ARTICLE
A few weeks ago, State Senator John Laird was a guest speaker at the Chamber’s Community Affairs Committee (CAC) meeting via Zoom. Senator Laird shared his achievements during the 2021 California Legislative session. This past legislative session was unusual because of the complication caused by COVID-19 that limited public (in-person) meetings and the normal public hearing process. The Senator said most of his time was spent “working alone” in his Capitol office while his staff worked remotely or in the Capitol following social distancing protocols. A couple of highlights from the meeting: SB456 authored by Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz). This bill will require the state to establish a long-term fire-prevention action plan to ensure statewide investments to combat fires are comprehensive, science-based, and utilize complementary partnerships. SB496 will fund the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project. This bill directs the Department of Water Resources to pay 100 percent of the state’s cost share for the reconstruction of the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project. This funding will enable environmental projects including groundwater management, floodplain recharge, and fishery protection. State lawmakers scaled back their agendas and limited the number of bills they could introduce into the process; meanwhile, the California Legislature passed hundreds of bills, big and small, this year. Many of them take effect on January 1, 2022, changing the rules on everything from how we vote to whether you can order a margarita with your Mexican takeout. Here is a list of a few other bills that became law that may have an impact on Santa Cruz County businesses and the community. Let’s start with housing: As Senator Laird noted, he supported one of the major housing bills SB9 authored by Senator Atkins (D-San Diego) which creates a streamlined process to split lots and allow for second units on the parcel. Experts estimate it could help add hundreds of thousands of homes across the state by allowing up to four units on some properties that had just one before, though some cities have already rushed to limit its impact on their communities. It is too early to tell the impact here in Santa Cruz County and whether property owners will utilize SB 9 procedures to increase units. SB10 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) was targeted with a lawsuit almost as soon as it was signed. It allows cities to rezone some parcels in urban areas, including those near public transit, for up to 10 units without going through extensive environmental reviews. Senator Wiener’s SB487 also tries to address California’s housing shortage by loosening regulations that limit square footage for a project based on lot size, which could clear the way for more small apartment buildings. Critically important and noted by Senator Laird, as the wildfire season gets longer and more destructive, is that California is encouraging prescribed burns to clear overgrowth and create buffers between wildlands and communities. SB332 by Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa), could enable more private controlled fires by reducing the legal liability for burn bosses when a fire escapes control lines and requires an emergency response. Building on earlier restrictions for plastic straws, AB1276 by Assembly Member Wendy Carrillo, (D-Los Angeles), prohibits dine-in restaurants, drive-throughs, and food-delivery platforms from handing out single-use utensils and condiment packets unless the customer asks. What about the maze of concern where the pandemic overwhelmed California’s EDD leading to endless wait times for benefits and the tens of billions of dollars in fraudulent claims? Lawmakers passed a suite of measures to overhaul it. Those include AB397 by Assembly Member Chad Mayes, (I-Yucca Valley) which requires the Employment Development Department to provide advance notice if it plans to reject a claim and give the person a chance to correct any mistakes on their application before they are disqualified from eligibility. The state is wading into the Amazon labor wars with AB701 by Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, (D-San Diego), which clamps down on warehouse productivity quotas that critics say jeopardize the health and safety of these employees. The law requires companies to disclose their quotas, prohibits them from punishing workers who take bathroom breaks or mandatory rest periods, and creates legal paths for employees to challenge working conditions. Another feature of pandemic life that’s not going away: cocktails to-go. Senator Bill Dodd’s SB389 allows restaurants to keep selling mixed drinks and glasses of wine for takeout through the end of 2026. And finally, election officials throughout California will mail every registered voter a ballot for all future elections under AB37 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), permanently extending pandemic safety measures. As the California Legislature reconvenes this month for the 2nd session of the 2021-22 legislative cycle, keep your eye out on how the new redistricting maps will change future legislative district boundaries. The new maps also will see incumbents pitted against each other in a high-stakes exercise to keep their Senate and Assembly seats. Also worth noting is that 2022 and 2024 will see many legislators facing term limits where up to 12 Senate districts and 24 to 30 Assembly districts will see new faces in Sacramento. In short, 2022 will be both an interesting year in how legislative policy will flow and the politics behind the scenes that will drive the process.
