Last week I wrote that redevelopment bill SB 286 (Wright) was stalled, with similar bill AB 1250 working the other house. Turns out that last Friday SB 286 was amended and brought to committee again. This time its language largely matches that of AB 1250, which should make it easier to get a unified plan through the legislature.

SB 286’s changes include the elimination of restrictions against sports facilities, just as AB 1250 didn’t contain such restrictions. Will Governor Brown maintain a hardline stance against redevelopment? Somewhat surprisingly, redevelopment has become something of a plank for Republicans in budget negotiations. Whether that’s simply to have a bargaining chip in place or actual support for the institution is something we’ll find out over the next few weeks. Then there’s the matter of the governor’s veto power, though I suspect that if a budget deal is done under Brown’s watch, he probably won’t be so intransigent as to create a budget crisis by killing one or more budget-compromise bills.