Latest news with #SB79
San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
California bill allowing more housing near transit stops narrowly passes Senate
State Sen. Scott Wiener's bill to legalize mid-rise apartments around major transit stops squeezed through the state Senate Tuesday, five years after his previous attempt died in the same chamber. Senate Bill 79 would allow taller, denser projects — whether housing or commercial — to be built within a half-mile of some transit stops, with the most generous bonuses reserved for projects near major systems like BART, Caltrain and parts of the Los Angeles Metro. The maximum height and density would depend on how close a project is to a transit stop, and the type of transit it's near. Most projects would likely be buildings between four and six stories, said Michael Lane, state policy director with urban policy think tank SPUR, which backed the bill. The bill would also allow projects built on land owned by transit agencies to bypass the California Environmental Quality Act, a law that critics say often leads to yearslong development delays, if they include an improvement to the transit infrastructure. In a nail-biting session in which the bill at first didn't have enough support — that is, until some members showed up at the last minute to pass it — SB 79 received the exact number of votes it needed to pass the state Senate. It still needs to get through the Assembly to become law. But its passage in the first chamber reflects a potential shift in legislators' willingness to push through housing bills over the opposition of cities — and even some of its Democratic members. The shift illustrates how housing affordability has become an increasingly vital political issue — particularly in the Bay Area, where all but one of the senators representing the region supported the bill. California renters continue to be burdened at some of the highest rates in the nation, with the cost of building housing far above that of other states. Wiener's last attempt at a transit-oriented housing bill, which was more expansive and would have also allowed for denser housing near job centers, died in the Senate by three votes in 2020. The lawmaker said that this time, the legislation is 'nuanced and surgical,' focusing largely on major transit systems. Smaller transit systems, such as those without dedicated bus lanes or signal priority, wouldn't be covered by the bill. 'California urgently needs to build more homes to bring down costs, and building them near transit provides our public transportation systems with an urgently needed infusion of new riders,' Wiener said. 'This is an idea whose time has come.' A portion of the homes built through SB 79, would have to be set aside for lower-income households, as determined by either local law or state density requirements. Supporters of the bill, which include a number of California YIMBY groups, said SB 79 would simultaneously address housing, transit and the environment. It would allow for housing within walking distance of trains, light rails and buses, they argued, reducing residents' reliance on cars and giving a boost to the state's struggling transit systems. 'These are not skyscrapers that we are asking for,' Lane of SPUR said. 'It's just that kind of density that can help our transit systems work throughout the Bay, or even outside of the larger cities where we do have that robust transit.' But dozens of California cities, including Napa, Palo Alto, San Rafael and Walnut Creek, staunchly oppose the bill, saying it would effectively contradict their own housing plans by letting developers build at a scale they never intended for their neighborhoods. 'There is already accumulating data that purport to show that overriding local control like this, given that most local housing elements include state housing mandates, has not resulted in needed housing,' Alice Fredericks, legislative committee chair of the Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers, said in a statement. 'SB 79 further eviscerates local control without even pretending to be in service of filling the need for housing.' Wiener said he took such concerns into account. SB 79 would allow cities and counties to create an 'alternative plan' that trims the density around one transit stop in exchange for boosting density along another, as long as this doesn't lower the number of feasible units. And whatever homes were built would generally still have to follow other local development rules and go through environmental review, unless the developer used a separate streamlining law such as SB 423. Still, some of the bill's strongest critics were Wiener's fellow Democrats. Some said on Tuesday that California's transit systems, many of which are still struggling to regain ridership post-COVID, are not yet robust enough to justify building housing nearby. Others expressed concern that the bill doesn't do enough to prevent displacement or build subsidized housing. If members of the state Assembly take those concerns seriously, they could lead SB 79 to the same fate as Wiener's last transit-oriented housing bill.
