LAEDC strongly opposes Assembly Bill (AB) 485 (Medina), as it did last year with AB 2853, which was an antecedent bill ultimately vetoed by then Governor Brown. Similar to AB 2853, AB 485 would force local agencies (e.g., city or county) to conduct hearings and issue redundant and excessive reports, with highly sensitive disclosures in some cases, prior to and every year after an award of an economic development subsidy for a warehouse distribution center within their jurisdictions.  There are also onerous and excessive reporting requirements for those businesses that would develop new logistics facilities, which we believe will discourage such jobs-creating projects.

You can read LAEDC’s full letter on the subject HERE.

The status of this bill can be found HERE, and a full text of the bill can be found HERE.

As an economic development leadership organization, we’re perplexed as to why a separate law is necessary to single out and needlessly expand the current law to apply only to warehouse distribution centers, which we believe would greatly burden local agencies, negatively impact direct and follow on economic activity supported by our state’s trade and logistics-related and -dependent industries, and impede economic development writ large across the state.

Please contact your elected state assembly member today to express your views on this bill.