OKAY GOOD AFTERNOON. WELCOME TO
THE ASSEMBLY NATURAL RESOURCES
COMMITTEE HEARING. WE HAVE SEVEN
MEASURES ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
FIVE MEASURES ARE PROPOSED FOR
CONSENT. UM SP 39 LAYERED SP 91
HAMBURG SV 2 75 GROVE SP 3 60
BLINK SPEAR. SB 8 35 SMALLWOOD
CUEVAS. WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM
YET, BUT I WILL START AS A
SUBCOMMITTEE, UM SO WE CAN BEGIN
TO HEAR THE BILLS. BUT WHY DON'T
WE WHEN WE CAN'T VOTE. NEVER
MIND. SO UM, SENATOR MEN IF
YOU'D LIKE TO START, SO THIS IS
YES. SP 3 37 BY SENATOR MEN. CÁC
. YEAH GO AHEAD. THANK YOU,
MADAM CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE TODAY I'M PRESENTING
SP 3 37, WHICH WOULD ESTABLISH
INTO LAW A STATEWIDE GOLD TO
CONSERVE 30% OF CALIFORNIA LANDS
AND COASTAL WATERS BY THE YEAR
2030. WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A
GLOBAL EXTINCTION CRISIS AND WE
NEED TO DOUBLE DOWN BEFORE IT'S
TOO LATE. 1 MILLION SPECIES ARE
AT RISK OF EXTINCTION WORLDWIDE
, AND CALIFORNIA IS NOT EXEMPT
FROM THIS CRISIS. OUR STATE IS
ONE OF 36 GLOBAL HOTSPOTS FOR
BIODIVERSITY WITH THE HIGHEST
CONCENTRATION OF AT RISK SPECIES
IN THE UNITED STATES. MORE THAN
900 OF THE STATE OF THE STATE
SPECIES ARE AT RISK OF
EXTINCTION, AND TWO THIRDS OF
OUR NATIVE PLANTS WILL LOSE MOST
OF THEIR RANGE WITHIN THE NEXT
CENTURY. ACCORDING TO SOME
SCIENTISTS, THE EXTINCTION
CRISIS IS THE MOST SERIOUS
ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT THAT WE
FACE IF WE WANT CIVILIZATION TO
MOVE FORWARD, BECAUSE
EXTINCTIONS ARE NOT REVERSIBLE,
CONSERVING OUR LANDS AND WATERS
IS ONE OF THE BEST TOOLS WE HAVE
TO PREVENT EXTINCTIONS AND
PROTECT BIODIVERSITY AND
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, CONSERVING
LANDS AND WATERS CAN ALSO REDUCE
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND
SEQUESTER CARBON. AND I JUST ADD
OPEN SPACES ARE PART OF OUR
CALIFORNIA IDENTITY, SO THIS IS
CULTURALLY VERY IMPORTANT AS
WELL. PROTECTING 30% OF OUR LAND
AND COASTAL WATERS, BUT IS THE
BARE MINIMUM NEEDED TO AVOID
ECOSYSTEM COLLAPSE, SAFEGUARDING
BIODIVERSITY AND HELPED TO
STABILIZE THE PLANET'S CLIMATE.
ACCORDING TO LEADING SCIENTISTS
, THIS BILL WOULD QUALIFY THE 30
BY 30 GOLD THAT WAS FIRST
PROPOSED THROUGH THE EXECUTIVE
ORDER ISSUED BY GOVERNOR NEWSOM
IN 2020. ESTABLISHING THE GOLAN
STATUTE WILL ENDURE ENSURE THAT
IT PERSISTS AND REMAINS A
COMMITMENT FOR FUTURE
ADMINISTRATIONS THROUGH THE
YEAR. 2020 TODAY I HAVE WITH ME
. PAMELA FLICK, CALIFORNIA
PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR THE
DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE,
SPONSORING THE BILL TO PROVIDE
TESTIMONY. THANK YOU, SENATOR.
