December 16, 2020

TO: CLA MEMBERS/ SYSTEMS/ NETWORK CONTACTS

FROM: Mike Dillon and Christina DiCaro, CLA Lobbyists

RE: NEWS FROM THE CAPITOL

2021-22 LEGISLATIVE CLASS SWORN IN AT STATE CAPITOL – MAJOR BROADBAND BOND BILL AND ACA1 ARE INTRODUCED

On Monday, December 7th the 2021-22 class of newly-elected State Senators and Assemblymembers were sworn in to office in Sacramento. The event was a toned- down affair compared to years past, with no family members allowed to be in attendance for the celebratory day, due to the ongoing threat of the pandemic. At their respective ceremonies, both Senate President pro Tem Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon offered opening remarks, indicating that their houses would be legislating through the lens of COVID-19 in 2021, seeking to provide much-needed relief to those affected by the pandemic.

During Speaker Rendon’s address, he highlighted issues that would be part of his caucus’ focus this year: climate change, environmental justice, police decertification, and broadband. The Speaker said that he would make expanding access to broadband and the Internet a priority and he further highlighted the uneven distribution of access throughout the state, referenced the challenges that rural counties face, and noted that a lack of access in a wildfire-prone area can “mean the difference between life and death.” The Speaker punctuated his digital divide remarks by saying, “This must happen now. This session.”

Often, on the “swearing-in” day, a few legislators will take the opportunity to introduce legislation, in order to “plant their flag” with regard to their leadership and interest on a particular subject. CLA was pleased to see that one such legislator – Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) introduced AB 34, which states legislative intent for the state to place a broadband general obligation bond measure on the November 2022 state ballot. Titled the “Broadband for All Act of 2022,” AB 34 is also co-authored by Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, and Senator Steve Glazer. In a press release issued by the authors, it indicates that the “goal of the measure is to close the digital divide by investing in statewide broadband infrastructure and increasing access to high-speed internet in unserved and underserved communities throughout the state. The bill will also help jumpstart the state’s economic recovery and support public education, telecommuting, telehealth and telemedicine, emergency response and preparedness, and other vital services.” Added Assemblyman Muratsuchi, “California needs to go big and bold to close the digital divide and jumpstart economic recovery.” This pandemic has highlighted enormous disparities in access to reliable, high-speed internet, especially in rural and low-income urban communities. As the ‘Innovation State,’ California should lead by significantly increasing its investment in public broadband infrastructure to provide affordable and reliable access to the internet

for all Californians.” As such, the authors intend to push for a bond of “up to $10 billion to close the digital divide throughout California.”

At this time, AB 34 is a “spot bill” or placeholder legislation, as the authors continue to craft, what is sure to be a critical and timely piece of major legislation for 2021. CLA has been working with Assemblyman Muratsuchi’s office and has requested a specific set-aside for bond funds for public library broadband construction. (e.g. connecting remaining branches and jurisdictions to the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California/CENIC’s high-speed, broadband “backbone.”)

Several other digital divide-related measures were introduced on December 7 as well. The CLA Legislative Committee will be reviewing and taking positions on all of these measures at their meeting in early January.

Another measure of great interest to CLA members is the re-introduction of ACA 1- Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) from 2019. You may recall that Assemblywoman Aguiar- Curry’s measure would have lowered the local vote threshold for local construction bonds and special taxes from the current two-thirds vote requirement to 55%. The bill pertained to local government projects, such as roads, fire departments, water, parks, etc. At CLA’s request, the author, who is a strong public library champion, agreed to specifically indicate that public libraries were an eligible entity in the bill, along with broadband projects. Unfortunately, Ms. Aguiar-Curry, along with a formidable group of local government associations and unions, was unable to secure enough votes for passage of the bill on the Assembly Floor in the 2019-20 legislative session. Undeterred, the Assemblywoman was able to obtain the same bill number for her measure for the 2021-22 session and she will be proceeding with the effort again. CLA supported the previous ACA1 and will be taking an official position on the new bill at the January Legislative Committee meeting.

The State Assembly and Senate will be convening on January 4, 2021 to begin the new session, and we anticipate that approximately 2000 bills will be introduced between January 4th and the official bill introduction deadline in late February. It is unclear how soon after January 4th that bills will be scheduled for hearing due to the ongoing complication of COVID-19 and the closure of the State Capitol building to the public during the state and county shutdown orders. We will keep you posted on these and any other issues of interest as the legislature begins its work in January.