LEGISLATIVE ISSUES

AGC Legislative Meetings Offer Behind-the- Scenes Look at Leading Initiatives Impacting State’s Construction Industry

By Carol Eaton Several of California’s leading legisla-

tors and policymakers offered updates and a behind-the-scenes look at legislation of critical importance to the construction industry during AGC of California’s recent spring legislative and state board meetings in Sacramento. Transportation funding, school bond

initiatives, CEQA-related issues, and a major tax reform proposal were among the key topics discussed during the May 11-12, 2015 AGC meetings. The two-day combined meeting format, which offered a new spin on AGC’s annual “Legislative Day,” coincidentally took place the week of the governor’s annual May budget revise. The then-pending budget update, released by Gov. Jerry Brown on May 14, generated plenty of discussion from legislators and industry leaders regarding its potential impact to a host of state programs and ser- vices. In addition to from

addresses several

elected

officials during AGC’s State and Division Board meetings and in opening and closing sessions, AGC hosted

a

special Legisla- tive

Program

reception on May 10 at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento. Both Democrat and Republican legisla- tors, as well as legislative staff members and Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, turned out to mingle with AGC members.

Senator Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar and Minority Leader)

Transportation Funding Is Lead Topic at Session Kick-off The AGC legislative meetings kicked off

with an opening session featuring Senate Republican leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar). The senator, who will be termed out of the state legislature in 2016, recently an- nounced his candidacy for the Los Angeles

8 July/August 2015

Board of Supervisors. He focused the majority of his address on the need for a more sustainable trans- portation funding source, a priority clearly shared by AGC and the con- struction industry. Senator Huff is currently spon- Senate

soring Constitutional

Amendment 7 (SCA 7), a measure he introduced this spring to pro- tect the taxes collected from truck weight and vehicle license fees for transportation construction pur- poses. He noted that the measure would generate $1 billion more for roads, bridges, and highways because it “plugs a loophole” that has allowed the diversion of funds from their intended transportation related purpose to the general fund. “Through SCA 7 we nail that loophole

shut,” Huff commented. “It gives us a bil- lion dollars more to start with, and then we can have the discussion about what is the most equitable way to help fund the infra- structure that we need for our existing and future uses.” The senator pointed out that there are

currently several competing plans for transportation funding. Among them is SB 16, a bill sponsored by Senator Jim Beall (D-Santa Clara) and supported by AGC, which proposes to raise $3 billion or more annually over five years to allow time for the state to work out a long-term transpor- tation funding solution. Senator Huff also talked briefly about

the water bond that voters passed last year, noting that while there is $2.7 billion in above ground storage projects allocated that will provide work for California con- tractors, the allocations for that work likely won’t occur until next year.

Legislators Talk School Bond, Transportation Funding in Division Meetings Following the opening legislative ses-

sion, AGC’s occupational divisions then heard from legislators who addressed two major issues of significance to California’s

Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach), Dave Ackerman, AGC Advocate with David Cogdill, President and CEO, California Building Industry Association.

heavy/highway/underground and build- ing contractors: future funding for school facility construction and a sustainable funding source for transportation systems and infrastructure. Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Oak-

ley), Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, spoke to the Jt. Engineering Division about a new transportation fund- ing initiative he is poised to introduce that he described as a “share-the-pain kind of portfolio approach.” Although he was not ready to divulge the details of his proposal during the meeting, the assemblyman de- scribed it as “big and bold” and one that wou l d not only cr ea t e jobs in Ca l i - for n i a , but help “fix this tr an s - portation sys t em and move us

for-

ward.” Frazier

Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Oakley)

noted that some of his priorities include giving Caltrans a “laser-like focus” to partner with contractors in the state with a focus on prompt payment, and push-

California Constructor