MAN. GOOD AFTERNOON, AS MR MEN
MENTIONED, I'M PAMELA FLICK. I'M
THE CALIFORNIA PROGRAM DIRECTOR
FOR DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE, WHICH
IS A NATIONAL CONSERVATION
ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO THE
PROTECTION OF ALL ANIMALS AND
PLANTS IN THEIR NATURAL
COMMUNITIES. DEFENDERS IS PROUD
TO SPONSOR SP 3 37 BECAUSE IT
WOULD IMPROVE CONSERVATION OF
OUR STATE'S UNPARALLELED
BIODIVERSITY. BY CODIFYING
CALIFORNIA'S 30 BY 30 STATE
POLICY GOAL. THIS BILL COMES AT
A CRITICAL TIME NATURE AROUND
THE WORLD IS IN A STATE OF
CRISIS WHICH THREATENS OUR
PLANET AND HUMANITY. SENATOR
MILNE MENTIONED APPROXIMATELY 1
MILLION SPECIES ARE THREATENED
WITH EXTINCTION, INCLUDING
NEARLY 1000 DIFFERENT SPECIES
HERE IN OUR STATE ALONE. AS A
GLOBALLY SIGNIFICANT
BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT WITH THE
MOST SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES IN
THE NATION. CALIFORNIA HAS MUCH
TO LOSE, GIVEN THE ACCELERATING
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS THAT
WE'RE EXPERIENCING, COUPLED WITH
THE EXTINCTION CRISIS. TIME IS
OF THE ESSENCE. SB 3 37 BUILDS
ON AN IMPORTANT MOVEMENT FOR
GLOBAL ACTION. CALIFORNIA IS
ALREADY A NOTED LEADER IN
PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY WITH
MORE THAN 24% OF OUR LAND IN
PROTECTED STATUS, BUT SOME OF
OUR MOST DIVERSE AREAS IN
COASTAL WATERS REMAIN
UNPROTECTED, INCLUDING THOSE
THAT PROVIDE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
CRITICAL TO CALIFORNIANS,
INCLUDING WATER FILTRATION,
CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND
POLLINATION. WE MUST QUALIFY
CALIFORNIA'S COMMITMENT TO
CONSERVING OUR STATE'S
BIODIVERSITY AND TO ENSURE THAT
THE 30 BY 30 POLICY GOAL ENDURES
BEYOND THE CURRENT
ADMINISTRATION. WITH SP 3 37.
THE GOLDEN STATE CAN CONTINUE TO
LEAD THE WAY TOWARDS MEETING
THIS IMPORTANT CONSERVATION GOAL
AND SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE REST
OF THE COUNTRY. AND INDEED THE
WORLD FOR THESE REGIONS. I URGE
YOUR I VOTE. THANK YOU.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND THANK YOU,
SENATOR. MEN FOR AUTHORING THIS
IMPORTANT BILL. THANK YOU. I
BELIEVE WE HAVE A QUORUM. I'M
GONNA STOP AND TAKE ROLL SO THAT
WE'RE ABLE TO VOTE SECRETARY.
PLEASE TAKE ROLL. GRIEVOUS HERE.
RIVAS HERE, FLORA FLORA HERE AT
US, FRIEDMAN. HOOVER. MATHIS.
METHODS HERE MERIT SUKI SUKI
HERE, PELLERIN. HILLARY IN HERE,
WARD. WOULD SPUR. OKAY. WE HAVE
A CORN. THANK YOU. NEXT ANY
ADDITIONAL WITNESSES AND SUPPORT
. OH, HOLD ON. I THINK WE NEED
TO CONNECT THE MIC. WE'LL GIVE
THAT ORAL AGAIN. ALL RIGHT. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR COMMITTEE
MEMBERS, JONATHAN CLAY ON BEHALF
OF THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL
ASSOCIATION AND SUPPORT. THANK
YOU. CHAIR AND MEMBERS. MY NAME
IS NO WHITLEY ON BEHALF OF THE
MID PENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN
SPACE DISTRICT, THE CALIFORNIA
STATE PARKS FEDERATION SAY THE
REDWOODS LEAGUE AND MEMBER OF
IRAN'S FROM WE'RE IN SUPPORT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHRISTINA
SURRENDER AT THE CENTER FOR
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND
SUPPORT. GOOD AFTERNOON. KIM
DELFINO FOR CALIFORNIA NATIVE
PLANT SOCIETY. MOJAVE DESERT
LAND TRUSTS YOUR SNOW. MILAN
TRUST THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
ENVIRONMENT. CALIFORNIA SANTA
AUDUBON PLANNING CONSERVATION
LEAGUE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE
FUND. CALIFORNIA COAST
PROTECTION NETWORK PACIFIC FORCE
TRUST. I WILL SAVE YOU THE TIME.
