Latest news with #BuffyWicks
Epoch Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Epoch Times
$10 Billion Affordable-Housing Bond Measure Passes California Assembly
The California Assembly passed the Affordable Housing Bond Act on June 3, putting the $10 billion bond measure one step closer to reaching the voters. Assembly Bill 736, proposed by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, an Oakland Democrat, would authorize the general obligation bond measure to be placed on the June 2, 2026, statewide primary election ballot.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
California lawmakers push for CEQA reforms to address housing crisis
Several California bills could lead to significant reforms of the state's environmental review law, with the goal of addressing the state's ongoing housing crisis. One of the bills, Assembly Bill 609, authored by Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), would establish a CEQA exemption for most urban housing developments. The bill is part of the Fast Track Housing Package, a collection of 20 bills that aim to expedite the approval of housing projects. The California Environmental Quality Act, enacted in 1970, requires public agencies in California to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of proposed projects and avoid those impacts, if possible. However, many argue that the law has been weaponized to block new housing projects and development. 'CEQA can be an expensive and lengthy process, especially for large or complicated projects. This is true even if there is no litigation. Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report under CEQA can take a year or longer and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even, in some cases, more than $1 million,' a 2024 report from the bipartisan Little Hoover Commission said. Liftoff! Big Bear bald eagle chick takes to the sky The Los Angeles Times also pointed out that when CEQA threatened to stop enrollment at UC Berkeley, prevented the Sacramento Kings from building their new stadium, or prevented renovations of the state Capitol, lawmakers stepped in. With the various exemptions, critics have nicknamed the law 'Swiss cheese CEQA.' 'Right now, it takes far too long to build the housing Californians need — and that's a failure of government,' Assemblymember Wicks said in a statement. 'The Fast Track Housing package is about making our systems work better: clearer rules, faster timelines, and fewer bureaucratic hoops. It's not about cutting corners — it's about being honest that what we're doing isn't working. Gov. Gavin Newsom has also announced his support for reforms to CEQA. Still, not everyone is in favor of the proposed changes to the environmental law. Dozens of environmental and labor groups, such as the California Preservation Foundation and Livable California, are opposed to the proposed changes. Improving California's housing crisis has been a priority for Newsom since taking office. In 2018, Newsom, in a Medium post, wrote, 'As Governor, I will lead the effort to develop the 3.5 million new housing units we need by 2025 because our solutions must be as bold as the problem is.' Newsom has since revised that goal, setting a new benchmark for cities to plan for 2.5 million homes by 2030. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California's revamped Google journalism deal raises new questions
SAN FRANCISCO — California's bold experiment to make Big Tech pay for local journalism just hit a double-speed bump. Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom dialed back state support for a first-in-the-nation newsroom fund in the face of a $12 billion state deficit. Then on Wednesday, Google — the lone corporate backer of the initiative — decided to lower its own tab by a third, from $15 million to $10 million for this year. The handshake deal to support local journalism with both state and Google funds emerged from negotiations with Sacramento lawmakers last summer, who had initially proposed legislation to force tech giants to compensate online publishers as they're required to in countries like Canada. The deal was hailed as a landmark arrangement that could set a precedent for other states seeking to prop up struggling newsrooms decimated by lost advertising revenues as readers turn to aggregation sites such as Google News. Those concerns have been particularly acute in California, where outlets like the Los Angeles Times, the state's largest newspaper, have seen mass layoffs in recent years. Google did leave the door open to match up to $5 million more if other private, public or philanthropic donors step up. None did on Wednesday. But the latest changes to the deal are drawing vocal criticism, both old and new, while also raising questions about what it means for the future of the initiative. Here's a rundown of the lingering unknowns as California reworks its Google news deal. A version of this story first appeared in California Decoded, POLITICO's morning newsletter for Pros about how the Golden State is shaping tech policy within its borders and beyond. Like this content? POLITICO Pro subscribers receive it daily. Learn more at That's the new name for the initiative, previously known as the 'Newsroom Transformation Fund.' The rebrand came out of discussions with stakeholders and the state library as the new public partner, a spokesperson for Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, a Bay Area Democrat who announced the details and led negotiations for the fund, told POLITICO. California Press Forward, California Black Media and a journalism professor joined the press release with statements of support. Several skeptics of the deal turned even more doubtful. 'Google got almost everything they wanted,' bemoaned former state Sen. Steve Glazer, who had authored a shot-down bill that sought to sustain newsrooms by taxing digital ad revenue. 