by Betsy Martyn on January 4, 2018
posted in Legislative Updates,
The State Legislature has enacted new prevailing wage legislation affecting public agency projects. Our office has summarized this new legislation. ... Continue Reading
by Betsy Martyn on January 4, 2018
posted in Legislative Updates,
Several new laws have taken effect in 2018. Our office has prepared a summary of new laws affecting local government. ... Continue Reading
by Scott E. Huber on October 20, 2016
posted in Legislative Updates, Schools,
On September 23, 2016 Governor Brown signed AB2316 which makes significant changes to the Lease-Leaseback construction program that school districts have been successfully using for years. The bill arises primarily out of recent litigation in Fresno stemming from allegations of corruption and partiality. These new changes, set to take effect on January 1, 2017, among other revisions, specifically delete the phrase “without advertising for bid” from Education Code §17406 and add a new competitive bidding process to the lease-leaseback procedure. Additionally, it includes a specific provision ... Continue Reading
by Derek P. Cole on August 23, 2016
posted in Legislative Updates, Meetings, Uncategorised,
On August 23, 2016, Governor Brown signed SB 1436 (Bates), which mandates that local agencies report out certain information before changing the compensation or benefits of their “executives.” Under this new law, legislative bodies (e.g., city councils, boards of supervisors, or boards of directors) for agencies must “orally report a summary of a recommendation” for changes in salaries or benefits before voting for the changes. The votes must then take place in the open session portions of their meetings. SB 1436 is part of an evolving trend toward requiring greater transparency concerning ... Continue Reading
by Karen A. Feld on July 27, 2016
posted in Legislative Updates,
Governor Brown signed SB 1255 on July 25, 2016 which becomes effective on January 1, 2017. The law overturns a controversial decision by the California Supreme Court in 2015 which re-set the date of separation in family law. Traditionally, when a marriage dissolved, the parties moved out of the shared residence and into their own places. Over time, this began to change, particularly with the advent of the recession. People realized that if they could co-exist in the home, they could live more cheaply and more easily co-parent their children, even while considering the marriage to be dissolved. ... Continue Reading