LEGISLATION AND LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES PRIORITY FOCUS BULLETIN Issue # 31 dated August 5 2005. August 5 2005 Issue #31 2005 The Legislature is in recess until August 15. LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DEFEAT MTBE JAILBREAK IN FEDERAL ENERGY BILL Taxpayers and local governments throughout the nation won a major victory last week as Congress adopted an energy bill that rejected language that would have imposed a multi billion dollar unfunded mandate on local governments by preventing municipalities from suing the producers of the gas additive Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) a major contaminate of drinking water. For more see Page 6.(cid:160) FEDERAL BILLS SEEK TO LIMIT USE OF EMINENT DOMAIN In response to the Supreme Court s Kelo v. City of New London decision several measures have been introduced in Congress that would impact California cities ability to complete important community revitalization projects. If signed into law they all would restrict the use of federal funds on projects where eminent domain was used. For more see Page 6. WANT MORE DETAILS ON BILLS? TELECOM REFORM HEATS UP BOARD APPROVES GUIDING PRINCIPLES Visit the League of California Cities website at www.cacities.org/ billsearch. Members of Congress continued to introduce new bills impacting telecom munications right up to the start of their recess on August 1. For more see Page 3. Page 2 Page 3 MICHAEL GOLD NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OC DIVISION PAT DANDO MOVES TO SAN JOSE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN MEMORIAM: TOM COOKE TELECOMMUNICATIONS PRINCIPLES MICHAEL GOLD NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OC DIVISION Michael Gold has been named executive director of the League s Orange County Division. Michael previously served as the division s deputy director and will continue to serve as the League s regional representative for the Orange County division. Gold replaces Janet Huston who spent 10 years in the position before becoming as the director of communications and governmental affairs for the state s Department of...
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