'One, they wanted their amount to be at a modest level. Two, they wanted a state match so they could avoid setting a precedent that other states could follow.' Glazer added that the downsizing of the program would force newsrooms to 'fight over crumbs,' without making a dent in reversing the journalism industry's decline. He downgraded his assessment of the initiative from a '2 percent' solution last year to a '1 percent solution.' Rebuild Local News President Steven Waldman similarly said that while he appreciates that efforts to help local news are moving forward, 'the plan is more than 50 percent smaller than the already-too-small program.' California Broadcasters Association President Steve Stuck, whose members are not part of the deal, told POLITICO: 'It was disappointing, I think, to everybody. When Newsom released a budget and they saw it went from 30 to 10, you know it's going in the wrong direction.' Other media groups that had been more supportive have since gone quiet. The California News Publishers Association, which issued a statement of support to Wicks' summer announcement and will have two seats on the fund's advisory board, did not respond to a request for comment. In another twist, the California State Library is officially hosting the fund after UC Berkeley's journalism school walked away from the responsibility late last year over concerns about how the money would be distributed. One area of hesitation from critics was oversight over and independence in allocating the millions. Under the revised agreement, an advisory board will help the state librarian create programs supported by the fund and offer direction on how they should be spent. However, the state library still gets the final say. The board will expand from seven to nine members, adding two seats reserved for State Library appointees alongside news publishers, members of journalism ethics groups and journalists' unions. 'Whenever we encounter proposals to provide grants to news organizations from the executive branch of government, we want to ensure that it's done in a way that doesn't inadvertently undermine editorial independence,' said Waldman, who considered the issue 'fixable.' Wicks' plan is to release a fuller proposal in a budget trailer bill in the coming days. State lawmakers will consider the bill as leaders work with Newsom's office to iron out a final state budget over the next few weeks. Waldman urged lawmakers to reject Newsom's proposed $20 million cut to the fund, while Glazer said he would prefer a separate bill outside the budget process. 'It's actually a significant policy matter, and that should typically be the contents of a legislative bill that goes through the hearing process in both houses,' the former state senator argued. In addition to the fund, last summer's agreement included plans to invest $12.5 million more per year of Google's funding into researching and developing AI tools as part of an accelerator program. The program drew backlash, as news organizations feared the technology could replace reporters' jobs. Though Wednesday's announcement didn't mention the accelerator, a Google spokesperson confirmed to POLITICO that the company's funding for it remains unchanged. Wednesday's announcement made clear that the fund is actively seeking additional funders. And OpenAI's vice president of global affairs, Chris Lehane, provided a quote for the release, saying the company 'appreciates the opportunity to collaborate on this important project.' But spokespeople for the AI developer declined to clarify its current role in the effort. When the partnership was first announced last summer, OpenAI said it was proud to be part of the initiative 'to utilize AI in support of local journalism across California.' A program funded in 2022 by the Legislature, called the California Local News Fellowship and run out of UC Berkeley, has put $25 million into placing more than 100 early career reporters and editors into newsrooms. It's also running out of money. On Wednesday, a state Senate budget subcommittee heard why the program should, or should not, be given another infusion of cash in a severely budget-strapped year in Sacramento. University of California Associate Director of State Budget Relations Seija Virtanen said the money would be exhausted by the end of 2027, while Republican state Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh questioned what the value was to taxpayers. Appearing as a witness, Glazer put it plainly, saying: 'It's important because most of the decision that you make as senators comes from learning about problems in your community.' He added: 'Local news is essential to our ability to be an independent democracy.' Tyler Katzenberger contributed to this report.
Politico
22-05-2025
- Business
- Politico
California's revamped Google journalism deal raises new questions
SAN FRANCISCO — California's bold experiment to make Big Tech pay for local journalism just hit a double-speed bump. Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom dialed back state support for a first-in-the-nation newsroom fund in the face of a $12 billion state deficit. Then on Wednesday, Google — the lone corporate backer of the initiative — decided to lower its own tab by a third, from $15 million to $10 million for this year. The handshake deal to support local journalism with both state and Google funds emerged from negotiations with Sacramento lawmakers last summer, who had initially proposed legislation to force tech giants to compensate online publishers as they're required to in countries like Canada. The deal was hailed as a landmark arrangement that could set a precedent for other states seeking to prop up struggling newsrooms decimated by lost advertising revenues as readers turn to aggregation sites such as Google News. Those concerns have been particularly acute in California, where outlets like the Los Angeles Times, the state's largest newspaper, have seen mass layoffs in recent years. Google did leave the door open to match up to $5 million more if other private, public or philanthropic donors step up. None did on Wednesday. But the latest changes to the deal are drawing vocal criticism, both old and new, while also raising questions about what it means for the future of the initiative. Here's a rundown of the lingering unknowns as California reworks its Google news deal. A version of this story first appeared in California Decoded, POLITICO's morning newsletter for Pros about how the Golden State is shaping tech policy within its borders and beyond. That's the new name for the initiative, previously known as the 'Newsroom Transformation Fund.' The rebrand came out of discussions with stakeholders and the state library as the new public partner, a spokesperson for Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, a Bay Area Democrat who announced the details and led negotiations for the fund, told POLITICO. California Press Forward, California Black Media and a journalism professor joined the press release with statements of support. Several skeptics of the deal turned even more doubtful. 'Google got almost everything they wanted,' bemoaned former state Sen. Steve Glazer, who had authored a shot-down bill that sought to sustain newsrooms by taxing digital ad revenue. 