October 11, 2019

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 49, “Clean Power, Smart Power,” by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. The new law will help California meet its electric grid reliability and climate change goals by advancing the development and use of so-called “smart appliances” that can shift demand for electricity to when renewable energy production is at its highest, thereby reducing the need for backup, fossil fuel power plants.

“SB 49 will help bring California’s electrical grid into the 21st century and allow us to use our clean, renewable power more effectively,” Skinner said. “SB 49 will also save ratepayers money, because smart appliances can be programmed to use electricity when it is cheapest.”

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October 10, 2019

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Wednesday, Oct. 9 aimed at boosting homebuilding in California by capping fees, slashing the time to get new developments approved and banning local governments from imposing population and housing caps.

“We are removing some key local barriers to housing production,” Newsom said in a statement referring to Senate Bill 330, dubbed the “Housing Crisis Act of 2019.”

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October 10, 2019

California will try to boost housing production by freezing local regulations and lowering the barriers to build backyard cottages and other secondary units on properties.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of legislation Wednesday that aims to jump-start construction rates and ease the state’s housing shortage.

“At the end of the day, the state vision of affordability will be realized at the local level,” Newsom said in a signing ceremony at a private home in Los Angeles — “local housing project by local housing project, in every single part of the state.”

 

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October 10, 2019

On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed multiple bills into law that aim to spur construction, including legislation that will allow property owners to build a backyard home of at least 800-square-feet as well as convert a garage, office or spare room into a third living space.

The result is a patchwork of legislation that achieves much of what those pushing for more growth in the state have long wanted, allowing as many as three homes on parcels in most single-family neighborhoods across California.

 

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October 10, 2019

A new California law aims to stop communities from delaying construction of new housing projects.

It’s one of 18 housing bills signed Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

California is in the midst of a housing crisis with far fewer homes and apartments than necessary to house its nearly 40 million people. Lawmakers have passed dozens of bills aimed at boosting funding for affordable housing, easing development restrictions and helping renters facing rising costs.

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October 10, 2019

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several laws Wednesday aimed at increasing housing density by limiting cities’ ability to block new construction and making it easier to build so-called granny flats, part of a larger push to boost supply as California grapples with a severe housing shortage.

 

For the full report, click here.

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October 10, 2019

Skinner has come to view the law as a potential revolution for female college athletes. Many of them reached out to her as the bill wound its way to the governor’s desk, Skinner said.

“College may be the only time that a woman athlete is going to have the spotlight on her. Why is she then restricted from getting any income from her skill and talent?” Skinner said.

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October 10, 2019

The state of California made a statement on September 30th when it made a direct challenge to the NCAA. Governor Gavin Newsom, a former regent to many of California’s public universities, signed into law California Senate Bill (SB) 206 which will allow student-athletes to profit off of their likeness and potential endorsement offerings beginning in 2023. Prior to the bill being signed, the NCAA immediately opposed this measure, calling it an “unconstitutional” law that will “upend [a] level playing field”.

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October 10, 2019

Previously secret disciplinary files had been trickling out from Sheriff Scott Jones’ office since The Bee won a May court order seeking access to the documents under Senate Bill 1421, the police records law that took effect Jan. 1.

The law requires disclosure of files related to officer-involved shootings and use of force that causes death or serious injury, as well as records involving officers found to have engaged in sexual assault or dishonesty.

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October 9, 2019

Gov. Gavin Newsom today signed into law Senate Bill 330, the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. SB 330 is designed to speed up housing construction in California during the next half-decade by slashing the time it takes to obtain building permits, limiting fee increases on housing applications, and barring local governments from reducing the number of homes that can be built.

“We have a housing crisis,” Skinner said. “California’s failure to build enough housing has resulted in the highest rents and home ownership costs in the nation and has deepened homelessness. SB 330 green lights affordable and market-rate housing that already meets local zoning rules and prevents cities from enacting new regulations that might limit the housing we so desperately need.”

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