San Francisco Chronicle
26-04-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Has California learned anything from the rise of Trump? The fate of this bill will tell us
Following resounding losses by Democrats in the November election, party leaders such as Gov. Gavin Newsom have sought to align themselves with the burgeoning 'abundance' movement, which contends that blue states will only win back voters if they can prove their ability to govern effectively — including by providing access to basic goods, such as high-quality public education and widely available housing. How's that effort going in California? In short — not well. If you pay attention to California politics, you likely heard about the death this week of SB677, a bill to make it easier to split single-family-home lots for duplexes or fourplexes, and the near killing of SB79, which would allow multifamily housing up to seven stories near major transit stops — both from state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco. The bills' primary assailant was state Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Fremont, chair of the Senate Housing Committee, who has leaned on the tired refrain that efforts to streamline new housing production are 'giveaways for developers,' partly because they reduce the ability of local governments to weigh in on projects. Wahab's insistence on fighting for California's failed status quo on housing, even as American democracy sinks around us, rightly drew outrage. But for an even bleaker example of how state leaders are failing to rise to the urgency of the moment, Californians should consider the response to AB1121 from Assembly Member Blanca Rubio, D-Baldwin Park (Los Angeles County). The seemingly uncontroversial bill would require California teachers in transitional kindergarten through fifth grade to be trained in the 'science of reading,' which emphasizes the importance of foundational literacy skills, including phonics — or sounding out words. It would also require schools to adopt an evidence-based reading curriculum in transitional kindergarten through eighth grade. Backed by decades of interdisciplinary research, this approach has proven to be particularly effective in teaching young kids how to read — regardless of their mother language. California schools and teachers currently have a fair amount of leeway in the curriculum they use, and the state doesn't track those materials or how effective they are. But a review of more than 300 of the state's largest school districts conducted by the California Reading Coalition found that fewer than 2% use programs aligned with the science of reading. The results speak for themselves. Nearly 60% of our third graders didn't meet state standards for English language arts and literacy in the 2023-24 school year. Meanwhile, poverty-stricken red states such as Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama have surged ahead of California in childhood literacy after adopting mandatory foundational literacy teaching and training. That California childhood literacy rates have fallen significantly beneath those of the poorest state in the nation should be considered a stain on the progressive values this state claims to stand for. Yet last year, California Democrats silently killed a bipartisan bill to mandate the science of reading, refusing to even discuss the topic publicly. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, and Assembly Member Al Muratsuchi, D-Rolling Hills Estates (Los Angeles County), who leads the Assembly Education Committee (and is running for state superintendent of public instruction next year) tabled the bill without a hearing amid fierce opposition from influential interest groups — including the California Teachers Association and Californians Together, which advocates for English language learners. Yes, you read that correctly — ensuring California kids receive the most effective reading lessons didn't even merit a discussion among Democrats in the face of union opposition. Rubio's bill faced similar hurdles this year. Most enraging is that the state's English language arts framework already underscores that foundational reading skills 'should be given high priority' among other strategies in early literacy instruction. State law also requires teacher candidates to demonstrate their fluency in evidence-based foundational reading methods to receive their credential. Meanwhile, literacy rates at some of California's lowest-performing schools improved significantly after adopting this curriculum. So what's behind the reluctance to implement this approach more widely? Martha Hernandez, executive director of Californians Together, told the editorial board that Rubio's bill was too narrowly focused on foundational skills and didn't take into account the needs of English language learners. But nothing in Rubio's bill precludes teachers from incorporating other reading strategies and approaches — it merely codifies the state's existing stance, which is that foundational skills should be prioritized. Meanwhile, Leslie Littman, vice president of the California Teachers Association, argued the bill would weaken local control over education. 'Teacher input, teacher voice, in the decision-making process with the curriculum and the development of that are vitally important,' she said. Littman also said the bill doesn't come with funding — though Rubio told the editorial board there's money for curriculum development and teacher training in Newsom's proposed budget. In short, the arguments against AB1121 are nonsensical. 'These are children's lives,' Rubio, a longtime elementary school teacher who was herself an English language learner, said. 'If they miss something in their educational career, it does affect them for the rest of their life.' That lawmakers have been wrangling for years over whether to even consider such a common-sense bill is absurd. How can California Democrats say with a straight face they're governing responsibly when kids here are being outperformed by students in far poorer school districts in the Deep South? How long will they continue to use abstract ideological concepts like local control to protect policies that clearly aren't working? On the Thursday legislative deadline for education-related bills to be scheduled for a hearing, Rubio's bill still hadn't been put on the calendar for the Assembly Education Committee. But, at the last minute, a deal was struck with Assembly leadership for a compromise bill — the details of which haven't yet been made public. It's comical that a compromise was necessary for such a critically important bill to even stand a chance of passing through the California Legislature. What, exactly, is politically challenging about ensuring that our youngest kids learn to read? Isn't California ranking far below Mississippi for early childhood literacy enough of a wake-up call? Mississippi, incidentally, also had the lowest rate of homelessness in the United States in 2023. It's a sad day when struggling families who want to stay housed and ensure their kids learn to read have a better shot in the dark-red Deep South than they do in California.
