having to pay local development impact fees. This bill has received no opposition, and WMA is currently working with the California Manufactured Housing Institute (CMHI), the bill’s sponsor, and the Governor’s office to request his signature on this pro-housing measure. 

To read the language of AB 2387, click here.

As this article is being written, only one bill remains of significant concern to WMA. AB 2022 (Addis, D-Morro Bay) places more responsibility on park managers when it comes to implementing a disaster preparedness plan. WMA is currently in discussions with the Governor’s office to urge a veto of this bill, which carries an annual $2.1 million cost to the General Fund. 

To read the language of AB 2022, click here.

The Governor has until September 30 to sign or veto legislation sent to him by the Legislature.  To review a list of key bills WMA has tracked and acted on in the last year, click here.

With Legislature Adjourning on Saturday, Elections Take Center Stage

Labor Day is the traditional start of the campaign season, and that will certainly be the case here in California. Voting in the 2024 election starts on October 8, when ballots are mailed to every voter in the state. Campaigns will do their best to get supporters to turn their ballots in early so voters can’t change their minds if late-attack advertisements appear.

All 80 Assembly Districts are up for election in 2024, and 20 of the 40 Senate Districts will see elections this year. Similarly, all 52 Congressional Districts will see an election. Most of these races will be a foregone conclusion if a Democrat is running against a Republican in a “safe” Democrat seat. The same is true of Republicans running against Democrats in safe Republican seats.

However, because California uses a “jungle primary election” in the Primary, the top two vote recipients advance to the General Election — regardless of party. There are 24 races that have either a Democrat running against a Democrat or a Republican running against a Republican in partisan elections. 

In the Assembly, five seats have two Republican candidates, and 10 seats have two Democrat candidates.  In both the Senate and California’s congressional delegation, there is one Republican versus Republican campaign and three Democrat versus Democrat campaigns. 

In addition to candidate campaigns, the General Election will see 10 statewide ballot measures.  Five of these were placed on the ballot by the Legislature, and five were placed on the ballot through the citizen initiative process.   Some of the most contested ballot measures include:

• Proposition 2 is a $10 billion school bond for K-12 schools and community colleges.
• Proposition 4 is a $10 billion drinking water and fire prevention bond.
• Proposition 5 lowers the threshold to pass housing bonds from a 2/3 vote to a simple majority.
• Proposition 32 raises the state minimum wage from $16/hour to $18/hour.
• Proposition 33 repeals Costa-Hawkins and removes limits on rent control for apartments and rental housing
• Proposition 36 increases criminal penalties for crimes and reverses several provisions of Proposition 47, which made most crimes misdemeanors instead of felonies.

To view a full list of measures on the ballot in 2024, please click here.

WMA Convention & Expo Coming Soon

The 2024 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 to fill out your registration form, please click here.

For those who wish to golf in the annual kickoff tournament, please make your reservation soon as space is limited and quickly filling up.

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.