WHAT IS CAI
LEGISLATIVE DAY
AND WHY IS IT
IMPORTANT?
T
he CAI-California Legislative Action Committee (“CLAC”)
Legislative Day was held on April 8-9 in Sacramento. CAI members
attend educational sessions, meet CLAC Delegates from around
the state, as well as meet and educate legislators about pending
legislation affecting community associations. One hundred and ten
(110) people participated in Leg Day 2019 which allowed us to visit all
120 members of the California State Legislature. Special thanks to CAI
San Diego Executive Director Richard Ybarra, Board President Racheal
Robenolt and CLAC/LSC members Craig Combs, Kimberly Lilley, Pamela
Richardson, Robert Riddick, Natalie Stewart, and Robert Ward for their
great work on our behalf.
WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER SKIP LEG DAY:
1. Let your Voice be Heard: One of CAI’s greatest strengths is
membership diversity, comprised of homeowners, community managers
and service providers who live in and work with community associations.
While CLAC Delegates are diligent, hardworking, experienced
professionals, no one knows how a pending bill will affect you, your
community or your business better than you do. Your unique input can
make an important difference, but only if you make your voice be heard.
2. There is Power in Numbers: You may think analyzing and shaping
pending legislation is the job of CLAC delegates and CAI’s legislative
advocate, Louie Brown. You are right. However, constituents, input in the
form of an in-person visit, social media post, email or hard copy letter
can be extremely influential on elected officials. Why? Because your vote
literally may determine someone’s re-election, you have greater power than
you may think and need to use it!
3. Be a Resource: Over 2,000 bills were introduced in 2019 and it’s
extremely challenging for a legislator and their staff to understand them
all. Take advantage of this opportunity to educate them on whether a draft
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SUMMER 2019
bill does what its author says it’s
trying to accomplish, and also what
are the unintended consequences
of the bill. For example, a bill
may increase public safety, but be
so expensive to implement that
the individuals whose homes it’s
proposing to make safer may lose
their homes in paying for the
measures required by the bill.
4. Relationships Matter:
Politics is the art of the long
game. Legislators will meet with
constituents and people with
business before their committees
over anyone else. If a legislator
evaluates the pros and cons of a bill
to be fairly equal, their vote generally
will go to the person or organization