Pro-housing groups hit rough waters

Presented by Uber: Inside the Golden State political arena

Apr 29, 2024 View in browser   By Dustin Gardiner and Lara Korte Presented by  CALLING ALL SF POLITICOS! We’re hosting team trivia night Wednesday at Manny’s in San Francisco’s Mission district. Join Playbook co-authors Lara and Dustin for an evening of tough questions and adult beverages. Attendees are welcome to come with a team — or just bring yourself and meet fun people. Winners will receive a Manny’s gift card and POLITICO swag bag. The games run 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Space is limited, so reserve your ticket here while they last! California's Coastal Commission is sparring with pro-housing groups who want to make it easier to build more condos and apartments in beach towns like Santa Monica, pictured. | AP THE BUZZ: SPLASHING BACK — California’s powerful Coastal Commission has made one point clear this legislative session: It's ready to aggressively resist efforts from pro-housing groups to bring denser development to the coast. The commission — which has long held a revered status in state politics — was caught off guard last year when state Sen. Scott Wiener and pro-housing groups pushed through unprecedented legislation that limits the commission’s power to block apartment and condo towers in coastal cities that have resisted building more housing. But this legislative session has played out differently — with a PR and lobbying offensive that has forced pro-development lawmakers to scale back bills that would have further eased housing construction along the coast. The coastal agency has hired a second lobbyist for its Sacramento office, brought on a full-time spokesperson and launched a webpage touting its affordable-housing work. It’s a clear response to criticism from vocal pro-housing advocates who say the commission has an anti-growth culture that has worsened the state’s notorious affordability problem. At stake is the commission’s broad powers to decide if and where homes get built near the ocean — and whether California’s coast will become more densely developed in urban areas to alleviate a severe shortage of housing in the state. Sarah Christie, the commission’s legislative director, argues it has been unfairly branded as anti-housing when it actually welcomes housing that is affordable and environmentally conscious. Environmentalists who support the commission argue that curtailing its authority to review housing projects could harm precious coastal resources and lead to more luxury condo and apartment towers, not affordable housing. “If you take the commission's regulatory oversight away, you're not going to get the kind of housing that California needs,” Christie said. This month the lobbyists convinced a key committee in the state Senate to water down three bills designed to ramp up housing construction in urban areas along the coast, including San Francisco, Santa Monica and Los Angeles. State Sen. Catherine Blakespear’s Senate Bill 1077, which would have made it easier to build backyard cottages on existing residential lots near the coast, was gutted. And another Blakespear measure that would have created deadlines for the commission to make decisions about housing appeals was turned into a study bill. Blakespear, the former mayor of coastal Encinitas, said the commission's opposition was so powerful that other lawmakers wouldn’t support her original legislation. The debate seemed driven by a slippery-slope argument, she said, rather than the policy details — the fear that easing development hurdles could lead to a coast resembling Miami’s, with soaring glass condo towers. “They fear a boogeyman that I don’t think is real,” she told Playbook. “We’re not talking about places that are sensitive coastal resources. We’re talking about places that are already urbanized.” But the fight in the Legislature isn’t entirely over. Another piece of legislation, Assembly Bill 2560 by David Alvarez, a San Diego-area Democrat, is still moving. It would allow developers with projects in the coastal zone to tap into the state’s “density bonus” law, which would allow them to build more units if some are designated low-rent. Louis Mirante, vice president of public policy at the Bay Area Council, a pro-business advocacy group, has helped lead the effort to curtail the commission’s authority. It arguably hasn’t faced such a challenge since voters approved the Coastal Act of 1972, a ballot initiative that established the commission’s charge to preserve public access to the coast. “They haven’t been scrutinized in this way in at least the last 30 years,” Mirante said. — with help from Camille von Kaenel GOOD MORNING. Happy Monday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. Now you can text us at ‪916-562-0685‬‪ — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts now. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte. WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.   A message from Uber: Drivers with Uber are leading EV adoption. Key fact to know this Earth Month: Drivers with Uber are switching to electric cars seven times faster than everyday drivers. That progress has multiplier impact because when one Uber driver starts using an EV, they deliver up to four times the emissions benefits compared to regular motorists. Learn more about this trend.   