Previous Page
LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
ing forward dedicated trade corridors for ports to make sure goods get to market as efficiently as possible, among other things. The Assemblymember, who was a con-
tractor and owned a construction compa- ny before being elected to the legislature, told AGC attendees he is familiar with their unique business concerns. “As a con- tractor, I absolutely understand the risks you take and the amount of hours it takes to do your job. I want to protect that in- dustry, and we want to be a part of your success.”
School Bond Measure on the Table During the AGC Building Division
meeting, Assembly Education Commit- tee Chairman Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) and former state Senator Dave Cogdill, now CEO and President of the California Building Industry Association, provided a joint presentation about efforts to place a major school bond measure on the
2016 bal-
lot. O’Donnell is carrying AB 1088 as a legis- lative measure and Cogdill is working with the Coalition for Adequate School Hous- ing
(CASH)
Senator Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys)
initiative bond measure.
on a $9 billion The
initiative has already gained momentum, attracting approximately 243,000 signa- tures as of early May. It is well on the way to the estimated 565,000 signatures need- ed to ensure qualification for the statewide ballot. Cogdill said the hope was to get the
signatures submitted to the Secretary of State by late June or early July of this year to qualify the initiative. “The support for our effort has been phenomenal,” Cogdill noted. “We are hopeful that it will pro- vide some leverage with the governor and legislature possibly to move forward with something even sooner. In the worst case scenario, we will have it before the voters in 2016.” Both O’Donnell and Cogdill face an uphill battle with the current adminis-
tration, however. The
measures “As we’re doing the homework, let’s governor
has maintained his opposition to any new school bond
and his prefer- ence is for school facility
fund-
ing to be driven more at the local levels rather than through the issu- ance of statewide bonds. Assemblymember O’Donnell urged
Assemblymember Catharine Baker (R-Dublin)
AGC members who support school bond funding to help support the initiative cam- paign and also to “educate and activate” – advocating for a bond initiative with the governor and other elected officials. “This is a tough issue and it needs to be a bottom up exercise,” he commented.
Tax for Services Initiative, School and Transportation Funding Needs Spotlighted On Day 2 During AGC’s spring State Board meet-
ing on May 11, state Senator Bob Herzt- berg (D-Van Nuys) provided an update on his current bill, SB 8. The bill proposes to change the way that taxation policy works in California by expanding the application of the Sales and Use Tax law to impose a tax on a variety of “services” in the state, which would likely include construction services. Senator Hertzberg, who rejoined public
office as a newly elected State Senator in 2014 after having served in the Assembly from 1996-2002, including time as Assem- bly Speaker, said he came back to elected office to “work on the big stuff” and help position California to be more competitive on a global scale in the future. “The system doesn’t work anymore,” he
commented. “We cannot continue to go through these boom-and-bust cycles.” While pointing out that the details of
his proposal are still being formulated and researched, he noted that his bill would create a paradigm shift in how California funds its services by relying less on person- al income tax and more on a fee for vari- ous services provided. He predicted that a measure would ultimately make its way to the state ballot, most likely in 2016.
build relationships; let’s open commu- nication; and let’s figure it out,” he said. “We are not going to be competitive in this global economy unless we do the tough stuff. It requires us to engage to push the envelope, to think bigger.”
Closing Session: Freshman Legislator Talks First Impressions, Legislative Priorities Assemblymember Catharine Baker
(R-Alameda/Contra Costa) was the final speaker in AGC’s legislative sessions. During the closing session, Assembly-
member Baker outlined her legislative agenda, which includes: a focus on transportation infrastruc- ture issues;
emphasis on the reform and promo- tion of education and schools includ- ing school facility funding (she is a strong proponent of a school bond ini- tiative) and CEQA reform;
pro-job policies such as changing the eight-hour work day requirement and giving employers more opportunity to correct issues before incurring penal- ties; and
promoting more fiscal responsibility in government through pension re- form and other measures.
Assemblymember Baker shared some
of her first impressions as a new legislator with the AGC members. One she pointed to is the important role the current gover- nor plays in any policy shift in the state. “Every conversation I’ve had about what
good policies need to be passed always in- cludes an element about where are some Democrats we can work with, how can we get this passed, and ultimately, what the governor is going to do,” she comment- ed. “This is a governor that is definitely a key part of any conversation that you will have.” Another first impression she pointed
to is the challenge as a freshman legisla- tor to deal with the volume of new legisla- tion introduced. “I’m building long-term relationships with my colleagues and I am eager to work with them and under- stand what matters to their districts. But the sheer number of bills (introduced) has been somewhat of a surprise,” she con- cluded.
Associated General Contractors of California 9