On Monday, September 15, as the CFA and WFA boards met to review the 2014 legislative efforts, with a special focus on fair funding, Governor Brown was signing Assembly Bill 2490 into law. This success gives us a great foundation to build our next steps, and we are appreciative of the Governor, Assembly Member Eggman, the bill's co-authors and the team at CDFA, led by Secretary Ross. (Click the links to view WFA's thank you letters.)
While this was a 2014 accomplishment, we must note that it has been a three-year process, started by Assembly Member Ma, continued by Senator Cannella and taken to the finish line by Assembly Member Eggman. Thanks are due to many, especially my CFA board colleagues, our Sacramento advocacy team, and the many fairs, directors and service members who supported this effort.
We have much to do as we prepare for 2015. An expanded effort to find funding, and the implementation of AB 2490 will be at the front of our agenda. Here are the next steps:
- AB 2490: While the bill will not become law until January 1, 2015, for all practical matters, the bill is law now. Our next task is to help guide the implementation of the new law to maximize its positive impact on our members. As with any significant change, we now need to examine the implications and work with our members and related agencies to ensure a smooth transition. We have asked our advocacy team to develop an overview of the legislation from an operational perspective. Once complete, we will share it with our members and their oversight agencies. We expect to add an AB 2490 overview to the CFA Fall Managers' Conference program, November 3-5.
- Funding: At our September meeting, we reviewed the effort to gain funding during the 2014 session. We will share the results of that review with California fairs at a special open forum at the California State Fair on November 3. We will convene as a group, then meet by area. After the area's meet, we will reconvene and hear reports from each area. These reports will then be used as the basis for a CFA planning session on November 5. Fair input will be critical. We have invited Governor Brown and Secretary Ross to attend.
CFA is a member-driven organization. Please make every effort to attend the November conference or share your input with your CFA area representative.