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Adams said he believes S8 375 would not be passed without the League's support The League has had some considerable concerns with the legislation as it is currently written and offered Adams a list of potential alternatives to address some of the issues for local government. There is a clear realization by the board that SB 375 presents a historic opportunity to the cities of California to help address the pressing issue of greenhouse gas emission reduction. In addition, cities recognize that this discussion also affects some of the more pressing growth and development challenges of California. The League is willing to work on this task. The board believes however, that it will take months to do it well, and rushing to enact such sweeping legislation will most likely lead to serious omissions and errors that will cause a significant backlash and undermine its successful implementation. For this reason, the board respectfully and strongly requested that further legislative consideration of S8 375 be delayed, and that the measure become a two-year bill. Policy Committee Recommendations The League board of directors reviewed recommendations from policy committee meetings held in June on a variety of legislative issues. Items included the aforementioned S8 375: AS 1033 (Caballero), a measure which helps law enforcement deal with multi-generational gang issues; the Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant Program; the Califomia Air Resources Board proposed legislation for in- use off-road diesel vehicles; AB 1358 (Lena), a measure which would require local governments to consider and accommodate all users in the planning and development of their local highways and transportation systems; AB 793 (Strickland), a bill which assess affordable housing units at the subsidized price instead of the higher value. Additional policy committee recommendations were also presented. All items were approved upon consent except AS 793, which was approved at the meeting. Highlights from LCC/NLC China Trip League First Vice President Jim Madaffer and League Second Vice President Heather Fargo gave a slide show presentation on the joint League of California Cities (LCC)/National League of Cities (NLC) international exchange trip to four cities in China this past June. Much of the trip focused on China's strong local governments and the sustainable development challenges facing China as it experiences monumental expansion and change. The trip was an opportunity for LCC and NLC leaders to engage in an international exchange with national and municipal officials in China about common city Issues and needs. The board discussed creating a policy committee or special committee or task force to institutionalize the League's efforts to engage in similar international exchanges in the future. There was great interest in this, especially in connection with Asia. The League's delegation included Madaffer, San Diego council member; Fargo, Sacramento mayor; Ron Loveridge, immediate past president and mayor of Riverside; Chris McKenzie, LCC executive director, and Manuela Albuquerque, city attorney of Berkeley. Next Board Meeting The board will next meet on Sept. 7 at the League's Annual Conference in September. Legal Decision Seizes Cities' Right to Confiscate Vehicles In a 4-3 decision handed down last weel<, the California Supreme Court concluded that cities lact< the power to enact local ordinances authorizing the seizure and forfeiture of vehicles used to solicit illegal drugs and prostitution. 8A Page 15 4