Capitol Update – May 24, 2023
By Chris Wysocki
House of Origin Deadline Nears … A Time When Sneaky Things Can Happen
June 2nd is the deadline for both the Assembly and Senate to pass bills introduced in the respective Houses this year. A total of 2,661 bills have been introduced this year, and approximately 1,000 of them have made it out of policy and fiscal committees. These remaining bills must be passed by June 2nd or they will be either defeated or turned into what is known as “two-year” bills.
The house of origin deadline often involves last-minute amendments to bills. If a bill is amended on the floor, it will sometimes receive what is known as an “off-the-floor” committee meeting to “discuss” new policies injected into the bill. WMA staff is closely monitoring the amendment process to ensure that measures previously defeated or delayed, like statewide rent control and first rights of refusal, are not inserted into other bills.
Please be sure to keep up to date on the status of bills being tracked by WMA. Click here to get up-to-date information on bills of importance to the manufactured housing industry, click here.
Some of the legislative proposals WMA has helped stop this year include, but are not limited to:
Assembly Bill 1035 (Muratsuchi, D-Torrance)
This bill would impose statewide rent control on spaces in manufactured housing communities. The cap would be five percent per year, and the legislation was held in the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee. WMA is closely monitoring other legislative proposals that could be used as vehicles to re-insert this language in a last-minute effort to bypass the committee process. To read the current version of AB 1035, click here.
Assembly Bill 919 (Kalra, D-San Jose)
This bill would give tenant groups a “first right of refusal” to purchase a manufactured housing community that is for sale. This bill would effectively stop the ability of a parkowner to sell to another entity without first offering it to a resident group, even if the group has not secured financing. This legislation was held in the Assembly Judiciary Committee, and WMA is closely monitoring other measures that could be used to bypass the normal committee process. To read the current version of AB 919, click here.
State Budget Negotiations Continue
Last week, we reported that the Governor had released his updated budget blueprint, and California now faces at least a $31.5 billion shortfall. The legislature has begun drafting a revised budget, and the deadline for passage of a “balanced” budget is June 15th. Many interest groups saw funding for special programs cut or delayed in the proposed budget issued by the Governor, and there will be tremendous pressure on the legislature to restore and even increase funding for social programs that have seen automatic spending increases over the past several years.
A key fact that has not been widely reported is that the Governor’s proposed budget anticipates revenues that may never materialize. Cal Matters recently published an enlightening article that explains some of the challenges the legislature will face as it works to pass a budget in the coming weeks. To read the article, click here.
WMA recently mailed out membership dues renewal statements. Please be sure to check your mailboxes and renew your dues to continue maintaining the many benefits your WMA membership affords.
Some of these benefits include access to our Service & Industry Directory, which includes vendors specializing in ADA compliance, appraisal services, asphalt maintenance, attorneys, billing services, computer services, financial and lending services, insurance services, management services, manufactured home sales, and utility contractors to name just a few.
WMA membership also includes access to manager training education and access to forms required by state law. These renewal dues also came with an appeal for political action, and our Political Action Committees (PACs) have helped elect numerous legislators who share our common belief in private property rights. When you renew your membership, please consider participating in both WMA PACs. Your contributions help elect candidates who share our belief in private property rights in the state legislature, city councils, and county boards of supervisors.
As always, WMA strives to provide valuable programs and services for its members, and we appreciate your continued support. To learn how to join WMA, click here.
It is an honor to serve WMA, and please feel free to call me on my direct line at 916.288.4026 with any questions.
