CALIFORNIA, USA — One of the 2024 session’s big deadlines is staring California legislators in the face this week: By Friday, bills that cost money must pass their first policy committee to stay alive this year.
So lawmakers of both parties are busy promoting their proposals with press events and trying to shepherd them through committees.
On Monday:
- Animal rights: The Senate committee on business, professions and economic development passed several animal welfare measures. Two bipartisan bills were authored by Republican Sen. Janet Nguyen of Huntington Beach: Senate Bill 1459 to require large county animal control agencies to post online how many animals they take in monthly and how many get euthanized, plus SB 1478 to lay out standards for veterinarians’ notations, including for pain control and treating injuries. Another bill to streamline certification for spaying and neutering pets also passed the committee.
- Fixed charge on utility bills: Senate GOP leader Brian Jones’ proposal to repeal a requirement on the California Public Utilities Commission to impose a fixed charge on electric bills failed to get through the Senate energy committee in the face of Democratic opposition. State regulators are expected to vote on the new pricing structure next month. Another bill to force the commission to cut electricity rates by at least 30% “won’t be getting a hearing,” according to the measure’s co-author, Republican Assemblymember Joe Patterson of Rocklin.
- Highway protests: A bill to double fines for blocking traffic, including during a protest, and impeding emergency vehicles was approved by the Assembly transportation committee. A series of demonstrations to support a Gaza ceasefire have stopped vehicles, including last week on the Golden Gate Bridge. “Enough is enough,” the bill’s author, Assemblymember Kate Sanchez, a Rancho Santa Margarita Republican, said on social media.
- Taxes on vacation homes: A proposal to get rid of the state tax break on second homes’ mortgage interest was sent from the Assembly tax committee to the dreaded appropriations committee suspense file. The author, Democratic Assemblymember Chris Ward of San Diego, argued that eliminating the break could raise as much as $200 million a year, when the state faces a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall.
- Anti-nepotism rules: After making it through the Senate committee on local government last week, an anti-nepotism bill also passed the elections committee. The measure bars state and local officials from voting on public contracts that benefit their relatives. It was introduced after LAist uncovered an Orange County supervisor awarded pandemic relief contracts worth $3.1 million to his daughter’s mental health center. Sen. Dave Min, an Irvine Democrat backing the bill, said the practice of officials awarding “lucrative government contracts” to family members is “simply outrageous.”
And more bills are up today:
- Airport screenings: The Senate Transportation Committee is expected to consider a bill to prohibit airports from allowing travelers using third-party companies such as CLEAR to cut in the security line. Instead, companies would need their own dedicated security lane, reports Politico. Airlines including Delta, JetBlue and Southwest oppose the measure.
- Health care: The latest version of single-payer health care goes before the Assembly health committee. AB 2200 would create CalCare for comprehensive, universal coverage. The California Nurses Association and other supporters plan a rally at the Capitol before the hearing; they say the current patchwork system perpetuates inequities in what should be a basic right. But a coalition led by the California Chamber of Commerce strongly opposes the idea, arguing that a state-run system would lead to monumental tax hikes. Similar single-payer bills have gone nowhere.
This article was originally published by CalMatters.
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