Hello everyone,
Only a little over six weeks to go in the 2025 session and as expected the JBC delayed the introduction of the Long Bill. Last week, after hearing the revenue forecasts, the JBC voted to use the OSPB forecast to base next year’s budget. The OSPB forecast gives the JBC about $168 million more to spend next year than the Legislative Council forecast. The JBC still has some big decisions to make (e.g., Prop 130 funding, Medicaid, higher education, and free breakfasts and lunches for K-12 students), but they are hoping to finalize the budget later today. (It generally takes staff about a week to draft the Long Bill and all the orbital bills that run with the Long Bill).
In other news from last week, on Tuesday morning, the CSPA Board held a legislative meet and greet before the start of floor work. It was a great turnout with more than 30 legislators stopping by to talk with CSPA Board members. On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee passed SB 060 Repeated Phone Calls Obstruction of Government Operations to the House floor. SB 060 expands the conduct that constitutes the crime of obstructing governmental operations to include the repeated calling of 911 dispatch centers without justifiable cause. The crime of obstructing governmental operations is a class 2 misdemeanor. The CSPA supports SB 060. SB 060 previously passed the Senate 33 to 0 and is scheduled to be heard on second reading in the House later today.
Also on Wednesday, the Senate Transportation Committee unanimously referred SB 187 Sunset Motorcycle Safety Training Program to the Senate Appropriations Committee. SB 187 continues the MOST Program for 9 more years (until September 1, 2034), lowers the minimum age for a MOST instructor from 21 to 18, and removes the authority of the advisory board to make recommendations on expenditures. The CSPA supports SB 187. The Senate Appropriations Committee will likely wait until after the budget to hear SB 187.
So far, there have been 511 bills introduced – 307 in the House and 204 in the Senate. Only 44 more days until the General Assembly is required to adjourn sine die.
Bill Skewes
Lobbyist