Housing Bills Stall in the State Assembly (No More Taxes!)

Democrats lack votes to pass key California housing bill

State Democrats remain short of the votes they need to pass a key part of the package of legislation aimed at addressing California's housing crisis.

Really?!

It looks like there are some vulnerable Democrats in Sacramento after all

I know that some of the names listed below fall under that category.

I just wish that it had been enough to ensure that SB 54 would have no chance of passage.

What are we going to do about that?

But will we at least be spared another fee on top of all the other fees which we have had to suffer?!

Three Democrats in the Assembly told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday afternoon they remained undecided on Senate Bill 2, a measure that would add a $75 fee on many real estate transactions to fund low-income housing development.

How about deporting all the illegal aliens? How about securing our border and ensuring that only law-abiding citizens can stay in the state?

SB 2 requires a two-thirds supermajority vote of the Assembly to pass. Assuming no support comes from Republican lawmakers, Assembly Democrats can only afford to lose one member of their caucus.

“I’m still looking at it,” said Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance). “My concern is that it looks and smells like a tax.”

That's because it IS a tax, Al! Is that the best you have? Did you not see that the fee needs a two-thirds majority vote to pass?

Did you just mei

Is that all you have to share with us? And to think that this guy was sitting on a school board in Torrance. He is not even educated enough to sit at a coffee table and talk shop with others.

This Al Muratsuchi guy has got to go.

The bill’s author, Sen. Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) pushed through changes to the measure Tuesday morning to give cities and counties more direct control over the money generated by the fee in an effort to gain enough support.

Democratic Assemblyman Tom Daly of Anaheim said he was still reading through the amendments and hadn’t made up his mind.

After Democratic lawmakers gathered for lunch Tuesday, Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin of Thousand Oaks exited with Assemblyman David Chiu of San Francisco. Chiu, who leads the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee, was talking through the housing bills with her.

“I’m considering it still,” Irwin told The Times of SB 2.

How about NO!

SB 2 passed the state Senate on a party-line vote with the entire supermajority of Democrats voting yes.

We need to get rid of Josh Newman--and we need to get rid of him right now!

Legislative leaders are aiming for a vote on a full package of housing bills, which include a bond measure on the 2018 ballot and legislation to ease local development regulations, as early as Friday.