THERE ARE A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS
THAT HAVE ASKED ME TO SPEAK IN
SUPPORT OF THIS BILL. SO THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT. ARE THERE
ANY WITNESSES AND OPPOSITION?
OKAY SEE NONE. I'LL BRING IT
BACK TO THE COMMITTEE AND HE
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM
COMMITTEE MEMBERS. OKAY WE HAVE
A MOTION AND A SECOND. WOULD YOU
LIKE TO CLOSE? I RESPECTFULLY
ASK YOU TO VOTE. THANK YOU. SO
WE HAVE A MOTION BY
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S 1ST 2ND BY
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S MURATSUCHI.
SECRETARY, PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL.
MOTION IS DUE PAST TWO
APPROPRIATIONS. RIVAS RIVAS I
FLORA FLORA I ADDIS. FRIEDMAN.
HOOVER. MATHIS. NOT VOTING.
MURATSUCHI. MURATSUCHI AYE,
PELLERIN AND I WARD WOULD SPUR
SPUR, AYE. OKAY THAT BILL HAS
FIVE VOTES WILL LEAVE IT ON
CALL. WAIT FOR THE ABSENT
MEMBERS. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR
THE CONSENT CALENDAR? OKAY. WE
HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. CAN
YOU PLEASE TAKE THE ROLE FOR THE
CONSENT? ITEMS. CONSENT ITEMS OR
SB 39 LAIRD, SP 91 HAMBURG. SV
275 GROVE, SP 360 BLAKE SPEAR.
SB 835 SMALLWOOD CUEVAS. RIVAS
RIVAS. I FLORA FLORA I ADDIS
FRIEDMAN. HOOVER. MATHIS. MATHIS
EMERGED. SUKI SUKI PELLERIN.
PELLERIN. I WARD WOULD SPUR
SPUR, AYE. HOW MANY. FIVE HAS
SIX VOTES. WE'LL LEAVE IT OPEN
FOR ABSENT MEMBERS MORE WAITING
FOR SENATOR CORTEZ E. AND THEY
WILL BE THE FINAL BILL PRESENTED
.
NO. WELCOME. WE'RE READY FOR, UH
. SB 406 BY SENATOR CORTEZ
WHENEVER YOU'RE READY OKAY. YOU
HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND
MEMBERS APOLOGIZE. IF I KEPT YOU
WAITING AT ALL JUST CAME OFF THE
SENATE FOR AND I APPRECIATE THE
PROMPT TO GET OVER HERE. UM
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO
PRESENT AS PEOPLE 06 TO YOU
TODAY. I WILL BE TAKING THE
AMENDMENTS WANT TO GET THAT ON
THE RECORD IN A ONE TO THINK OF
THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE STAFF
FOR WORKING SO CLOSELY WITH US?
AYE. TO GET THIS BILL THIS BILL
IN GOOD SHAPE TO PRESENT HERE
TODAY. SP 406 ENJOYED UNANIMOUS
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN THE FIRST
HOUSE AND EXTENDS TO LOCAL
JURISDICTIONS AND EXISTING
SEQUENCE EMPTION THAT APPLIES TO
THE STATE'S PROVISION OF
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. FOR
AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS. BUT
NOT THE PROJECTS THEMSELVES.
MANY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS
THE STATE HAVE ADOPTED MEASURES
TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
FOR THE DEVELOPMENT,
CONSTRUCTION OF AFFORDABLE
HOUSING. IN 2016, MY OWN COUNTY,
SANTA CLARA COUNTY. VOTED TO
APPROVE. BY REFERENDUM AND
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BOND RACE
$950 MILLION TO SUPPORT THE
CREATION AND PRESERVATION OF
4800 AFFORDABLE UNITS. SIMILAR
MEASURES, OF COURSE, HAVE BEEN
ADOPTED ELSEWHERE, FOR EXAMPLE,
COUNTY, THE COUNTY OF ALAMEDA,
LOS ANGELES AND SAN FRANCISCO.
