As part of its legislative platform and commitment to adopting positions on priority issues and matters that impact the city of Santa Clarita’s ability to operate effectively, promote City interests and protect local authority, the Santa Clarita City Council recently reviewed and took positions on five state bills and one federal bill at its regular meeting on July 13, 2021. The bills center on the topics of trail connectivity and wildlife protection, local land use authority, zoning laws and more.

The City Council supported S. 1769, which is a federal bill that proposes to expand the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to enhance trail connectivity and the wildlife corridor in the Santa Clarita Valley. The City Council also supported Senate Bill 619, a state bill that would delay the state from the ability to impose a penalty on local governments that may not be in compliance with recently adopted CalRecycle guidelines.

The City Council also adopted a position on four other pieces of state legislation. Senate Bill 12 would allow state agencies to preempt local land use authority. Senate Bill 262 would waive monetary bail for misdemeanors and some felonies. Senate Bill 679 would establish a new governing board in Los Angeles County that would have the authority to raise and allocate new revenue through a special tax, subject to voter approval. Senate Bill 778 would require local governments to approve the conversion of commercial or retail space into a residential accessory dwelling unit, without any conditions or the option to refuse the conversion. The City Council opposed these four bills.

Residents can review these bills and a copy of the City’s position letters by visiting the City’s Legislation website at santa-clarita.com/Legislation. Residents may also submit a letter in support of or opposition to a piece of legislation by connecting with their federal or state representative using the contacting information at santa-clarita.com/Representatives.