A few weeks ago, State Senator John Laird was a guest speaker at the Chamber’s Community Affairs Committee (CAC) meeting via Zoom. Senator Laird shared his achievements during the 2021 California Legislative session. This past legislative session was unusual because of the complication caused by COVID-19 that limited public (in-person) meetings and the normal public hearing process.
The Senator said most of his time was spent “working alone” in his Capitol office while his staff worked remotely or in the Capitol following social distancing protocols. A couple of highlights from the meeting: SB456 authored by Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz). This bill will require the state to establish a long-term fire-prevention action plan to ensure statewide investments to combat fires are comprehensive, science-based, and utilize complementary partnerships.
SB496 will fund the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project. This bill directs the Department of Water Resources to pay 100 percent of the state’s cost share for the reconstruction of the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project. This funding will enable environmental projects including groundwater management, floodplain recharge, and fishery protection.
State lawmakers scaled back their agendas and limited the number of bills they could introduce into the process; meanwhile, the California Legislature passed hundreds of bills, big and small, this year. Many of them take effect on January 1, 2022, changing the rules on everything from how we vote to whether you can order a margarita with your Mexican takeout.
Here is a list of a few other bills that became law that may have an impact on Santa Cruz County businesses and the community.
Let’s start with housing: As Senator Laird noted, he supported one of the major housing bills SB9 authored by Senator Atkins (D-San Diego) which creates a streamlined process to split lots and allow for second units on the parcel. Experts estimate it could help add hundreds of thousands of homes across the state by allowing up to four units on some properties that had just one before, though some cities have already rushed to limit its impact on their communities. It is too early to tell the impact here in Santa Cruz County and whether property owners will utilize SB 9 procedures to increase units.
SB10 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) was targeted with a lawsuit almost as soon as it was signed. It allows cities to rezone some parcels in urban areas, including those near public transit, for up to 10 units without going through extensive environmental reviews. Senator Wiener’s SB487 also tries to address California’s housing shortage by loosening regulations that limit square footage for a project based on lot size, which could clear the way for more small apartment buildings.
Critically important and noted by Senator Laird, as the wildfire season gets longer and more destructive, is that California is encouraging prescribed burns to clear overgrowth and create buffers between wildlands and communities. SB332 by Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa), could enable more private controlled fires by reducing the legal liability for burn bosses when a fire escapes control lines and requires an emergency response.
Building on earlier restrictions for plastic straws, AB1276 by Assembly Member Wendy Carrillo, (D-Los Angeles), prohibits dine-in restaurants, drive-throughs, and food-delivery platforms from handing out single-use utensils and condiment packets unless the customer asks.
What about the maze of concern where the pandemic overwhelmed California’s EDD leading to endless wait times for benefits and the tens of billions of dollars in fraudulent claims? Lawmakers passed a suite of measures to overhaul it. Those include AB397 by Assembly Member Chad Mayes, (I-Yucca Valley) which requires the Employment Development Department to provide advance notice if it plans to reject a claim and give the person a chance to correct any mistakes on their application before they are disqualified from eligibility.
The state is wading into the Amazon labor wars with AB701 by Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, (D-San Diego), which clamps down on warehouse productivity quotas that critics say jeopardize the health and safety of these employees. The law requires companies to disclose their quotas, prohibits them from punishing workers who take bathroom breaks or mandatory rest periods, and creates legal paths for employees to challenge working conditions.
Another feature of pandemic life that’s not going away: cocktails to-go. Senator Bill Dodd’s SB389 allows restaurants to keep selling mixed drinks and glasses of wine for takeout through the end of 2026.
And finally, election officials throughout California will mail every registered voter a ballot for all future elections under AB37 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), permanently extending pandemic safety measures.
As the California Legislature reconvenes this month for the 2nd session of the 2021-22 legislative cycle, keep your eye out on how the new redistricting maps will change future legislative district boundaries. The new maps also will see incumbents pitted against each other in a high-stakes exercise to keep their Senate and Assembly seats. Also worth noting is that 2022 and 2024 will see many legislators facing term limits where up to 12 Senate districts and 24 to 30 Assembly districts will see new faces in Sacramento. In short, 2022 will be both an interesting year in how legislative policy will flow and the politics behind the scenes that will drive the process.