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a,A-3 <br />STATE BUDGET POLITICS HEATING UP <br />The restoration of the fees comes at the end <br />of a week dominated by state budget politics. <br />While there was little substantive progress, the <br />looming June 30 deadline for budget adoption <br />appeared to create pressure on legislative leaders <br />to try new approaches. Here's a brief wrap -up: <br />* The budget conference committee did not <br />meet. <br />"The "Big 5" met, but appeared to make no — <br />progress in resolving their differences over the <br />budget. (Governor, Senator Leaders Burton and <br />Brulte, Assembly Leaders Herb Wesson and <br />Dave Cox). <br />* Both houses are expected to vote on <br />some version of the budget bill next week, al- <br />though neither is expected to muster the votes <br />necessary to pass it at that time. <br />Le$islative� Bill . Action <br />. <br />The following are summaries of just a few <br />of the legislative bills that are currently being <br />acted upon by the League of California <br />Cities. For more information about these <br />andotbawbM, gleeerisit the League <br />website's new "Issues and Advocacy" <br />page (www.cacities.ora/ <br />issuesandadvocacv) — a one -stop location <br />to access information about legislation, <br />policy issues and related developments. <br />You can track information on bills <br />(www.cacities.org /legtracking), locate <br />legislators and legislative committees, send <br />letters to legislators or the media through <br />the online Advocacy Center, research <br />League policy positions, access useful <br />related links, and much more. <br />The Senate is expected to vote on the budget <br />(SB 53), and some (but not all) trailer bills on <br />Tuesday, June 24. Based on the Governor's May <br />Revise, the bill is expected to include impacts to <br />local government totaling $1.16 billion or more. <br />The Assembly may vote on a budget bill as <br />soon as Monday, June 23, before their statewide <br />visits to local leaders (see "Assembly Democrats <br />Plan Statewide Budget Pitch "). The Assembly <br />Democrats' plan may include local government <br />cuts that are similar to or even greater than the <br />$1.16 billion expected to be included in the Senate <br />plan. <br />City officials should continue to stress that <br />cuts of this magnitude are too disproportionate, <br />fair, and unacceptable, and that ongoing cuts are <br />absolutely indefensible. <br />REVENUE AND TAXATION <br />B 1 (Escutia). Sales and Use Taxes. Unifor- <br />mity. SB 17 facilitates tracking changes in ownership <br />of commercial property for reassessment purposes. <br />Publicly traded companies would be required to file a <br />real property statement with the Board of Equalization <br />(BOE) starting in 2004 and in subsequent years would <br />report property transfers with penalties for failure to do <br />so. The BOE would forward these statements to the <br />county assessors. Currently corporations are required <br />to check off on their income tax return if there has <br />been a change in ownership. SB 17 would also <br />require the Franchise Tax Board to report to BOE if the <br />change in ownership box has not been checked off. <br />These requirements would assist county assessors in <br />determining if a property should be reassessed related <br />to ownership change. Staff: Jean Korinke, Status: <br />Assembly Revenue and Taxation, Hrg. 6 -30, Position: <br />Support. <br />TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS <br />AB 299 (Lowenthal). Vehicles. Taxicabs and <br />Passenger Vehicles for Hire. Violations. Im- <br />poundment. Charter -Party Carriers of Passen- <br />gers: Advertisement as Taxicabs. AB 299 Re- <br />Visit the League's Official Web Site-- www.cacities.org PRIORITY FOCUSIPAGE 13 <br />