Refreshing News: Deluge of Strong Flood Policy Bills Heads to Governor Schwarzenegger

By Gary A. Patton
Executive Director
Planning and Conservation League

Last week we reported that central elements of the flood policy reform package – SB 5 (Machado) and SB 17 (Florez) -- were already headed to the Governor's desk for his signature, and that AB 162 (Wolk), and AB 156 (Laird) were not far behind. We also alerted you that AB 70 (Jones) would need extra support to get the votes it needed. Here's the latest lay of the land.

Flood Series Part IX: The Package Emerges from the Legislature

Since last week the California legislature has approved the last remaining bills of the flood legislation package!

AB 70 was a nail biter to the very end. The bill reduces the state's (and thus all California taxpayer's) liability for flood damages to the extent that the damage was a result of unreasonable decisions at the local level that put people and property at risk. Jockeyed by Senator Mike Machado, AB 70 successfully made it off the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon and was sent for concurrence in the Assembly with twenty-three AYE votes (including one from a Republican, Senator Abel Maldonado) hurrying it on its way. Concurrence in the Assembly did not come until well after midnight on Wednesday, with PCL staff tending it all the way. To everyone who called their legislators in support of AB 70 - thank you!

Also, AB 162, which creates sensible guidelines on how to integrate flood hazard zones into General Plans, was passed by the Senate last week and received concurrence by the Assembly on Tuesday. And as expected, AB 156, which would promote flood safety planning at the local level, passed out of the Senate Tuesday afternoon (twenty five AYES to fourteen NOES) and received concurrence in the Assembly during the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Finally, we're also happy to report that AB 5 also has made it to the Governor's desk early Wednesday morning. Last week we mentioned that the key provisions of AB 5 had been incorporated into SB 5. Now AB 5 contains provisions relating to the reform of the Reclamation Board envisioned in Senator Florez's SB 17 and additional provisions concerning the flood safety reforms in Assembly Member Laird's AB 156.

The Governor could act on the bills that are part of the flood package ANY DAY NOW.

Please call the Governor's office (916-445-2841) TODAY to express your support for ALL components of the flood package.

Comments

Posted by: brthomas at September 15, 2007 04:53 PM

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