In This Issue:

• STATE BUDGET UPDATE

• CALIFORNIA ADOPTS NATION'S FIRST STATEWIDE BUILDING CODE

• COMPARE FUTURES FOR THE DELTA

• PROCESS UNDERWAY TO LIST DELTA SMELT FISH AS ENDANGERED

• ORGANIZED RETAIL CRIME ACT

• GOVERNOR REACTS TO FEDERAL GREENHOUSE GAS DECISION

• CBPA 2008 CALENDAR

STATE BUDGET UPDATE

Eighteen days into the new fiscal year and no budget is in sight even though the Governor has begun to goad legislators to act. In the “goal-oriented” culture of the legislature, Capitol insiders think it is going to take running out of cash to get policymakers to agree on a plan. To be continued…
 

CALIFORNIA ADOPTS NATION'S FIRST STATEWIDE BUILDING CODE

California has adopted the first set of statewide “green” building codes in the nation when the codes were approved this week by the Building Standards Commission (BSC). CBPA members representing all types of properties (commercial, industrial, and retail) have spent months working on iterations of this historic code and submitting comments through the public process. We think this is a blueprint that will produce ever increasing sustainable buildings, while being economically feasible and technologically attainable. Adopting these codes through the existing iterative standards process is the best and quickest way to bring about this monumental change. Several attempts to mandate private certification standards, instead of conducting this public iterative process, have been defeated in the past few years by industry efforts.

Click here to read the Governor’s Statement.

Click here to read the L.A. Times Story.

Click here to read the CBPA press release.

Click here to read the adopted California green code.
 

COMPARE FUTURES FOR THE DELTA

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta serves as the major hub of California’s water supply and is home to a diverse array of fish and wildlife. Today, the Delta is in crisis, facing sharp declines in native fish populations and substantial cuts in water exports. A new study by the Public Policy Institute of California examines four management strategies for the Delta. This report builds on the findings of a 2007 PPIC study by the same multidisciplinary team of experts, which concluded that the need for a new Delta strategy is urgent. The new study evaluates Delta strategies in light of two critical policy goals: reviving a threatened ecosystem and ensuring a reliable, high-quality water supply for California. Click here to read the full report entitled "Comparing Futures for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta".
 

PROCESS UNDERWAY TO LIST DELTA SMELT FISH AS ENDANGERED

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials have started the process to reclassify the small silver delta smelt from "threatened" to "endangered." Some fear that threats to the species have actually increased since it received federal protections in 1993. Officials state that the decision to investigate the current threats is unrelated to a federal court order to limit the amount of water pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
 

ORGANIZED RETAIL CRIME ACT

H.R. 6491, The Organized Retail Crime Act of 2008 has recently been introduced. The bill will be referred to the House Judiciary Committee, where the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security is expected to review and consider the legislation. Members of the Coalition Against Organized Retail Crime have been working with Committee Chair Rep. Scott and his staff for several months and understand he will work on a measure that focuses solely on “e-fencing”, with the goals of merging his legislation with the Ellsworth-Jordan in September. The coalition is working to address concerns expressed by the “online community,” and ask that industry partners weigh-in with letters of support. Click here for more information from our friends at RILA.
 

GOVERNOR REACTS TO FEDERAL GREENHOUSE GAS DECISION

Governor Schwarzenegger issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement that the agency will no longer pursue new steps to regulate greenhouse gas emissions before the close of the current administration:

“It’s not surprising that this administration is putting off any action on greenhouse gas emissions. California has been leading the way on addressing climate change and we will continue to lead despite Washington because we know the threat of global warming is so immediate. Whoever is elected to be the next occupant of the White House will be a leader on the environment, and California will continue working to protect our environment and grow our economy at the same time.”
 

CBPA 2008 CALENDAR

OCTOBER 23 --

CBPA Board Meeting
The Irvine Company

CBPA Industry Awards Dinner
Island Hotel, Newport Beach