Clerks of the Board: Got a Legislative Proposal for CACEO Sponsorship?

Legislative proposals suitable for CACEO sponsorship that impact Clerk of the Board programs should focus on improving or streamlining the processes and programs administered by COBs. Primarily such legislation will be technical in nature and will usually not involve controversial policy issues. If you are considering submitting a proposal for sponsorship, bear in mind that legislation that merely shifts workload and administrative responsibility to the state or to another local government officer is not likely to be successful without very significant justification.

You also may have identified one or more code sections that use the term “clerk” or “county clerk” that is either out date or needs clarification as to whether it refers to the county clerk, the clerk of the board, registrar of voters the clerk of the superior court, or the city clerk. CACEO has had an ongoing program for decades designed to clear up these ambiguities.

Included in the information that the proposal form requires is specific legislative language adding, amending, or repealing the code section or sections dealing with the subject. It also requires an explanation of exactly what the proposal would do; a description of what problems the proposed legislation would solve; specifically how the proposal would affect the Clerk of the Board; a justification for the proposal; a listing of other code sections that would be affected, if any; a description and estimate of cost savings to your office or to COBs statewide; a listing of other agencies that would be affected, if any; and your best guess as to who might support or oppose the legislation.

Legislative proposals should be sent to John McKibben, Chairman of the COB Legislative Committee, no later than November 20, 2015 at [email protected] or at 500 West Temple St., Room 383, Los Angeles CA 90012. Or you may fax it to John’s attention at (213) 620-0636. If the COB Legislative Committee approves the proposal, it will be voted upon by CACEO’s COB members at New Law Workshop in Sacramento on Thursday, December 10, 2015.

If you have questions, call John at (213) 200-9610.

COB's and New Law

The day starts with the usual presentation on legislation enacted this year that will affect Clerks of the Board and discuss any legislation that has been proposed by member Clerks for CACEO sponsorship.  You’ll also hear about the “bullets” that you didn’t know you dodged in the form of legislation that would have had a negative workload or financial impact had it not been for CACEO lobbyist Matt Siverling and the COB Legislative Committee.

Next Carla Johnson, Director of the Mayor of San Francisco’s Office on Disability will discuss how San Francisco integrated the principals and requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into the everyday work flow of the Clerk of the Board’s operations.  She will discuss how Clerks can use technology to make meetings, material, Websites, and agendas accessible.  Clerks will learn about what constitutes a “reasonable accommodation” under the ADA in terms of the operations of the Clerk of the Board, and learn about what San Francisco has done to combine communication access, architectural features, and reasonable accommodations to make meetings and services truly accessible under the ADA.  Clerks can find out how they might apply these techniques in their own county and thus avoid expensive litigation.

In the afternoon, we will have an extremely important, timely, and informative panel discussion on this year’s legislative hot topic, “Open Data.”  Two bills are on the Governor’s desk right now dealing with Open Data that would amend the California Public Records Act and that will directly affect all local agencies, including Clerks of the Board, and they are likely to be signed by Gov. Brown.  But what is Open Data, especially to Clerks in our administering the CPRA, and what does it mean to Clerks of the Board generally?  

Hear a panel comprised of Robb Korinke of GrassrootsLab, the chief supporter of AB 169 (Maienschein) and SB 272 (Hertzberg), bills that were subject to a lot of CACEO lobbying; Assemblymember Brian Maienschein, the author of AB 169 (invited); Jim Ewart, Chief Counsel for the California Newspaper Publishers Association; Marcia Cunningham, Director of Strategic Business Technology for Stanislaus County; and Krista Whitman, Assistant County Counsel of Sacramento County who will discuss the impact of Open Data on local agencies and on Clerk operations, and what the future holds for future Open Data legislation affecting the CPRA.  Don’t miss this one!

And finally – and perhaps best of all – in the second half of the afternoon, Clerks of the Board will meet with E. Dotson Wilson, Chief Clerk of the Assembly, and his staff at the Capitol in the Assembly Chambers to learn about how the Chief Clerk supports a REALLY big legislative body.  It is a rare treat to be able to meet with Mr. Wilson, especially on the Assembly Floor.  Mr. Wilson has asked that Clerks come prepared to share their own technological and other innovations in clerking a legislative body in the session’s Q & A.  This is another session not to be missed!