Today is the deadline for the state to pass its budget. As part of the budget, two new redevelopment bills are being debated.
AB 26x/SB 14x
Redevelopment, Part 1
Eliminates redevelopment agencies and provides for orderly wind-down of RDA activities including payment of existing debt and the continuation of pass-throughs. The related bill (AB 27x/SB 14x) creates an alternative ongoing RDA program.
AB 27x/SB 15x
Redevelopment, Part 2
Creates a voluntary alternative RDA program that allows existing RDAs to continue with reforms. The new program requires community remittances to schools, fire districts, and transit districts, of $1.7 billion in 2011-12 and about $400 million ongoing. Results in $1.7 billion budget “solution.”
The bills have Assembly and Senate designations to help them move through both houses simultaneously. These are compromise bills which lean more towards Governor Brown’s plans instead of AB 1250/SB 286, which would more fully preserve existing redevelopment. Already the new bills have attracted controversy. Redevelopment proponents have called the dual bills “ransom”. And AB 27x has already been scrubbed due to language that seemed to favor Los Angeles’ redevelopment agency over others.
It’s starting to get hot and heavy in the Capitol. More to come.
Update 2:40 PM – Main budget bills have been passed in both houses. Trailer bills are flying through with the exception of redevelopment, for which one bill is stuck two votes short of 2/3rds majority.
Update 3:20 PM – After a recess and some strongarming, both AB 26 and 27 barely pass the Senate. Assembly is next, then the governor.
Update 3:55 PM – Now in Assembly. Republican Asyman compares bills to a Sopranos-style shakedown. Italian-American Democrat is enraged, the two nearly come to blows. Theater. Yowza.
Update 4:07 PM – Assembly passes both bills. Entire package goes to the governor to sign. I’m still trying to grasp the full impact. Old RDA is dead. New RDA is… Enough? Crippled? Analysis later, followed by lawsuits for certain..
newballpark.org 
wow… ding, dong RDA’s are dead
Is this the final nail in the coffin for VC as well? :X
I’ll be honest: I don’t get it. Looking forward to your analysis RM so I can know what’s really going on.
I’m sure glad Chuck Reed & Co. created the San Jose Diridon Development Authority. Hopefully that keeps the dream alive.
Heh. I get it, ML.
For the Star Trek challenged: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH7KYmGnj40
Spell it out for this Star Wars geek. I get that it is Bones, but I don’t get how it works …
thanks A’s fan… gnarly
So RDA’s die under 26, but then RDA’s continue with restrictions under 27? I’d be shocked and confused if I didn’t know we were talking about our brain dead “leaders” in Sacramento. But this does raise the question, which bill actually becomes controlling law since both are mutually exclusive.
So I’ve read more. They’re not mutually exclusive after all. 26 kills RDA’s unless they meet the requirements of 27 which is that the RDA’s must divert a certain percentage of their incoming revenue to fire, schools, and transit agencies.
Regarding San Jose, Reed has already stated the SJ RDA cannot meet those requirements so the SJRDA will cease to exist and the “successor agency” will be taking over the SJ Stadium hunt. Oakland’s RDA is likely in the same position in that they likely won’t meet the requirements either (which seems to be the goal the state was aiming for), which will effectively kill Oakland’s RDA and VC as well.
BTW – When are the 2 bills effective if the gov. signs off on them? It’s ironic that out of all the crap A’s fan have had to endure the past 822 days, it will be our inept “leaders” in Sacto that forces BS’s hand in finally declaring Oakland dead. But then again, maybe that was BS’s tactic all along?! :X
@Dan – The two bills work in concert. 26 kills redevelopment, 27 allows it while neutering it all at once.
@ST – October 1.
Even if redevelopment dies and Oakland knows full well they are in dead in the water with VC does anyone think they will admit it?
The current EIR is on day 177 with no draft or anything mentioned from it. Oakland is trying to stall out the process forcing Wolff to sell to a owner who will build with his own money in the city.
Oakland was never in position like San Jose to have a successor agency come into play and finish off the ballpark piece.
The reason why is Oakland came way too late and now Brown for a second time (wow) is going to screw the City of Oakland out a stadium.
In the end the RDA mess spells doom for VC. Although I will say I think it is a mistake getting rid of RDA’s completely.
RDA’s allow cities/counties to work as private enterprises to generate tax revenue. If I was Brown I would regulate them so they spend their money only in certain restricted ways.