San Francisco Chronicle
26-04-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Is California capable of prying loose Trump's grip on the nation? The fate of this bill will tell us
Following resounding losses by Democrats in the November election, party leaders such as Gov. Gavin Newsom have sought to align themselves with the burgeoning 'abundance' movement, which contends that blue states will only win back voters if they can prove their ability to govern effectively — including by providing access to basic goods, such as high-quality public education and widely available housing. How's that effort going in California? In short — not well. If you pay attention to California politics, you likely heard about the death this week of SB677, a bill to make it easier to split single-family-home lots for duplexes or fourplexes, and the near killing of SB79, which would allow multifamily housing up to seven stories near major transit stops — both from state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco. The bills' primary assailant was state Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Fremont, chair of the Senate Housing Committee, who has leaned on the tired refrain that efforts to streamline new housing production are 'giveaways for developers,' partly because they reduce the ability of local governments to weigh in on projects. Wahab's insistence on fighting for California's failed status quo on housing, even as American democracy sinks around us, rightly drew outrage. But for an even bleaker example of how state leaders are failing to rise to the urgency of the moment, Californians should consider the response to AB1121 from Assembly Member Blanca Rubio, D-Baldwin Park (Los Angeles County). The seemingly uncontroversial bill would require California teachers in transitional kindergarten through fifth grade to be trained in the 'science of reading,' which emphasizes the importance of foundational literacy skills, including phonics — or sounding out words. It would also require schools to adopt an evidence-based reading curriculum in transitional kindergarten through eighth grade. Backed by decades of interdisciplinary research, this approach has proven to be particularly effective in teaching young kids how to read — regardless of their mother language. California schools and teachers currently have a fair amount of leeway in the curriculum they use, and the state doesn't track those materials or how effective they are. But a review of more than 300 of the state's largest school districts conducted by the California Reading Coalition found that fewer than 2% use programs aligned with the science of reading. The results speak for themselves. Nearly 60% of our third graders didn't meet state standards for English language arts and literacy in the 2023-24 school year. Meanwhile, poverty-stricken red states such as Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama have surged ahead of California in childhood literacy after adopting mandatory foundational literacy teaching and training. That California childhood literacy rates have fallen significantly beneath those of the poorest state in the nation should be considered a stain on the progressive values this state claims to stand for. Yet last year, California Democrats silently killed a bipartisan bill to mandate the science of reading, refusing to even discuss the topic publicly. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, and Assembly Member Al Muratsuchi, D-Rolling Hills Estates (Los Angeles County), who leads the Assembly Education Committee (and is running for state superintendent of public instruction next year) tabled the bill without a hearing amid fierce opposition from influential interest groups — including the California Teachers Association and Californians Together, which advocates for English language learners. Yes, you read that correctly — ensuring California kids receive the most effective reading lessons didn't even merit a discussion among Democrats in the face of union opposition. Rubio's bill faced similar hurdles this year. Most enraging is that the state's English language arts framework already underscores that foundational reading skills 'should be given high priority' among other strategies in early literacy instruction. State law also requires teacher candidates to demonstrate their fluency in evidence-based foundational reading methods to receive their credential. Meanwhile, literacy rates at some of California's lowest-performing schools improved significantly after adopting this curriculum. So what's behind the reluctance to implement this approach more widely? Martha Hernandez, executive director of Californians Together, told the editorial board that Rubio's bill was too narrowly focused on foundational skills and didn't take into account the needs of English language learners. But nothing in Rubio's bill precludes teachers from incorporating other reading strategies and approaches — it merely codifies the state's existing stance, which is that foundational skills should be prioritized. Meanwhile, Leslie Littman, vice president of the California Teachers Association, argued the bill would weaken local control over education. 