UM BUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
OFTEN MAKE SEQUEL FINDINGS EVEN
THOUGH THE PROJECT WILL UNDERGO
SEPARATE SECRET REVIEW BY ELITE
AGENCY. THEY FEEL THIS IS
NECESSARY BECAUSE THE DECISION
TO HELP FINANCE THE PROJECT
COULD BE INTERPRETED AS
DISCRETIONARY APPROVAL. APPLYING
SECRET. IN THIS CONTEXT, CONTEXT
IS INEFFICIENT, DUPLICATIVE AND
ULTIMATELY DELAYS AND DRIVES UP
THE COST OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THE LEGISLATURE'S ALREADY
ACKNOWLEDGED ITS SEQUEL, REVIEW
OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCING
CREATES UNNECESSARY BURDENS.
WHEN THERE'S ANOTHER LEAD AGENCY
. CURRENT LAW PROVIDES THAT
SECRET DOES NOT APPLY TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OR THE
CALIFORNIA HOUSING FINANCE
AGENCY. S P F 406 SIMPLY EXTENDS
THE SAME EXEMPTION AT THE STATE
LEVEL TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. AS
SUCH, THE BILL WILL HELP FULLY
REALIZED LEGISLATURE'S EFFORTS
TO PRIORITIZE AFFORDABLE HOUSING
THROUGH STREAMLINING MEASURES.
SUCH AS SB 35 AND 80 21 62. WITH
US TODAY IS JOSH HOSNI DEPUTY
COUNTY COUNCIL FOR SANTA CLARA
COUNTY. AND WITH THAT, I WILL
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR URIBE OAN.
THANK YOU TO SENATOR CORTES AND
HIS STAFF AND TO THE CHAIR
MEMBERS AND COMMITTEE STAFF.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY IS PLEASED TO
SPONSOR AS BEFORE 06. SINCE 2015
. OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAS
APPROVED APPROXIMATELY A BILLION
DOLLARS IN FUNDS TO SUPPORT 66
AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS AND
10 CITIES YIELDING OVER 6200
UNITS IN THE PIPELINE, INCLUDING
APPROXIMATELY 4000 UNITS IN
OPERATION OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
THE BULK OF THIS FUNDING IS FROM
THE COUNTIES AFFORDABLE HOUSING
BOND, WHICH IS USED TO PROVIDE
LOW INTEREST LOANS TO DEVELOPERS
OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS.
OUR BOARD APPROVES THESE LOANS
ON A PROJECT BY PROJECT BASIS.
THE LOCAL ZONING AUTHORITY,
WHICH IS TYPICALLY A CITY ACTS
AS THE LEAD AGENCY THAT
UNDERTAKES SECRET REVIEW. BUT
THE COUNTY'S DISCRETIONARY
APPROVAL TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL
SUPPORT IS ITSELF ARGUABLY
SUBJECT TO SEQUA. TO AVOID THE
POSSIBILITY OF LITIGATION. OUR
COUNTY MAKES ITS OWN INDEPENDENT
SECRET DETERMINATIONS AS A
RESPONSIBLE AGENCY. THIS SLOWS
OUR FUNDING PROCESS WITHOUT MUCH
CORRESPONDING BENEFIT. IN A
TYPICAL SITUATION, WE ISSUE A
LOAN AT THE PRE DEVELOPMENT
STAGE TO HELP FUND THE DESIGNS,
PLANNING DOCUMENTS AND
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR NEW
PROJECTS. THESE LOANS ARE OFTEN
EXECUTED BEFORE THE DEVELOPER
AND THE LEAD AGENCY HAVE BEEN
NECESSARY INFORMATION TO MAKE
FULL SECRET DETERMINATIONS. AND
EVEN IF THE DETERMINATIONS HAVE
BEEN MADE, THEY FREQUENTLY
DEPEND ON THE SPECIAL PERMITTING
PROCESSES OR ZONING REQUIREMENTS
IMPLEMENTED IMPLEMENTED BY THE
LEAD AGENCY. WHICH FALL OUTSIDE
