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Legislative Retail Theft Package Signed into Law
After months of negotiations and amendments, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed the bipartisan Retail Theft Reduction Act, a comprehensive package of bills to combat retail theft. The bills establish tough new penalties for repeat offenders, provide additional tools for felony prosecutions, and crack down on serial shoplifters, retail thieves, and auto burglars.
CDA has been at the forefront of this issue from its inception and has been actively advocating with lawmakers and Governor’s Office to pass the package of bills. In recognition of the important role CDA played in the process, CDA Board President Austin Metoyer was invited to take part in the Governor’s bill signing ceremony on August 16, 2024 in San Jose.
CDA Secures Amendments Exempting BIDs from Senate Bill 1103 Requirements
Throughout the legislative session, CDA has been actively working on Senate Bill 1103 by Sen. Menjivar (D-Burbank), which would place onerous transparency and proportionality requirements for fees a landlord may charge certain tenants to recover building operating costs. After months of negotiations with the author’s office and sponsors, CDA successfully secured amendments that specifically exempt BID assessments from the requirements of the bill. This was a significant victory for CDA considering the author and sponsors have only included exemptions to business improvement districts in California.
Bill to Allow Take-Out Services within Entertainment Zones Passes
CDA supported SB 969 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) passed the Legislature this week with strong bi-partisan support and is now headed to the Governor for his consideration. This measure would allow local jurisdictions to create designated outdoor “entertainment zones” that will enable local brick-and-mortar bars and restaurants to sell takeout alcoholic beverages to patrons for consumption at street fairs, outdoor festivals, and other activations. SB 969 will aid the recovery of downtown small businesses by removing barriers to brick-and-mortar businesses participating in nearby outdoor events, like street fairs and festivals. The author and sponsors remain optimistic that the Governor will ultimately sign the legislation.
Select Committee on Downtown Recovery Holds San Diego Hearing
CDA continues to work closely with the members of the Assembly Select Committee on Downtown Recovery and the Committee’s Chair Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco). The committee has been holding hearings across the state most recently in San Diego and focused on “Revitalizing Struggling Downtowns Through Arts, Culture and Entertainment”. The hearing focused on the importance of having robust housing and nightlife programs for successful downtowns. The Downtown San Diego Partnership, a member of the CDA Board, was prominently featured at the hearing as a panelist and highlighted many of the organization’s successes improving downtown San Diego.
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