County Leaders Meet With Key Federal Officials in Washington, D.C., This Week
By Paul McIntosh, Executive Director
pmcintosh@counties.org
The National Association of Counties (NACo) held its 2010 Legislative Conference March 6-10 in Washington, D.C. A number of California county officials attended the annual gathering, including leaders from CSAC and the County Engineers Association of California (CEAC).
During the conference, CSAC officials had a number of productive meetings with members of Congress and key congressional staff aides to discuss the association’s federal priorities. Led by CSAC’s officers, the association focused on Indian fee to trust reform, the rewrite of the nation’s surface transportation law (SAFETEA-LU), and other county-related matters. Meetings also were held with the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Washington, D.C. office, and key members of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) staff.
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To Combine or Not To Combine?
Consolidation of County Offices Topic of Senate Local Government Committee Informational Hearing
On Wednesday, March 17, the Senate Local Government Committee will hold an informational hearing on the topic of consolidation of county offices. Titled “Prudence and Economy: Rethinking State Limits on County Offices,” the committee will hear from a variety of county officials about the appropriate level of state involvement and oversight in the organization of county offices.
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California Counties Have a New "Voice"
This week, CSAC launched The County Voice, a blog where CSAC staff, county officials and stakeholders can express their thoughts on governance and issues that impact California's 58 counties. The blog is designed to provide breaking information on issues in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., as well as a forum for the exchange of county viewpoints. Visitors to the site can not only learn new information, but also express views on topics of interest. The blog will enhance other social media tools CSAC uses, such as Twitter, Facebook and audio casts. Registration is necessary in order to comment on a blog post, but not required for reading the posts and information. To visit the blog, click here.
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Administration of Justice
AB 2387, by Assembly Member Jeff Miller, seeks to amend Penal Code Section 4011.10 by adding the term “local law enforcement patient,” thereby assigning financial responsibility for an individual’s medical treatment prior to their being booked (often referred to as pre-commitment arrestees) into a local detention facility.
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Agriculture and Natural Resources
SB 1207, by Senator Christine Kehoe, would amend the general plan safety element requirements for state responsibility areas (SRA) and very high fire hazard severity zones (VHFHSZ).
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Employee Relations
AB 1814, by Assembly Member Joan Buchanan, will make state and federal law consistent by permitting bridge retiree health benefits under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).
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Government Finance and Operations
Under current law, counties are on the hook for the cost of elections held to fill congressional and state legislative vacancies. This has not always been the case, however.
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Health and Human Services
The Medicaid Section 1115 WaiverStatewide Advisory Committee met on March 10 and spent most of the meeting discussing the progress of the technical workgroups and the ongoing waiver negotiations between the state and federal government.
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Washington, D.C., Report
As noted in the lead article of this Bulletin, the National Association of Counties (NACo) held its 2010 Legislative Conference March 6-10 in our nation’s capital.
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