• On Jan. 30, the state Senate voted against a proposed bill that would change zoning regulations to require cities to allow multi-family home development in areas currently zoned for single-family homes. On the same day of the vote, state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) explained on Twitter why she didn’t support the bill. “SB 50 is a top-down approach that causes as many problems as it claims to solve and makes the goal of building more fire-resilient communities harder to achieve,” Jackson said. “We need effective solutions that honor and incentivize local communities while ensuring we effectively meet our housing goals. I look forward to continue working with my colleagues on this critical statewide issue.”
• On Feb. 6, Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) announced on Facebook that she testified in front of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services about predatory financial lenders. The Feb. 5 hearing centered on ways to regulate lenders that offer high-interest loans to consumers who then struggle to pay back the money lent. Limón spoke about her experience authoring a bill in the California Legislature that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law that aims to address this problem in the state. Some of these predatory lenders offer loans at interest rates at more than 100 percent. During the hearing, Limón said Assembly Bill 539 caps the interest rate of loans between $25,000 and $10,000 to 36 percent. “Over the past several years we attempted to address this problem by establishing a ceiling on interest rates,” Limón said during the hearing. “It took us three years and five different bills before we found the right balance to keep reasonable lenders in the market, while also protecting consumers from high fees and defaults.”
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) announced on Feb. 3 that he invited Planned Parenthood California Central Coast CEO Jenna Tosh to be his guest at the State of the Union Address, which took place on Feb. 4. “As the president continues to ramp up attacks on health care and reproductive health access, I could think of no better guest than Dr. Tosh—a health champion in our community and a strong voice for justice,” Carbajal said in a statement. According to the statement from Carbajal’s office, Tosh has led Planned Parenthood California Central Coast since February 2015, where she’s worked to implement reproductive rights programs and expand sexual health services. “I’m proud to attend the State of the Union with my congressman, Salud Carbajal, because reproductive health care is health care, and health care is a human right,” Tosh said. “Planned Parenthood will never stop fighting for a world in which all people have access to the care they need.”
• The city of Lompoc announced on Feb. 6 that Mayor Jenelle Osborne is serving on the League of California Cities’ Transportation, Communications, and Public Works Policy Committee. Through this one-year appointment, Osborne will help develop recommendations on state legislation that affects cities. In a statement from the city, Osborne said serving on this committee would allow her to advocate for the needs of the city. “Our businesses and residents would benefit from additional broadband options, and it is important to be on this policy committee and part of the larger voice that is the League of California Cities addressing the state Legislature.”
This article appears in Feb 13-20, 2020.