§ 1235.150.Local Public Entity

This is a definition built entirely by subtraction. A "local public entity" is any public entity, as § 1235.190 defines that broader term, that isn't the state -- and § 1235.200 defines "state" to mean the State of California, including the Regents of the University of California.

The distinction separates counties, cities, districts, and every other kind of political subdivision from state government itself. It matters wherever the Eminent Domain Law or other statutes treat state and local condemnors differently -- for instance, in provisions that apply distinct procedures or funding rules depending on which level of government is exercising the power.