Legislative Update

After a busy month of policy committee hearings, the legislature is now in summer recess and will return on August 18 for the last month of the legislative year. The state’s challenging budget situation will continue to loom over bills with large price tags. SBC and Sierra Consortium priority bills AB 900 (which would increase and improve stewardship of 30×30 lands) and AB 1139 (which would extend CEQA exemption for non-motorized recreation in county parks) have both made it through their second policy committees and now await their fate in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The Governor signed the final budget before the July 1 deadline. His signature was conditioned on the passage of several budget trailer bills, including sweeping reforms of CEQA. Many housing advocates have applauded these reforms as a step toward building more housing faster, while environmental groups have opposed the exemptions for habitat protections for sensitive species and advanced manufacturing facilities. Notably, the budget did not include any decisions on Cap-and-Trade other than using Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund dollars for CAL FIRE operations. It also deferred any appropriations of Prop 4 funds. As a result, decisions on Cap-and-Trade and Prop 4 remain up in the air and will continue to be discussed when the legislature returns from recess.