THE COUNTY'S JURISDICTION. THIS
CREATES SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES
FOR PURPOSES OF THE COUNTY
SECRET REVIEW. IT CAN DELAY THE
APPROVAL PROCESS AND IT LIMITS
CAPACITY TO SUPPORT NEW
PROJECTS. THE COUNTY ALSO ISSUES
LOANS TO HELP FUND CONSTRUCTION
AFTER THE LEAD AGENCY HAS
COMPLETED ITS ENVIRONMENTAL
REVIEW AND ISSUED ALL NECESSARY
PERMITS. UNDERGOING ADDITIONAL
SEQUEL REVIEW AT THIS STAGE IS
DUPLICATIVE, AND IT MAY ALSO
CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A
COLLATERAL CHALLENGE TO A
PROJECT. THE APPLICATION OF
SEQUEL TO A RESPONSIBLE AGENCIES
FUNDING DECISION AS OPPOSED TO
THE LEAD AGENCIES APPROVAL OF
THE PROJECT ITSELF. PROVIDES
MINIMAL BENEFIT. AND SLOWS THE
APPROVAL OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
BY EXPANDING THE EXISTING
EXEMPTION FOR STATE FUNDING OF
AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS. SP 406 WOULD
PROMOTE THE STATE'S AFFORDABLE
HOUSING GOALS WITHOUT
UNDERMINING SEQUA. COMMITTEE
AMENDMENTS HELP ENSURE THIS BY
CLARIFYING THAT THE BILLS
EXEMPTION APPLIES ONLY TO LOCAL
AGENCIES THAT ARE NOT ACTING AS
LEAD AGENCIES. THANK YOU FOR
CONSIDERING THIS MEASURE, I
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR VOTE.
THANK YOU ANY ADDITIONAL
WITNESSES AND SUPPORT NONE. OH,
I'M SORRY. NO I DON'T IN THE
ROOM. YES, SORRY. ON BEHALF OF
THE URBAN COUNTIES OF CALIFORNIA
AND SUPPORT. NICOLE WARD WOMAN
ON BEHALF OF SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTY AND SUPPORT JEFF NEAL, ON
BEHALF OF THE CITY OF IS ALIEN
SUPPORT. AND MARK'S DIVERS WITH
THE CALIFORNIA HOUSING
PARTNERSHIP AND SUPPORT THANK
YOU ARE THERE ANY WITNESSES AND
OPPOSITION? OKAY SEE YOU. NONE
WILL BRING IT BACK TO THE
COMMITTEE ANY QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS?
YEAH, WE WERE TO HAVE A MOTION
AND A SECOND. SO WE HAVE A
MOTION BY ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S
MATHIS, SECOND BY
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S PELLERIN. WOULD
YOU LIKE TO CLOSE? I
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR I VOTE.
THANK YOU. SECRETARY, PLEASE
TAKE THE ROLL. THE MOTION IS DUE
PASS AS AMENDED TO HOUSING AND
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.
RIVAS HI. RIVAS. I FLORA FLORA I
ADDIS. FRIEDMAN FRIEDMAN. I
HOOVER HOOVER. I MATHIS MATHIS
MURATSUCHI. MURATSUCHI AYE,
PELLERIN. PELLERIN. I WARD WORD
I WOULD WOULD ICEBERG. AYE. BILL
HAS 10 VOTES THAT'S OUT. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT WE
WILL ADD ON FOR THE MEMBERS THAT
WERE ABSENT FOR THE FIRST BILL.
SP 3 37. THE MOTION IS DUE PAST
TWO APPROPRIATIONS. CHAIR VOTING
I FRIEDMAN FRIEDMAN. I. HOOVER
WHO WERE NOT VOTING. WARD WARD.
I WOULD WOULD I? BILL HAS EIGHT
VOTES. THAT BILL IS OUT. UM AND
FINALLY THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
FRIEDMAN. FRIEDMAN. AYE. HOOVER.
HI. HOOVER? AYE. WARD. WARD. I
WOULD WOULD I? THAT HAS 10 VOTES
, AND THAT'S OUT. UM MEETING IS
ADJOURNED. THANK YOU