NEWSOMLAND Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest ad is aimed at a proposed bill in Alabama that would make it a crime for people who help minors get an abortion without informing a parent or guardian. | Mario Tama/Getty Images GETTING A RISE OUT OF THE RIGHT — Gov. Gavin Newsom has persistently prodded Republicans over aggressive restrictions on women’s reproductive rights passed in red states since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. The party’s response over the weekend has given him exactly the kind of national attention he wants. First, former President Donald Trump attacked Newsom for saying the GOP opposes IVF and wants to outlaw abortion. In a rambling post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that “Gavin Newscum” and Democrats support “the killing of a child in the 8th month, 9th month, or even after birth.” The post came days after Newsom unveiled a proposal to make it easier for Arizona women to obtain abortions in California — a policy that has only amplified coverage of the desert state’s 1864 law banning abortion in all cases. Newsom seized the chance to mock Trump via posts on Twitter and Truth Social. A day later, he sparred with the Alabama Republican Party over TV ads he funded that criticize the state’s approach to reproductive rights. State GOP Chair John Wahl sent cease-and-desist letters demanding TV stations yank the ad from Newsom’s Campaign for Democracy, which claims Trump Republicans want to criminalize young women who travel out of state to receive abortions. The party complained that the ad is “disrespectful to the state of Alabama.” Newsom’s camp is disputing the complaint, and the governor also jabbed the party on Twitter, posting, “Deny all you want, but it won’t hide the truth: you are trying to criminalize women who seek reproductive care.”   THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists. Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY.     CLIMATE AND ENERGY Dee Dee Myers, a senior advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom and director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. | Jeff Chiu/AP BUSINESS TIME — Dee Dee Myers helms California's business office and is something of a Swiss Army knife when it comes to climate. The former Clinton press secretary and West Wing muse coordinates everything from developing a hydrogen economy to leading the state’s strategy for meeting EV targets. Read our interview with her in Friday’s California Climate newsletter.   A message from Uber:   TOP TALKERS — UC Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky is responding to students who say he and his wife, law professor Catherine Fisk, responded inappropriately when cease-fire protesters interrupted a student celebration at their home. (The Atlantic) — Sen. Alex Padilla has become a consistent advocate for immigrants in Washington, as the Biden administration and Democrats struggle to navigate the political crisis associated with surges in illegal immigration. (Associated Press) — Democrats at the state Capitol killed a bill that would have prohibited the use of non-disclosure agreements in negotiating Legislation. The move has only revived criticism of Newsom’s administration over the “Panera-gate” brouhaha. (The Sacramento Bee)   GROWING IN THE GOLDEN STATE: POLITICO California is growing, reinforcing our role as the indispensable insider source for reporting on politics, policy and power. From the corridors of power in Sacramento and Los Angeles to the players and innovation hubs in Silicon Valley, we're your go-to for navigating the political landscape across the state. Exclusive scoops, essential daily newsletters, unmatched policy reporting and insights — POLITICO California is your key to unlocking Golden State politics. LEARN MORE.     AROUND THE STATE KERN COUNTY: Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner, once seen as a rising star in Republican circles, is under investigation over allegations that he sexually assaulted a child. Law enforcement responded to Scrivner’s home last week after a report that he was armed and “having some type of psychotic episode.” They found he had been stabbed twice in the upper torso during a physical altercation with his children over the allegations. (KGET) SAN FRANCISCO: Rep. Adam Schiff’s vehicle was broken into during his recent trip to San Francisco. Schiff, who had his bags stolen, gave a speech in shirt sleeves and a hiking vest. (San Francisco Chronicle) LOS BANOS: An official at the Panoche Water District is accused of orchestrating a massive water heist using a secret pipe. But some farmers see him as a Robin Hood figure who supplied water to a region hit by drought restrictions. (Los Angeles Times) SILICON VALLEY: Sam Altman of OpenAI and several other big tech CEOs are part of a new federal advisory board tasked with studying AI safety related to U.S. infrastructure. Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas called the executives’ involvement an opportunity, not a cause for concern. (The Wall Street Journal) FRESNO: District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp faces questions from a City Council member about how deeply her office worked to support a ballot measure to revise Proposition 47, the controversial public-safety initiative. (GV Wire)   A message from Uber: Uber Drivers Accelerate Electric Vehicle Shift As Earth Month spotlights sustainability, a noteworthy trend emerges: Uber drivers are adopting electric vehicles seven times faster than the average driver. For every driver on the Uber platform who switches to an EV, the emissions savings are quadrupled compared to what typical drivers would achieve. This shift didn’t just happen. It’s part of Uber’s commitment to ensuring that, by 2030, 100% of trips on its platform in the US are in zero-emission vehicles or through micromobility and public transport. Now drivers with Uber are leading the way in advancing clean energy transportation. Discover more about how Uber is going green.   PLAYBOOKERS BIRTHDAYS — Jessyca Sheehan of Lucas Public Affairs … Evan Minton of Voices for Progress … BELATED WISHES — (was Saturday): NCTA’s Mansoor Abdul Khadir … (was Friday): Loren Basch … former Assemblymember Marc Levine CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here. Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.   Follow us on Twitter Dustin Gardiner @dustingardiner Lara Korte @lara_korte   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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