Aug 23 Livable California Lobby Day Update

Hi all, 

Livable California was in the state Capitol in Sacramento this week fighting Senate Bill 330 and Assembly Bill 1487, both of which rob power from local cities and silence our most vulnerable and diverse communities — in the vein of Scott Wiener's terrible SB 50 and SB 827.  

Here's our Report Back: 

  • It was shocking to see SB 330 and AB 1487 moving toward approval, with key legislators unaware of what they say.
  • A key legislator with power over SB 330 did not know SB 330 doesn't require a single unit of affordable housing.
  • No legislator knew that SB 330 kills public hearings by community boards & community councils who fight for affordable units.
  • No legislator knew that SB 330 lets developers sue cities for $50,000 per unit (not "just" $10K per unit) if a city denies their bad project. 
  • Sen. Mike McGuire is working hard to pass AB 1487, creating a vast housing entity run by the incompetent MTC transit agency.
  • A Livable California member & transit expert is working to delay AB 1487 one year, or cut out the incompetent MTC.

We saw a legislature in the grip of panic set off by Scott Wiener's bizarre claims that we must get rid of yards and breathing room and jam each community with towers to address the affordability crisis. Proposed state laws in 2019 empower luxury developers and silence communities — Wiener's two key desires.

 

Here's our ask of you:

Pease write Lorena Gonzalez, chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Urge her to deep-six SB 330 in the "suspense file" for good.  

Write today at [email protected].

Copy this message to her, or use your own words: "California is short 1.2 million housing units, which can be met with incremental, rational efforts instead of panic bills like SB 330 and SB 50 that kill public input from working-class and diverse Californians and turn cities into the enemy. Please read this study proving that California's own verified state data shows a shortage of 1.2M units, not the false 3.5 million shortage claim. We can build 1.2M without demonizing low-income areas, families who finally own homes, and city councils — as the terrible SB 330 does."

 

Finally:

We may ask your help to turn AB 1487 into a "two-year" bill to give the public time to realize that a huge and failing Bay Area transit agency — MTC — is about to become a huge and failing housing agency. And these folks can't be voted out. 

 

Thanks for your time, and have a good weekend! 

Rick Hall

www.LivableCalifornia.org

 

Our mission is to build local empowerment to shape truly affordable, sustainable communities built upon social equity and a chance at the American dream.

Livable California
2940 16th Street
Suite 200-1
San Francisco, CA 94103
United States

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