Agda Pkt 2026.07.27 Joint SA PFA

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Page 2 of 6 City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org “Oppose,” taking into consideration amendments made to the bill on July 2 after the Sub-Committee met, and information communicated in Attachment A, dated July 10, 2026. STRATEGIC PLAN GUIDING PRINCIPLE Excellence in Government Operations BACKGROUND The City’s legislative advocacy efforts are guided by the City Council’s Legislative Advocacy Policy, which establishes the process for monitoring, evaluating, and taking positions on State legislation affecting Redwood City. Consistent with that policy, since 2020, the City Council has maintained a Legislative Platform to guide and identify priority policy areas and guide legislative engagement. The Platform serves as the primary tool for evaluating whether proposed legislation aligns with City priorities. In January 2026, the City Council adopted an updated Legislative Platform to reflect current Council priorities. Legislation that is clearly consistent with the adopted Platform may be acted upon administratively through the Governance Sub-Committee, while items that are not clearly aligned require City Council review and confirmation. The Governance Sub-Committee met on June 29, 2026, and, following discussion, voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council approve sending a letter of opposition for SB 1164 (Cervantes) Elections. Opposition to the bill could be interpreted as consistent with the following existing language in the City’s Legislative Platform: “Oppose legislation and ballot measures that would negatively impact the City's finances, responsibilities, legal authority, or operations; negatively impact existing City policy, past action, or current City Council strategic priorities; or negatively impact specific programs, services or infrastructure utilized in Redwood City.” However, because the adopted Legislative Platform does not speak directly to elections matters such as the Voting Rights Act, the Governance Sub-Committee determined the item should be brought forward for City Council consideration. The bill was further amended on July 2, 2026, to improve the bill in meaningful respects, including removing an earlier provision that would have stripped legislative, executive, and deliberative privilege and instead preserving those protections under the California Constitution. However, based on the current content and status of the bill, and after consultation with the City’s consultants from the California Public Policy Group (CPPG), staff recommends the Council now adopt a position of “Oppose Unless Amended.” As of July 10, the bill is pending in the Assembly Appropriations Committee and is anticipated to be acted upon next in early August. 7.D. - Page 2 of 17 290