ARTICLE
On May 17, 2024 the Chamber will kick off the 2024 Legislative & Community Affairs Lunch series with our special guest, California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister). The first of our lunch series events will be hosted at the Courtyard by Marriott Santa Cruz. The registration link is Legislative & Community Affairs Lunch Series. It is the first time in more than a half century that an Assembly Speaker has addressed the Chamber. The second luncheon will be held at Roaring Camp on August 8, featuring Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley). As someone who follows our California Legislature closely with a careful eye toward policy making in our state Capitol, many of the issues of the day can have an impact on our local economy and the Central Coast region of California. As our readers may know and reported often in our eNews, California lawmakers are grappling with a huge budget deficit — anywhere from $37 billion to upward of $78 billion — depending on whether you cite the Governor’s office estimate or the Legislative Analyst Office numbers. Regardless, the Governor and the Legislature are seeking options to produce a 2024-2025 budget. We saw some interesting maneuvering heading up to the March 5, 2024 election where the Governor and the Legislature agreed to not load up the March ballot with numerous state ballot measures. The only statewide measure that appeared on the March 5 ballot was Governor Newsom’s backed Proposition 1 which barely received a majority of voters' support. Prop. 1 will provide $6.4 billion for mental health treatment and housing. Now comes the question of whether the State Legislature will turn to the November election to place additional legislative approved measures on the ballot. One California lawmaker has high hopes for legislation that would put a $10 billion bond to pay for affordable rental housing and homeownership programs on the November ballot. Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) is pushing hard to get this legislative proposal moving in the legislature. Even before going to voters, though, the bill would need to advance through the Capitol amid a scramble for state bond dollars as legislators continue to seek alternative funding streams during a tough budget year. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, is reluctant to push a broad bond agenda. Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks on Monday made her case for Assembly Bill 1657, which would raise money for a handful of state housing programs, including those funding rental and supportive developments, home loans and farmworker and tribal housing. The measure is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Speaker Rivas last week signaled it is unlikely all of the legislative bond measures will make it to the ballot. He said during last Thursday's press conference that the Legislature needs to be “very strategic in what we put before voters,” suggesting the March and November elections are “different ball games” in regards to voter turnout. “My philosophy around bonds is making meaningful, lasting impacts to our infrastructure,” Rivas said. “Long-term investments are really important, especially if we’re going to ask taxpayers to foot the bill. And so we’ve got to be very thoughtful in what it is we are going to pursue.” By the middle of May, we should have a better perspective of how this potential housing bond will fare in the legislative process and how it is tied to the 2024-2025 state budget. The budget process has already begun as reported in last week’s eNews: https://web.santacruzchamber.org/news/newsarticledisplay.aspx?ArticleID=2052 The Governor will release an updated May Revise on the state economic picture that will provide us with more details on the approaches to finalizing the budget by June 15. Our Legislative & Community Affairs Lunch Series is a great opportunity to listen to Speaker Rivas’ legislative and budget priorities. I hope that you will take the time to join us on May 17, 2024 at the Courtyard by Marriott Santa Cruz.
On May 17, 2024 the Chamber will kick off the 2024 Legislative & Community Affairs Lunch series with our special guest, California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister). The first of our lunch series events will be hosted at the Courtyard by Marriott Santa Cruz. The registration link is Legislative & Community Affairs Lunch Series. It is the first time in more than a half century that an Assembly Speaker has addressed the Chamber. The second luncheon will be held at Roaring Camp on August 8, featuring Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley).
As someone who follows our California Legislature closely with a careful eye toward policy making in our state Capitol, many of the issues of the day can have an impact on our local economy and the Central Coast region of California. As our readers may know and reported often in our eNews, California lawmakers are grappling with a huge budget deficit — anywhere from $37 billion to upward of $78 billion — depending on whether you cite the Governor’s office estimate or the Legislative Analyst Office numbers. Regardless, the Governor and the Legislature are seeking options to produce a 2024-2025 budget. We saw some interesting maneuvering heading up to the March 5, 2024 election where the Governor and the Legislature agreed to not load up the March ballot with numerous state ballot measures. The only statewide measure that appeared on the March 5 ballot was Governor Newsom’s backed Proposition 1 which barely received a majority of voters' support. Prop. 1 will provide $6.4 billion for mental health treatment and housing.
Now comes the question of whether the State Legislature will turn to the November election to place additional legislative approved measures on the ballot. One California lawmaker has high hopes for legislation that would put a $10 billion bond to pay for affordable rental housing and homeownership programs on the November ballot. Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) is pushing hard to get this legislative proposal moving in the legislature. Even before going to voters, though, the bill would need to advance through the Capitol amid a scramble for state bond dollars as legislators continue to seek alternative funding streams during a tough budget year. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, is reluctant to push a broad bond agenda. Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks on Monday made her case for Assembly Bill 1657, which would raise money for a handful of state housing programs, including those funding rental and supportive developments, home loans and farmworker and tribal housing. The measure is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Speaker Rivas last week signaled it is unlikely all of the legislative bond measures will make it to the ballot. He said during last Thursday's press conference that the Legislature needs to be “very strategic in what we put before voters,” suggesting the March and November elections are “different ball games” in regards to voter turnout.
“My philosophy around bonds is making meaningful, lasting impacts to our infrastructure,” Rivas said. “Long-term investments are really important, especially if we’re going to ask taxpayers to foot the bill. And so we’ve got to be very thoughtful in what it is we are going to pursue.”
By the middle of May, we should have a better perspective of how this potential housing bond will fare in the legislative process and how it is tied to the 2024-2025 state budget. The budget process has already begun as reported in last week’s eNews: https://web.santacruzchamber.org/news/newsarticledisplay.aspx?ArticleID=2052
The Governor will release an updated May Revise on the state economic picture that will provide us with more details on the approaches to finalizing the budget by June 15. Our Legislative & Community Affairs Lunch Series is a great opportunity to listen to Speaker Rivas’ legislative and budget priorities. I hope that you will take the time to join us on May 17, 2024 at the Courtyard by Marriott Santa Cruz.