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9A LEGISLA TURE from page 1............................................ f.flge 13 Back burner issues can suddenly heat up to a League or TEe concerns. A key League recom- full boil. Others that looked like top priorities can mendation is that the bill establish a statewide fizzle away, as the elements of a deal sputter and template for cable and video franchising, but that die. the franchise is issued locally. It is a time for city officials to stay alert: stay SB 1206 (Kehoe) - Redevelopment. The connected with your League regional representa- League and the California RedevelopmentAsso- tives, and watch for League alerts. Your quick dation have been working with Sen. Kehoe for response may make the difference in the out- many months to identify amendments to this come of bills that take on great importance for measure, which purports to address concerns cities. with eminent domain raised by the last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of New AS 2987 (Nunez/Levine) and S8 1206 London. The key concern raised that by decision (Kehoe) was that homeowners could see their property transferred to another private party as part of an There are two important measures that the economic development project. League still opposes. The League and city officials have been working many months to Amendments were taken in the Assembly amend these bills to address local concerns. Housing and Community Development Committee Unfortunately, we expect that when we see the that improved the bill, to which Senator Kehoe amended bills in print on August 7 (and in subse- agreed. While these changes go a way toward quent amendments) our opposition will continue. making the provisions of the bill more workable, several provisions remain that will make it more AS 2987 (Nunez/Levine) - Cable and video difficult to use redevelopment to clean up blighted service. This bill would create a new statewide areas. Most specifically are provisions that deal franchise for cable and video service providers, with the finding of blight itself, which will become issued by the California Public Utilities Commis- more difficult under the provisions of the bitl. sion. It presents many concerns for communities and cities, including concerns about access to Although there remains a mood in the Legisla- services, customer protections, preserving local ture to do "something" in the response to the Kelo public, education and government ("PEG") chan- decision, the League is reminding the Legislature nels, protecting local franchise fees, cable com- that several other bills are moving that address the panies' ability to abrogate existing franchise issue. These include AB 773 (Mullin), AB 782 agreements and other issues. (Mullin), AB 1893 (Salinas),AB 2922 (Jones), SB 53 (Kehoe), SB 1210 (Torlakson), SB 1650 Amendments taken in the June 27 hearing (Kehoe), and SB 1809 (Machado). Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee are expected to be in print by August 7. These amendments are expected to address SB 1206, however, includes provisions that some, but not all of the many concerns that the would significantly undermine the use of redevel- League and our partners in the Technology Equal- opment to improve blighted areas. It will be in ity Coalition (TEC) have raised with the bill. amended for on August 7, but new and more Additional amendments are expected to the bill troublesome amendments are expected to be prior to its August 14 hearing in the Senate Appro- made to by August 10. These include amend- priations Committee. ments to the definition of "blighf'. a limitation of the ability of redevelopment agencies to incur debt We do not know if these amendments will after 20 years, a requirement that blight findings be Incorporate recommendations from the supported by "clear and convincing evidence," and Continued on Page 14 Visit the League's Official Website--www.cacltles.org PRIORITY FOCUS - PAGE 13 August 4, 2006 - Issue #31 -