THE GAMES HAVE BEGUN IN THE LEGISLATURE

The final three weeks of session are when last-minute shenanigans are pulled by legislators through a process known as “gut and amend” bills.  Thankfully for WMA, it does not appear that any bills our organization has helped stop this year will be the target of last-minute maneuvers to resurrect them from the ashes. Some of these bills include statewide rent control, residency rights for vehicles parked in manufactured housing communities, and letting resident groups effectively stop the sale of a community by giving them a right of first refusal to buy the park within 18 months of notification.

While there will certainly be many last-minute “gut and amend” bills coming before the Legislature in the next three weeks, the most significant will be Assembly Constitutional Amendment 13 (ACA 13).

This measure has been written to take direct aim at making it more difficult for the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act (TPA) to pass on the November 2024 general election ballot.

The TPA would require voter approval of new and higher taxes and close a loophole in law that lets local officials raise the voter threshold for tax increases to a 50 percent plus one margin to 55 percent instead of the two-thirds requirement drafted into Proposition 13 that passed in 1978.

Why is this important?

Currently, the TPA could become law if 50 percent of the voters plus one vote in favor of the initiative in November 2024.  If ACA 13 is passed by voters by a simple majority in March 2024, the voter threshold for the TPA will increase to a two-thirds majority in November 2024 since it raises the voter threshold for local tax increases to a two-thirds majority. This change will make it much more difficult to pass the TPA – especially in a presidential election year that typically sees substantially higher turnout than other election years.

WMA is supportive of the TPA, please click here to view.

To read the language of ACA 13, please click here.

APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES MEET TOMORROW TO DECIDE THE FATE OF APPROXIMATELY 600 BILLS

Tomorrow is the day when bills placed on the Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committee “Suspense Files” will have their fate decided.  If a bill is removed from the “Suspense File,” it will be sent directly to the full Senate or Assembly for consideration.  If a bill is held, it is dead for the year.

The Capitol Update has previously listed bills of concern to WMA on the “Suspense File,” you can find a list of all of the bills being tracked by our legislative team by clicking here.

VOTER VOICE CAMPAIGN URGING OPPOSITION TO AB 604

Assembly Bill 604 (Lee, D-San Jose) bypassed the Senate Appropriations Committee and was referred directly to the Senate Floor for consideration. This bill would extend the provisions of AB 1061, authored by Assemblymember Lee in 2021, to water companies regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.  WMA strongly opposes this measure and will continue to lobby against its passage. To read the current version of AB 604, please click here.

AB 604 will next be eligible for consideration today, but it can be taken up by the full Senate anytime between now and September 14 – the last day bills can be considered prior to adjournment for the year.

REGISTER FOR WMA CONVENTION & EXPO TODAY!

Registration is currently open for the upcoming WMA Convention and Expo to be held at the Peppermill Hotel in Reno, NV from October 23 to October 26.  To learn about the events, seminars, and the Golf Tournament benefitting the Frank J. Evans Charitable Trust; please click on the following link.

WMA COFFEE TALK – SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

WMA hosts a Zoom chat on the first Thursday of each month (subject to change). These informal discussions focus on trending, pertinent topics. This free event does not require registration.

During our video chats, special guests will share information and answer questions. Please note that the next Coffee Talk will be held on the second Thursday of September, September 14, 2023, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Longtime WMA member Jonathan Saul will discuss key points regarding the implementation of electric vehicle charging stations in mobilehome parks. The Zoom link will be posted a few days prior to the event, but please click on the following link to get up-to-date information.

GENERAL REMARKS

The Legislature must adjourn by September 14.  That is the last day for bills being considered in 2023 to pass and be sent to the Governor. The Governor will have until October 14 to either sign or veto measures sent to his desk.  A thorough discussion of new laws signed by the Governor will take place at the WMA Convention & Expo on Tuesday, October 24 at 3:00 pm.

It is an honor to serve WMA, if you have any questions about legislation affecting the manufactured housing community industry or other legislation, please feel free to call me directly at 916.288.4026.