'One, they wanted their amount to be at a modest level. Two, they wanted a state match so they could avoid setting a precedent that other states could follow.' Glazer added that the downsizing of the program would force newsrooms to 'fight over crumbs,' without making a dent in reversing the journalism industry's decline. He downgraded his assessment of the initiative from a '2 percent' solution last year to a '1 percent solution.' Rebuild Local News President Steven Waldman similarly said that while he appreciates that efforts to help local news are moving forward, 'the plan is more than 50 percent smaller than the already-too-small program.' California Broadcasters Association President Steve Stuck, whose members are not part of the deal, told POLITICO: 'It was disappointing, I think, to everybody. When Newsom released a budget and they saw it went from 30 to 10, you know it's going in the wrong direction.' Other media groups that had been more supportive have since gone quiet. The California News Publishers Association, which issued a statement of support to Wicks' summer announcement and will have two seats on the fund's advisory board, did not respond to a request for comment. In another twist, the California State Library is officially hosting the fund after UC Berkeley's journalism school walked away from the responsibility late last year over concerns about how the money would be distributed. One area of hesitation from critics was oversight over and independence in allocating the millions. Under the revised agreement, an advisory board will help the state librarian create programs supported by the fund and offer direction on how they should be spent. However, the state library still gets the final say. The board will expand from seven to nine members, adding two seats reserved for State Library appointees alongside news publishers, members of journalism ethics groups and journalists' unions. 'Whenever we encounter proposals to provide grants to news organizations from the executive branch of government, we want to ensure that it's done in a way that doesn't inadvertently undermine editorial independence,' said Waldman, who considered the issue 'fixable.' Wicks' plan is to release a fuller proposal in a budget trailer bill in the coming days. State lawmakers will consider the bill as leaders work with Newsom's office to iron out a final state budget over the next few weeks. Waldman urged lawmakers to reject Newsom's proposed $20 million cut to the fund, while Glazer said he would prefer a separate bill outside the budget process. 'It's actually a significant policy matter, and that should typically be the contents of a legislative bill that goes through the hearing process in both houses,' the former state senator argued. In addition to the fund, last summer's agreement included plans to invest $12.5 million more per year of Google's funding into researching and developing AI tools as part of an accelerator program. The program drew backlash, as news organizations feared the technology could replace reporters' jobs. Though Wednesday's announcement didn't mention the accelerator, a Google spokesperson confirmed to POLITICO that the company's funding for it remains unchanged. Wednesday's announcement made clear that the fund is actively seeking additional funders. And OpenAI's vice president of global affairs, Chris Lehane, provided a quote for the release, saying the company 'appreciates the opportunity to collaborate on this important project.' But spokespeople for the AI developer declined to clarify its current role in the effort. When the partnership was first announced last summer, OpenAI said it was proud to be part of the initiative 'to utilize AI in support of local journalism across California.' A program funded in 2022 by the Legislature, called the California Local News Fellowship and run out of UC Berkeley, has put $25 million into placing more than 100 early career reporters and editors into newsrooms. It's also running out of money. On Wednesday, a state Senate budget subcommittee heard why the program should, or should not, be given another infusion of cash in a severely budget-strapped year in Sacramento. University of California Associate Director of State Budget Relations Seija Virtanen said the money would be exhausted by the end of 2027, while Republican state Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh questioned what the value was to taxpayers. Appearing as a witness, Glazer put it plainly, saying: 'It's important because most of the decision that you make as senators comes from learning about problems in your community.' He added: 'Local news is essential to our ability to be an independent democracy.' Tyler Katzenberger contributed to this report.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers push to fast-track radical housing model that could transform urban areas: 'Faster timelines and fewer bureaucratic hoops'
In February, a revolutionary housing bill was introduced in the California State Assembly. Assembly Bill 609 will streamline the approval process for urban multi-family housing on pre-developed land (a.k.a., infill housing). This presents an alternative to suburban sprawl, which develops unused land outside cities. California YIMBY, an organization that advocates for affordable housing, collaborated with Buffy Wicks, a California State Representative, to create the bill. If passed, infill housing will be exempt from review under California's Environmental Quality Act. Since it's been proven that infill housing benefits the environment, the bill's proponents argue that there's no need for such extensive review. "The science is clear: building infill housing in cities reduces pollution that causes climate change," Brian Hanlon, CEO of California YIMBY, said in a press release. "AB 609 codifies that science in law." According to the press release, new developments would still have to comply with local regulations, which are already approved by the CEQA. Building cheap, affordable housing in urban centers is key to solving California's ongoing housing crisis. Infill housing also takes less of an environmental toll. Residents will be closer to work and other daily necessities, meaning less pollution from cars and shorter commutes. More cities around the globe are waking up to infill housing. London's Elephant and Castle neighborhood utilizes infill housing to keep the city's emissions down, for example. If the process becomes simpler in California, it could set a great precedent for the rest of the United States. AB 609 is part of a larger package of bills introduced in the California state legislature in early 2025. A press release from Assemblymember Wicks' office said, "The Fast Track Housing package is about making our systems work better: clearer rules, faster timelines, and fewer bureaucratic hoops." Do you think America is in a housing crisis? Definitely Not sure No way Only in some cities Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
