As 2022 comes to an end, CALBO’s legislative team would like to wish our CALBO family a happy holiday season with your family and friends this December.  We hope you all have a restful and enjoyable December in preparation for what is expected to be a busy 2023-2024 Legislative Session.  In the November elections, California voters had the first opportunity to select their new elected officials with the newly established legislative districts in both the California State Assembly and the California State Senate.  The elections were officially certified last week and CALBO’s legislative team officially knows the make-up of the legislative body we will be working with in Sacramento next legislative session which is set begin on January 1, 2023. Before covering the specifics of the new legislature, let’s put a “bow” if you will on the 2021-2022 Legislative Session.  

CALBO’s Legislative Team has been working hard this fall and winter in providing more resources for our membership to prepare for the incoming laws that will officially hit the books in 2023.  CALBO hosted a legislative webinar on October 27th that covered the significant pieces of legislation that will impact your departments in the next couple of years.  A big thank you to the 200+ participants who attended our first legislative webinar. If you were not able to attend and would like a copy of the free PowerPoint, please email bguertin@calbo.org and I am happy to provide that to you. In 2023, CALBO’s Legislative Team plans on hosting several free webinars at critical times of the legislative session to update our membership on bills coming from Sacramento and answer any questions or concerns you all may have on the bills.  Please check your emails for these free opportunities to participate and have your voices heard. 

Additionally, CALBO launched a new project on the CALBO Website called the “Guide to Changes in State Law”.  These articles cover specific details about bills that will become law in the very near future and provide guidance on best practices that local jurisdictions can use to provide the best service to their communities while complying with new state laws.  You can find our first and second installments of the project here: https://www.calbo.org/guide-changes-state-law . CALBO’s legislative team is planning on developing several articles about the new laws local jurisdictions will have to be aware of as the new year begins since this is when most of the bills signed last year will become state law.   

Finally, CALBO is proud to announce the return of Advocacy Day in 2023 as the Capitol is back to normal for now.  We hope you will be able to join your colleagues in Sacramento this upcoming Spring.  Please stay tuned for dates and more information as the legislative team is still planning on dates and specifics on this great opportunity for our membership to get involved in the legislative process directly. Speaking of next year, let’s see what the new legislature is going to look like in 2023. 

As mentioned above, Californians elected new representatives for the brand-new legislative districts that the California Redistricting Commission established after the results of the 2020 Census.  In both houses of the Legislature, the Democratic Party will continue to have a super-majority of the seats.  The California State Assembly will have a make-up of 62 Democrats and 17 Republicans, with 1 seat still up in the air as of December 12th.  On the Senate side, the Democrats will have 32 seats, while Republicans will have 8 seats. Both houses will have brand-new members to Sacramento as the Assembly elected 27 new members that have not served in the California State Assembly previously.  On the Senate side, there are 8 new members that have been elected for the first time to the California State Senate. 

 The election of new members will provide a fresh perspective on issues impacting California, while also most likely increasing the number of bills that CALBO will have to follow and provide CALBO’s perspective on the proposals in Sacramento.  CALBO’s Legislative Team is actively working on establishing dialogue and relationships with the new elected officials.  We look forward to working with the legislators and their new staff next legislative session.  We would like to congratulate all the newly elected officials and thank them all for their service to California! 

In terms of what CALBO members can expect next year in the legislature, some of the hot topics in recent years will continue in 2023 including efforts for building decarbonization, electric vehicles, solar energy, and other green energy policies.  With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act by Congress this year, more money is available for states to use and move forward with policy efforts to address climate change.  CALBO is supportive of California’s laudable goals to address climate change so long as they are done in a safe and feasible manner.  Additionally, developing energy efficient standards and regulations for climate change are best done through the regulatory process and the California Green Building Code as opposed to legislative statute.  CALBO’s legislative team will continue to focus on creating awareness in the legislature about implementing policy goals through the regulatory process as opposed to legislative mandates and specific requirements in state law.   

For a full listing of legislative items of interest to CALBO members, please check out our All Bills Report on the CALBO website. Legislators are already beginning to release some of their bills for next session so stay up to date on our user-friendly website with these updates!  

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns at bguertin@calbo.org. I look forward to continuing to advocate for our members in Sacramento and sincerely appreciate your continued support.