Bill Watch | California legislation EBLC is keeping on its radar

It’s a busy time in Sacramento as bills move from their house of origin to now be considered by policy committees in the second house. Check out this great explainer on the legislative process.

EBLC is tracking dozens of bills across our core issue areas. Below are a few we thought would be of interest to our members.

SENATE BILL 478
Sponsored by local legislators, Bill Dodd and Nancy Skinner, SB 478 addresses truth in advertising. The bill makes it illegal to advertise, display, or offer a price for a good or service that does not include all mandatory fees or charges. Those in opposition assert that California law already protects against this practice, but Attorney General Rob Bonta (a supporter of the bill) has expressed that “additional, unavoidable charges often are hidden in small type and with vague descriptions (e.g., “service fee”) or bundled in a misleading way with taxes, such as quoting a single amount for “taxes and fees.” This bill aims to curb this practice.

ASSEMBLY BILL 1332
Accessory dwelling units (ADU) have much-discussed in the legislature for years and have gained popularity in the region. AB 1332 aims to build on previous work and make it easier to build an ADU by requiring local agencies to create a program for the pre-approval of ADU plans. Many cities have already done this work, including the City of Concord.

EBLC also continues to track bills discussed by our Board of Directors earlier this year. Of those still moving forward is a bill to provide a state and local sales and use tax exemption for the purchase of manufacturing equipment (AB 52 - Grayson) and a bill that would prohibit employment discrimination on account of family caregiver status (AB 524 - Wicks).

Registration Open | Join EBLC in recognizing new MTC Commissioner Sue Noack

Join the East Bay Leadership Council as we recognize and celebrate Pleasant Hill City Council Member Sue Noack's recent appointment to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Council Member Noack will play a critical role in representing the needs and vision of Contra Costa County's 19 cities on this Bay Area-wide commission.

This reception will be an opportunity to hear from and network with Council Member Noack along with other key business and civic leaders in the East Bay.

Light food and refreshments will be provided.

DATE / TIME / LOCATION
Tuesday, June 20
5:00 - 7:00 PM
Contra Costa Transportation Authority
2999 Oak Road #100, Walnut Creek

COST
Member Ticket: $25.00
Non-Member Ticket: $45.00

Register

Reception Sponsors

Build the Bench | Are you interested in running for elected office?

Are you interested in running for local office? If so, we hope you will consider applying for the East Bay Leadership Council's candidate training program. Since 2017, our Build the Bench program has served as an important step in the winning campaigns of more than a dozen alumni.

We are proud of this early success and grateful to the individuals who welcome us into their public service journey. The strength of this program will always be in the people who participate.

The 2023 Build the Bench program will begin soon, and is a great opportunity for community leaders interested in running for office to gain the tools necessary to lead a successful campaign.

You can learn more about the program and apply to participate in our upcoming class at www.buildthebench.com.

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Must Read | Owning a Bay Area home now twice as expensive as renting — should that "tilt the needle"?

SF Chronicle — Living in the Bay Area is expensive across the board, but the monthly cost of homeownership is now more than twice as expensive as monthly rent for the same home, according to a report from real estate company Redfin — the largest such disparity anywhere in the country. Experts say the disparity is so extreme that for people weighing their options, renting in the Bay Area might be uniquely more attractive than buying compared to other places in the U.S.

The researchers found that, in San Jose, the typical home is 165% more expensive per month to buy than to rent — the highest “homeownership premium” of any of the 50 most populous metro areas in the country. San Francisco followed at 139% and Oakland at 99%. In each Bay Area metro, 0% of homes were more expensive to rent than to buy.

Several factors play into the price disparity, economists said. In the report, Redfin economist Taylor Marr pointed to the rise in mortgage rates as a significant factor. In the Bay Area, where prices are already so high, rate increases can translate into payments that are thousands of dollars higher, he noted.

Salviati added that the Bay Area’s very short supply of housing and low inventory of homes on the market means that home prices remain stubbornly high, even when they are down compared to before the pandemic.

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If your company is not a member of the East Bay Leadership Council, we hope you will consider joining us. Learn more about our work and the benefits of membership at www.eastbayleadershipcouncil.com

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