January 19, 2012
The state Constitution requires the Governor to submit a budget proposal for the next fiscal each year by January 10, but this year the budget was released five days early due to someone inadvertently posting the document to the Department of Finance website. So, the annual budget battle began with little fanfare in a hastily assembled press conference … More »
September 9, 2011
As we’ve previously reported, the California State Supreme Court agreed in August to consider the petition by the League of California Cities and California Redevelopment Association seeking to overturn state budget bills AB1x 26&27. These budget bills call for the elimination of local redevelopment agencies unless the agencies agree to make a … More »
September 2, 2011
A last minute ploy by Amazon.com exempting it from collecting sales taxes for more than two years was met by firm opposition today from a host of California based businesses that support a level playing field for all retailers in California. In exchange for a special two year “sales tax holiday,” Amazon.com offered to open six new distribution … More »
July 1, 2011
In bad news, the budget “restructures” Redevelopment agencies in a way that many feel will be disastrous for local government and real estate alike. Chris McKenzie, Executive Director, League of California Cities, said: “It is deeply regrettable that the Governor is choosing to ignore the State constitution and sign illegal legislation to eliminate … More »
We applaud a significant piece of the budget the Governor signed, AB 28x, which ends special treatment for online-only retailers. This legislation helps close a loophole that until now has put thousands of California businesses at a competitive disadvantage against out-of-state, online-only retailers to avoid collecting sales taxes. California’s … More »
Brown signed the $86 billion spending plan a day before the July 1 start of the fiscal year. The budget package is a combination of spending cuts, fee hikes and relies on higher tax collections that might never materialize. Under the plan, General Fund spending is at its lowest level since the 1972-73 fiscal year when measured as a share of the state’s … More »
Although we all wish the budget was passed on time because legislators toiling under the Gilded Dome of the Capitol were all working together for the betterment of the State. The more likely cause is the voter’s passage of Proposition 25 last year. That ballot measure deleted the 2/3’s majority vote needed to pass a budget and included a “sweetener” … More »
June 24, 2011
Just one week after Governor Brown vetoed a version of the budget sent to him by the Legislature that was deemed “unbalanced,” he has mentioned the specter of a split roll property tax as a way to balance the budget. Yesterday the Governor responded to a question about efforts to change Proposition 13, which provides tax protections to both residential … More »
Just one week after Governor Brown vetoed a version of the budget sent to him by the Legislature that was deemed “unbalanced,” he has mentioned the specter of a split roll property tax as a way to balance the budget. Yesterday the Governor responded to a question about efforts to change Proposition 13, which provides tax protections to both residential … More »
June 17, 2011
Those of you who think the Denizens of the Capitol have lost the ability to move quickly, need only look to the budget maneuvers this week to see they still have some spring in their step, when they want. On Wednesday, both the Senate and Assembly passed a state budget plan and nearly a score of “trailer bills” with only Democratic votes. On Thursday, … More »