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In the News

California Forward Reforms Make Their Way to Legislative Measures

March 19 -- Last week, Senate and Assembly Democrats announced their endorsement of a variety of reforms included in the California Forward reform package and their intent to pursue those measures via the legislative process.  (See CSAC's blog post on this issue.)

These legislative measures have now been introduced in the form of SCA 19 (DeSaulnier) and ACA 4 (Feuer, Perez, and Bass).  Companion statutory measures are included in SB 844, SB 845, AB 1638, and AB 2591. 

So, what happens next? The Assembly and Senate Select Committees on Improving State Government are scheduled to meet on March 22 to hear from California Forward. The Senate bills will be heard in the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee on April 5.

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County Leaders Meet with Key Federal Officials in Washington, D.C.  

March 12 -- The National Association of Counties (NACo) held its 2010 Legislative Conference March 6-10 in Washington, D.C. A number of California county officials attended the annual gathering, including leaders from CSAC and the County Engineers Association of California (CEAC).

During the conference, CSAC officials had a number of productive meetings with members of Congress and key congressional staff aides to discuss the association’s federal priorities. Led by CSAC's officers, the association focused on Indian fee to trust reform, the rewrite of the nation's surface transportation law (SAFETEA-LU), and other county-related matters. Meetings also were held with the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Washington, D.C. office, and key members of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) staff.

CSAC also met with Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and members of her staff to discuss fee-to-trust reform and transportation reauthorization. Additionally, individual meetings were held with Congressman Gary Miller (R-CA) and Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA), both members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has jurisdiction over surface transportation legislation in the lower chamber.

To read more, click here.