Policy & Legislation
SB 303 Goes Down Amid Fierce Opposition
Senator Denise Ducheny's SB 303 failed passage in Assembly Local Government Committee on July 3, 2007, following a stream of opposition witnesses. Asm. Guy Houston (R-Livermore) moved the bill, but no legislators seconded the motion.
Housing California and the CA Rural Legal Assistance Foundation supported the bill sponsored by the CA Building Industry Association. Its key provisions included a requirement for cities and counties to complete the rezonings outlined in their housing elements within a year of adopting the element and an environmental impact report on the rezonings.
However, committee chair Anna Caballero objected to the one-year time frame, arguing it was too short for cities to meet. She also wanted to limit the rezoning requirement to jurisdictions that hadn't made land available for development in the past.
Representatives from at least 20 environmental, planning, and local government organizations opposed the bill. They charged it would "lead to sprawl" and was too expensive.
SB 303 can be heard again by the committee in January 2008.
Contact: Julie Snyder, (916) 447-0503 x 102 or