• On April 16, Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) unveiled Senate Bill 468, which would require the evaluation of certain California tax credits and exemptions for their effectiveness as well as economic, social, or another benefits to the state. A press release from Jackson’s office stated that many of California’s nearly 80 tax expenditures have sat on the books for decades without scrutiny or data to demonstrate that they are achieving their public policy goals. SB 468 would apply to nine corporate and other tax incentives that cost more than $1 billion a year and direct the Legislative Analyst’s Office to analyze each tax incentive for its effectiveness and propose a three-year sunset on the expenditures. “For too long, California has routinely granted generous tax credits and exemptions, which divert billions of dollars away from the general fund without asking whether they deliver economic or social benefits to our state. These are dollars that could be spent in our classrooms, addressing the housing crisis, or combatting wildfires and climate change. By providing transparency and accountability to our state tax incentives, Californians can be sure their taxpayer dollars are being spent prudently, fairly, and wisely,” Jackson said in the press release. “It’s time to bring some sunshine to the Golden State.” SB 468 is scheduled to go before the Senate Governance and Finance Committee on May 1.
• On April 19, the day before the 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) urged Congress to take action on HR 1236. The Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, a bipartisan bill introduced in February, encourages states to allow family members or law enforcement officials to petition a judge to temporarily remove firearms from an individual in crisis. “No student should feel unsafe in their classroom, and no parent should send their child to school in the morning wondering if they will return home safely,” Carbajal said in a press release. “This solemn anniversary underscores the need for states to pass extreme-risk laws that give law enforcement officers the tools they need to temporarily disarm those who threaten to kill themselves or others. Congress must take action to encourage more states to follow California’s lead in implementing extreme-risk laws—these laws maintain due process and can save lives.” On April 12, Colorado became the latest of 15 states to enact an extreme risk law that would allow guns to be temporarily seized from people deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. The laws have been proposed in 23 additional state legislatures, according to the press release.
• Santa Barbara County Public Works Director Scott McGolpin was installed as president-elect of the National Association of County Engineers at the organization’s recent annual meeting and technical conference. The nonprofit, non-partisan professional association is in its 62nd year and represents more than 2,400 county road officials and related professionals in the U.S. and Canada. Local roads account for about 75 percent of highways and roads in the U.S., or 2.93 million miles, according to a press release from the organization. Counties manage 1.74 million miles of those roads, own 231,000 bridges, and operate a third of the nation’s transit systems. “County infrastructure is the backbone for a successful American economy. From getting goods to market to ensuring a safe and efficient ride to and from work for our residents, county-owned transportation infrastructure will lead the way toward economic prosperity for decades to come,” McGolpin said in the release. McGolpin’s term as president will run through April 2020.
This article appears in Apr 25 – May 2, 2019.