This should be starting around 1pm, and you can view it yourself at this link: https://www.senate.ca.gov/calendar. Go down to “Judiciary” and click “watch.” Our Senator Tom Umberg is the chair, and our Senator Dave Min is also on the committee, and neither Democrat has said how they’ll vote on this Committee, or if they will participate in subjecting the Homelessness Prevention Act to the “death by a thousand amendments.” I wrote about the bill the other night HERE.
Keep checking back, I’ll be what they call “Live-Blogging” this hearing…
2pm
After a brief intro, Umberg excuses himself, he’s gotta be in OTHER committees for some of his OWN bills – will he be back soon? He didn’t even say! Now bill AUTHOR Durazo (who is also conveniently on the Judicial Committee) is introducing her bill. More and more people are going homeless; there is not enough renters protection in existence. Homelessness now 157% of what it was in 2012. Homeless population now is equal to the total populations of Oceanside, Salinas & Garden Grove.
San Diego Developer Ginger Hitzge rises in support for the bill. “we have needed this so long, this is not like the 1990’s” We can not build fast enough, need help for vulnerable population. Developers and landlords will still make reasonable profit. Another guy speaks in favor, missed his name; with same arguments we’ve already made.
Durazo proposes amendments? Talks about loopholes allowing various dishonest excuses to evict and then raise rents. Enforceability also very important. Sounds like she’s already giving up on lowering the rent cap 🙁
Umberg is back. Trying to “lower people’s expectations.” This bill is a “moving target.” Everything in the bill is no longer moving forward, except for the three things Durazo just mentioned. He quotes Disraeli on sausage and legislation, ugh. Rent cap change removed. Then will go to Appropriations. Durazo has to agree to not bring it to Appropriations without these new castrations changes.
Min (as well as the rest of us) is disoriented by these sudden dramatic changes.
IN OPPOSITION: Apartment Association spokeswoman bitches that it was SO HARD for them to give in and accept AB 1482, and now they’re trying to make that even more extreme! The landlords have been SO NICE to renters during and since Covid. Ass’n of Realtors – believes that bill upends agreements on AB 1482, and hurts housing providers. It will DESTROY small housing providers. And NOW they’re trying to totally AMEND it at the last minute JUST SAY NO!
Now a long line of “ME TOO” (that’s what they call it) orgs & peeps who can only say “I support” or “I oppose” So far one opposing guy from some firm, lost in a sea of 50 or 60 supporters. Now two opponents. Three. Lemme take a break during this monotonous process to summarize so far.
The Bill Has Been Pre-Gutted
Rent cap STAYS where AB 1482 had it, at a DE FACTO 10% raise per year (literally Cost of Living plus 5%.) The author is trying to salvage a few eviction protection improvements as well as new enforceability mechanisms which (I could be wrong) Umberg sounds hostile to.
Angelique Ashby moves the new, confusingly amended bill, with lots of compliments to everyone’s “tenacity.” Ancient John Laird talks about how he was amazed that so many people agreed to rent caps a few years ago. He will support the motion – I suppose that is a second.
Durazo closes: RENTERS ARE STILL NOT PROTECTED. Appreciates that the Chair will continue to work on the “loopholes” and “enforceability.” Secretary reads new motion: Pass as amended to Appropriations Wilk no Ahsby yes Cabelle Min ? 4 aye to 1 no. MIN AND UMBERG WERE NOT THERE FOR THE VOTE.
Umberg had hauled out the old cliche about how people shouldn’t see sausage or legislation being made. This was more like seeing a gourmet buffet spread out, turning your back for a minute, and nothing is left but some wilted lettuce and a Vienna sausage.
WEAK.
Update Wed. 26
Apparently Umberg and Min both showed up very late in the evening (busy legislative day) and voted “yes” on this pared-down bill. I’d heard and mentioned Monday that Min had tweeted, “I don’t know who needs to hear this, but the tactics of trying to intimidate or bully my staff to try to lobby me on a particular bill are VERY counterproductive.” And we wondered what THAT was all about.
Well, the Voice has the details this morning. It was a bunch of Spanish-speaking families from OC who went up to Sacramento and were trying to talk to Min’s bilingual staffer and started to notice that she wasn’t taking any notes.
Victor has part of it on video: https://www.facebook.com/WestViceChair/posts/pfbid0KYKByv3jPMPhbJofG4E3FKnxGwF6NHG67fh7g8osGrmog4Bk5PXNtM2QdYJf7xZQl
Afterward Min called the Capitol police on these immigrants. This reminds me again of Tom Daly, who called police on union lobbyists who came to his office to ask him to vote for a minimum wage increase. Actually it turned out that was Daly’s head staffer Avelino Valencia who called the police – first time I’d heard of Avelino.
Thanks for covering this Vern!
Yes. It was painful.
The Voice this morning has the details on the alleged “intimidation and bullying” of Min’s staff. It was a bunch of Spanish-speaking families from OC who went up to Sacramento and were trying to talk to Min’s bilingual staffer and started to notice that she wasn’t taking any notes.
https://voiceofoc.org/2023/04/oc-activists-went-to-sacramento-to-push-for-rent-control-cops-were-called-instead/
Victor has part of it on video: https://www.facebook.com/WestViceChair/posts/pfbid0KYKByv3jPMPhbJofG4E3FKnxGwF6NHG67fh7g8osGrmog4Bk5PXNtM2QdYJf7xZQl
Afterward Min called the Capitol police on these immigrants. This reminds me again of Tom Daly, who called police on union lobbyists who came to his office to ask him to vote for a minimum wage increase. Actually it turned out that was Daly’s head staffer Avelino Valencia who called the police – first time I’d heard of Avelino.
https://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2016/03/perils-of-tom-daly-calling-the-cops-on-minimum-wage-advocates/
Another thing I didn’t know – Umberg and Min both showed up to committee much later in the (busy) evening and voted yes on the bill. That is, yes on the pared down bill which now has about 20% of what it originally did.
I wrote my long comment on this matter before reading this comment of yours, Vern.
This falls in the category of “not meeting a high enough standard to influence one’s vote. One suggestion: teach staffers to take notes!
Too bad the “activist” almost started a riot. They were acting like January 6 thugs. And stupidly they posted it on social meeting.
Explain how they “almost” started a riot.
I’d also like your views on 1/6/21.
Fuck rent control. Umberg is getting butt fucked on his fentenyl bill (BEST LEGISLATION this session) by cop hating pro crime progressive Dem’s.
This is societal shit NOT handouts.
Please balance your reporting if you call yourselves citizen journalists or whatever. BTW. There are a half dozen OCEA $100,000
VEHICLES outside of LazyDog in Orange right now!
This is terrible, no matter who it is happening to. Voluntary or not, nobody should be undergoing that sort of penetration in conjunction with such a dangerous drug.
This is happening at Lazy Dog? Does he need our help?
Pictures or it didn’t happen. Time and location-stamped, ideally.
They already removed “temporary relocation”
They also removed “when” from the passage that says when landlords finish remodeling they will then offer the tenant the apartment at the same rate. The change is now “if” the landlord does not follow through with renovation then the tenant will be allowed back into the unit at the same price.
That means that if remodeling/renovation happens there will be no need for the landlord to offer tenants the apartment again.
Then you’re back to square one.
They also limited penalties, and removed a lot of language from the bill.
The AB 567 is no longer the same bill that was proposed in the beginning.