'Teacher input, teacher voice, in the decision-making process with the curriculum and the development of that are vitally important,' she said. Littman also said the bill doesn't come with funding — though Rubio told the editorial board there's money for curriculum development and teacher training in Newsom's proposed budget. In short, the arguments against AB1121 are nonsensical. 'These are children's lives,' Rubio, a longtime elementary school teacher who was herself an English language learner, said. 'If they miss something in their educational career, it does affect them for the rest of their life.' That lawmakers have been wrangling for years over whether to even consider such a common-sense bill is absurd. How can California Democrats say with a straight face they're governing responsibly when kids here are being outperformed by students in far poorer school districts in the Deep South? How long will they continue to use abstract ideological concepts like local control to protect policies that clearly aren't working? On the Thursday legislative deadline for education-related bills to be scheduled for a hearing, Rubio's bill still hadn't been put on the calendar for the Assembly Education Committee. But, at the last minute, a deal was struck with Assembly leadership for a compromise bill — the details of which haven't yet been made public. It's comical that a compromise was necessary for such a critically important bill to even stand a chance of passing through the California Legislature. What, exactly, is politically challenging about ensuring that our youngest kids learn to read? Isn't California ranking far below Mississippi for early childhood literacy not enough of a wake-up call? Mississippi, incidentally, also had the lowest rate of homelessness in the United States in 2023. It's a sad day when struggling families who want to stay housed and ensure their kids learn to read have a better shot in the dark-red Deep South than they do in California.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Pour Decisions Made Here' - Bill allowing patrons to pour own alcohol gaining support in NH
The sign just inside the door of Vine 32 Wine and Graze Bar in Bedford says, 'Pour Decisions Made Here.' Self-pour technology may soon become more prevalent in bars, restaurants and craft breweries across New Hampshire if a bill making its way through the state Legislature becomes law. Senate Bill 79 would codify language governing self-serve tap technology where patrons can pour their own alcoholic drinks. Self-pour beer and wine systems are legal and available in 46 U.S. states, including New Hampshire. Connecticut recently became the 46th state to pass a self-pour alcohol bill. In New England, Vermont is the only state yet to put one on the books. While self-pour tech isn't illegal here, as far as anyone knows Vine 32 is the only establishment in the Granite State currently offering such a system — with 32 wines on tap — to the delight of their many customers. 'People really love it,' said Leah Bellemore, who owns and operates Vine 32 with her husband Tom. 'I think, at first, there's still an education component, but as soon as you get in and you understand how the machines work, everyone's like, 'Oh my god, this is brilliant. Where have you been? You need to open one of these everywhere.' 'The ability to have someone be able to go through different pour sizes and really find and figure out what they're into has been really beneficial for a lot of people.' Self-pour automated systems are already allowed in New Hampshire under industry rules, but SB79 would codify the rules into law. House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Affairs Chairman John Hunt, R- Rindge, said he was there when Vine 32 first opened. 'The question came up whether it was legal, because in terms of the servicing,' Hunt said. 'So at the time, we made an agreement that there would be an employee" who watched the pourers, "so that if somebody stumbles, or somebody looks intoxicated, they can cut the person off. So that was the rule. 'So in terms of putting it in the statute, it's fine, but like I said, I was very happy that I was able to solve the problem for this establishment without legislation.' The bill's prime sponsor, Republican state Sen. Tim Lang of Sanbornton said the appeal of such technology became apparent while 'waiting on my chicken fingers to show up' during a trip to Wisconsin. 'It's not often I can I go to another state and am like, 'Oh, I like what they're doing — I'm gonna bring that to New Hampshire,'' Lang said during a public hearing on the bill before the House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Affairs. 