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CBPA’s Senior Director of Government Relations, Skyler Wonnacott, delivered supportive testimony on AB 698 (Wicks; D-Berkeley), which requires local governments to evaluate the impact of real estate transfer taxes on housing and commercial development. This bill aligns with findings from recent studies conducted by BOMA and UCLA, which underscore the negative consequences such taxes can have on construction feasibility and project viability.
CBPA also testified in favor of AB 507 (Haney; D-San Francisco), a measure designed to incentivize and streamline the conversion of underutilized or vacant commercial buildings into housing or mixed-use developments. The bill would create a more predictable path forward by enabling ministerial approval, reducing entitlement burdens and fees, offering flexibility in parking requirements and select building standards, and even allowing for new construction on existing parcels.
In partnership with a broad business coalition, CBPA successfully opposed AB 1157 (Kalra; D-San Jose), which sought to expand rent control regulations on multifamily housing. The bill failed to advance and was pulled from hearing due to insufficient support.
CBPA joined forces with goods movement stakeholders to help stop SB 667 (Archuleta; D-Norwalk), which would have placed arbitrary limits on freight train lengths. The proposal conflicted with federal law and raised concerns about its potential to increase the cost of goods.
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