This week marks a critical juncture in the legislature, with Friday being the last day for policy committees to hear and report on fiscal bills introduced in their house. CBPA has been actively engaging, attending over a dozen committee hearings in both the Assembly and the Senate, and testifying on numerous bills.

Commercial real estate industry sponsored bill AB 2433 (Quirk-Silva; D-Fullerton) cleared another hurdle yesterday as it passed through the Assembly Housing & Community Development Committee. CBPA’s Senior Director of Government Relations Skyler Wonnacott provided primary support testimony and the bill sailed through with a bi-partisan 9-0 vote of support.

CBPA strongly advocated for adaptive reuse measures through bills like AB 2909 and AB 2010 (Santiago; D-Los Angeles), AB 2488 (Ting; D-San Francisco), AB 3068 (Haney; D-San Francisco), and SB 1227 (Wiener; D-San Francisco), crucial for revitalizing existing structures and promoting sustainable development.

Conversely, CBPA has taken a firm stance against AB 2288 (Kalra; D-San Jose) and AB 3192 (Muratsuchi; D-Torrance). AB 2288 introduces problematic provisions related to the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), posing significant challenges for our industry, while AB 3192 imposes costly regulations on coastal resorts, which could have severe financial implications.

CBPA serves as co-chair of the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act (TPA), an initiative slated for the November ballot which would restore Proposition 13 and protect all California taxpayers. The ballot measure has faced constant attacks from the opposition who wish to make it easier to raise taxes.

On May 8th, the CA Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the petition filed by the Governor and legislative leaders trying to deny voters the right to vote on the measure in November. Due to initiative deadlines the court must make a decision by June 27th. We are confident in our strong legal case in support of this popular ballot measure, and will keep you informed as the matter progresses.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the Grants Pass vs. Johnson case, which has significant implications on whether cities in California may enforce their local laws against camping on sidewalks or other public property. CBPA partnered with the Pacific Legal Foundation to submit the attached Amicus Brief.

Homelessness is a critical issue for our industry given the massive impact it is having on member properties and their ability to conduct business in California. We will keep you informed on the status of this case.

One of CBPA’s key partners is the California Commission on Disability Access (CCDA). CCDA was formed as a result of legislation passed in 2008 spearheaded by CBPA, the disability community, the Consumer Attorneys of California, the CalChamber, and other stakeholders. Last year CBPA Board Member Sarahann Shapiro was appointed as our industry’s designated representative to CCDA.

We invited CCDA’s Executive Director April Dawson Rawlings to share what is happening with CCDA that is of interest to our members.