'But that's the case with this bill. It made it easier that I could just get up and get myself another beer without waiting for the waitress to come over and ask if the table wanted anything.' Lang said he was attending a conference in Wisconsin when he visited a bar. A waitress there checked his ID, swiped his credit card and gave him an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) wristband, which uses radio waves to automatically identify people and things through a chip embedded within it. 'Then they allow you to self-pour your own drinks,' Lang said. 'So you have a wall of taps, and you go up, and you just tap your wristband to it. You pull it and pour — you only get charged for the amount you take. So if I decide I want to try the stout instead of the IPA I usually get, I can take a one ounce pour, and decide if I like it or not. If I don't like it, I can go pour something else. 'It allows consumers to self-serve and only get charged for the amount of beer or drinks that they consume.' The RFID-enabled wristbands used to activate the system also tracks the ounces an individual purchases. 'The issue always comes up is, how do you deal with intoxication?' Lang said. 'I will tell you, I got my wristband shut off while I was at the venue, but it wasn't because I was drinking too much. It was because I was buying too much, because I was buying for the table.' Lang said he went to purchase more drinks, and the system wouldn't let him pour. He went to see a bartender, thinking his wristband might be broken. 'They were like, no, you drank too much,' Lang said. 'And I'm like, No, not true. I've just been buying for the table. So they sent a server over to my table to make sure nobody else was intoxicated before they turned my wristband back on, and once they confirmed there wasn't an over-serving that occurred, they turned my wristband back on, and I was back to buying drinks for everybody.' Vine 32 uses a 'wine card' with a chip in it instead of a wristband, but operationally the system is the same. Put in the card, wait for the blinking light, then push a button for one of three pour sizes — the 'taste,' four ounces or six ounces. 'It allows us to offer different wines at different price points,' Leah Bellemore said. 'We're removing that pretentiousness that a lot of wine can have.' PourMyBev, the parent company of industry-leading self-pour technology provider PourMyBeer, reported in 2024 that 133.9 million ounces were poured using self-pour technology, with beer accounting for 113.86 million ounces. The same year, 3.1 million customers were served, with $71.4 million in revenue generated for operators, the company reported. Lang said SB79 is supported by the hospitality industry and the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire. The bill came out of committee in the state Senate with an "Ought to Pass" recommendation, and is currently in committee in the House. Leah Bellemore said Vine 32 customers love the self-pour option. 'That first initial reaction where people are like 'self-pour, that's weird,' but as soon as they use it they're like, 'Oh my God, this is brilliant,'' Bellemore said. 'I don't see any reason why this isn't the future.'
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama House approves bill exempting nursing mothers from jury duty
Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, speaking with Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, in the Alabama House of Representatives on March 4, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. DuBose's jury duty exemption bill passed the House unanimously Tuesday. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill Tuesday to exempt nursing mothers from jury duty. HB 209, sponsored by Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, requires nursing mothers to provide documentation of childbirth and a written statement in order to be exempt from jury duty for two years. 'We named the bill 'Parker's Law' after the precious 3-month-old baby that had to accompany her mother all the way down to the Jefferson County courthouse,' DuBose said on the House floor Tuesday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX In January, Kandace Brown brought her 3-month-old to jury duty in Jefferson County. According to a posting on Brown's Facebook page, the judge would not dismiss Brown and told her to make arrangements for her strictly breastfed daughter. The Alabama Supreme Court issued an administrative order on Jan. 17 stating that nursing mothers qualify for exemption. 'But here in Alabama, just four days after this incident happened, the change was made because of each one of you sharing this and helping bring this to light,' Brown wrote on her social media. The bill goes to the Senate. SB 79, sponsored by Sen. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, the legislation's companion bill, passed that chamber on Feb. 18. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 22 states as of 2021 exempted nursing mothers from jury duty or allowed their jury service to be postponed. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
