TO: Legislative Subcommittee
FROM: Ryan J. Alsop, County Executive Officer
REPORT BY: Andrew M. Mize, Legislative & Policy Analyst
SUBJECT: State Legislative Update
RECOMMENDATION
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Receive an update provided by State advocates regarding the 2024 session of the California legislature.
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BACKGROUND
The final day for the California legislature to pass bills in 2024 was August 31, and the final day for the Governor to sign passed legislation into law is today, September 30. Advocates have provided updates from the legislature’s decisions in 2024.
While most end-of-sessions are rife with tension, this year’s intra-governmental branch tension seemed to be
higher than usual. While there were a plethora of factors that led to these disputes, the major contributing
factors were: 1) a difference of opinion on the Governor’s push for legislation to address gasoline prices, which led to a special session; (2) several bills in pro tem McGuire’s “California Made” energy package; 3) a last-minute Speaker-endorsed push to address warehouse development (AB 98), and; 4) the Senate’s early adjournment on Friday, which narrowed the time to dispense with the remaining Assembly bills in the Senate on Saturday in order for the Assembly to take them up timely before the adjournment at midnight, as mandated by the Constitution.
The special session is ongoing, with the Senate planning to take up any bills on October 11 that move through the Assembly. Bills comprise a limited range of topics, including but not limited to a one-year suspension of the gas tax; California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) streamlining for projects that increase California-produced petroleum storage capacity at refineries; creation of a consumer dashboard that compares California petroleum prices to national average prices and includes other information about factors contributing to that cost difference; and expedited review of ethanol-added gasoline by the California Air Resources Board.
Just three of the seven bills comprising the California Made Package moved forward, related to restoration of residential electrical and gas service; CEQA streamlining for hydrogen projects that do not derive hydrogen from a fossil fuel feedstock; and a report bill requiring the California Public Utilities Commission to propose ways to reduce the cost of ratepayers of expanding California’s electrical grid.
AB 98 is, at time of publishing, on Thursday, September 26, before the Governor for consideration. The Napa County Board of Supervisors transmitted its request to veto to the Governor in early September, citing deep concerns with the implementation period, costs, civil penalties, trammeling of local discretion in the content of the circulation element of local general plans, and interaction with federal constitutional authority over interstate commerce.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
No |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.