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Planning Note: WhatMatters is celebrating the Fourth of July and will be back in your inboxes on Monday.
A year and a half after the deadly wildfires tore through Southern California, state lawmakers are wondering what regulations they should impose to support people looking to rebuild.
One method aims to enable regulators to block developers from snapping up properties after a natural disaster. This tactic is played out through an account that would give more power to the California Coastal Commission.
It would require any new owner, including developers, of wildfire-destroyed homes to get approval from the building commission. People who keep their properties after a disaster will still be exempt from the commission’s oversight.
But critics, including San Francisco Sen. Scott Wiener, say it would be unfair to impose tougher regulations specifically on new owners.
- Wiener: “It could set a troubling precedent that we’re more focused on just empowering the original owner to build. … that’s why I felt the need to vote no.”
Another approach is in the other direction eliminating new housing density regulations which Los Angeles area fire victims say allow developers to take advantage of post-disaster situations.
The proposal would pause two state laws that make it easier for developers to build tiny houses on land reserved for single-family homes and divide the land into smaller lots.
The bill would exempt Altadena — where the Eaton fire destroyed more than 9,000 buildings — from density regulations until 2030. Although critics have raised concerns that the bill could make it harder for some fire survivors to rebuild, Nick Arnzen, Altadena City Council president and a supporter of the bill, says the bill does not reflect NIMBYism.
- Arnzen: “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say, ‘We’re still in an emergency. Let’s recover.’
Read more about coastal commission and Changed accounts by Nadia Lathan and Ben Christopher of CalMatters, respectively.
Your favorite state, in pictures: CalMatters partners with CatchLight for “California in Pictures,” a monthly newsletter that highlights compelling photojournalism from across the state. Look latest edition here and register to get the next one.
Other stories you should know
Reassurance for Transgender Veterans
Transgender service members face uncertainty after President Donald Trump’s executive order barring them from serving in the armed forces, and some California lawmakers want to reassure them that they can get help hereCalMatters’ Kate Wolfe reports.
Trump’s policy left transgender soldiers with a choice: either separate and receive an honorable discharge — which would preserve access to veterans’ benefits like health care — or say nothing and risk a more unfavorable discharge.
A state Senate committee last week advanced a bill that supporters say could help people who have received unfair dismissals lose their benefits. It would also require the state Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a grant program to assist veterans with housing.
But how many people the proposal would help remains unclear, and supporters are not aware of any cases of people who have been fired less than decently for hiding their transgender identity.
Record low kill rate
California reported a record low homicide rate last yearpart of a nationwide trend that has reversed the spike in crime that many communities experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, CalMatters’ Nigel Duara writes.
That’s the main takeaway from the annual crime report released Wednesday by Attorney General Rob Bonta. He and Gov. Gavin Newsom said the trend partly reflects their policies.
- Newsom: “These results show that when we invest in our communities, support law enforcement, fight organized crime, and expand prevention and intervention efforts, we can save lives and improve public safety.”
But it’s a national trend in red and blue states that experts are trying to understand. Magnus Lofström of the California Institute for Public Policy was struck by the dramatic increase in arrests after murders, which pushed the so-called clearance rate to 79 percent.
- Lofstrom: “This is very encouraging, but it will be important to unpack the remarkable jump to determine what efforts led to the striking improvement.”
Finally: Promoting diversity in STEM
Founded in 2015 in partnership with the University of California, the Cal-Bridge program aims to close the diversity gap in science by helping Cal State University students pursue a Ph.D. in STEM. Because a doctorate degree takes several years to complete, only 15 Cal-Bridge participants have earned their doctorates so far. But its founder expects to see as many as 50 a year getting their Ph.D. Read more by Brittany Oseguera of CalMatters College Journalism Network.
California voices
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: Public employee unions are trying to loosen restrictions on their pensions put in place under former Gov. Jerry Brown, which they say have saved money, but outlived their usefulness.
As concerns grow about the fire risks posed by fireworksNapa’s Fourth of July Drone Show Offers a Safer and Greener Alternative Breanna Brandt and Liz Habkirk writethe Director of the Napa Parks and Recreation Department and the Napa Assistant City Manager respectively.
Other things worth your time:
The SF Church who keeps America’s secrets // Esquire
State workers in California protest telecommutinghigher wages as the back-to-work mandate begins // Abbreviated
These 8 new CA laws take effect from July 1 // The Orange County Register
Newsom signs 100% CA tax for money $1.8 billion $1.8 billion ‘slush fund’ // Los Angeles Times
In SF, even $180K tech salaries are no longer enough // New York Times
Gas companies use AI to raise prices, lawsuit says // Los Angeles Times
They created the most powerful AI in the world. They are faced with a mystery they cannot explain // The Washington Post
Is a UC degree still worth it? New report shows payout taking longer // San Francisco Chronicle
