• On Jan. 28, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) announced the reintroduction of his first piece of legislation in Congress, the California Clean Coast Act—now of 2019. The bill, House Resolution 279, would permanently ban future offshore oil and gas leasing in areas of the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California. His announcement coincides with the 50th anniversary of the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, which many credit with galvanizing the environmental movement in the U.S. Carbajal joined Democratic representatives from New Jersey, Florida, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia, and California to introduce bills designed to block offshore drilling in one or more regions of the Outer Continental Shelf. The package of bills comes as the Trump administration prepares to release the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s proposed oil and gas leasing program for the Outer Continental Shelf. “With the Trump administration’s unrelenting attacks on our environment and natural resources, it is more important than ever to make it clear that we will not accept further oil leasing and development off our shores,” Carbajal said in a press release.
• To celebrate National Data Privacy Day, Jan. 28, Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) joined other Assembly Republicans to introduce a five-policy legislative package designed to strengthen the state’s consumer privacy protections. According to the press release, the bills would give people increased control over how their data is being used, encourage family conversations about appropriate social media use, put consumers first in the aftermath of a data breach, and call on the federal government to update anti-trust laws. “The right to privacy is fundamental to a free society. But, as we learn more about tech companies’ business practices and how data has been transferred without consent, we realize that, in many respects, privacy is an illusion,” Cunningham said in the release. “We need new safeguards so we can continue to enjoy the benefits of these technologies while protecting against the risks they pose.”
• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Jan. 25 that the state planned to file a lawsuit against the city of Huntington Beach because it “willfully” refused to comply with state housing law, according to a press release on the Office of the Governor’s website. “The state doesn’t take this action lightly,” Newsom said in the release. “The huge housing costs and sky-high rents are eroding quality of life for families across the state.” The state’s complaint against Huntington Beach seeks to bring the city’s housing plan into compliance with state law by planning for the development of additional housing units that are accessible to residents of all income levels. A bill passed as part of the state’s 2017 housing package allows the state to revoke a city is or county’s existing housing plan compliance and refer potential cases to the state Attorney General’s Office for litigation. The suit against Huntington Beach is the first such case.
• The city of Huntington Beach filed a lawsuit against the state on Jan. 17 claiming that state legislation streamlining the process for building new housing developments is unconstitutional. The lawsuit argues that the state’s Constitution gives cities local land-use and zoning authority that the law, SB 35, usurps by requiring cities to approve housing projects that offer affordable housing faster. Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates told the San Francisco Chronicle that Sacramento is trying to micromanage cities. “It’s really nothing more than the city trying to maintain its local control,” Gates said. Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who authored SB 35, responded with a statement that said the city’s lawsuit “reflects a deeply misguided view of California’s housing mess.”
This article appears in Jan 31 – Feb 7, 2019.
