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Livable California

SB 1120 died in the state legislature


YES! SB 1120 died good after getting a bare majority vote of the California state Assembly — but TOO LATE past midnight to complete a process called “concurrence” to become law!

We'll take the technical win!

Special thanks to eloquent speakers against the bill, Assembly members Al Muratsuchi, Adrin Nazarian, Sydney Kamlager, Laura Friedman and Chad Mayes.

Laura Friedman's story of how the bill could allow the controversial proposed city of Tejon Ranch to QUADRUPLE in size without a single new hearing or environmental review, if SB 1120 became law!

Can you imagine?

Then to hear from Adrin Nazarian, that 10,000 houses in the San Fernando Valley are already owned by huge rental investors and this bill would let them take over thousands MORE homes!

These Assembly members knew more horror stories about SB 1120 that we did, at Livable California!

Sydney Kamlager talked with passion about how the communities in South LA would be ripped apart, and no families would go into the subdivision business as claimed by the bill's authors!

And Chad Mayes, who pointed out that in trying to spin the bill's positives on the Assembly floor late Monday night, a leading proponent said it would just "allow ADUs." As Mayes pointed out, California already approved a sweeping ADU law (granny flats) last year!

In the end, this bill died because the authors did not write a serious bill with serious ideas in it. They had to exaggerate the benefits and obfuscate the negative impact just to get it onto the Assembly floor.

Very proud of the legislature today, Sept. 1, 2020!

Thanks to all, from grandmothers in the Inland Empire to young couples in East Los Angeles, to homeowners in Torrance, to activists in San Francisco, who helped fight SB 1120.

A law written by and for developers.


Livable California is a non-profit statewide group of community leaders, activists and local elected officials. We believe in local answers to the housing affordability crisis. Our robust fight requires trips to Sacramento & a lobbyist going toe-to-toe with power. Please donate to LivableCalifornia.org here.