Regional Council Leaders Advocate for Southern California
Regional Council President Cindy Allen led a SCAG delegation to the state capital for the agency’s annual Sacramento Summit on March 16-17. This year’s trip focused on SCAG’s two sponsor bills, Senate Bill (SB) 1087 (Cabaldon) and Assembly Bill (AB) 2002 (Solache).
SB 1087 would modernize the framework in SB 375, the 2009 legislation that established the Sustainable Communities Strategy requirement for metropolitan planning organizations. The proposed changes would allow regions to more efficiently identify strategies to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets and to implement those strategies to achieve reductions.
AB 2002 would codify the successful 2019 Regional Early Action Planning (REAP 1.0) framework, which provided resources for SCAG to implement the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), deliver direct assistance to jurisdictions, create tools that streamlined housing element preparation, support accessory dwelling unit permitting, and advance fair housing. SCAG also advocated for a complementary $125 million one‑time budget request to implement the 7th RHNA cycle, which is slated to be the costliest in state history due to new requirements enacted by recent legislation.
On the first day of the trip, the SCAG delegation heard from four panels on a variety of timely topics, including air quality, housing, labor, transit, and regional collaboration. During the first session, the delegation heard from California Air Resources Board Chair Lauren Sanchez. The second panel featured four housing policy experts: Dan Dunmoyer, president of the California Building Industry Association; Brian Hanlon, CEO of California Yes In My Backyard; Marina Espinoza, policy director for the California Housing Consortium; and Ali Sapirman, policy manager for the Housing Action Coalition. Next, SCAG hosted a panel featuring three labor leaders: Kiana Valentine, executive director of Transportation California; Joseph Cruz, executive director of the California State Council of Laborers; and Danny Curtin, director of the California Conference of Carpenters. Lastly, the group heard from the executive directors of two major membership organizations with which SCAG often collaborates, including Bill Higgins, Executive Director of the California Association of Councils of Governments, and Michael Pimentel, executive director of the California Transit Association. After the panel sessions, SCAG hosted an “Alumni Dinner,” joined by various members of the State Legislature who formerly served as members of SCAG, including Senator Steve Choi (R-Irvine) and assemblymembers José Luis Solache (D-Lynwood), Juan Carrillo (D-Palmdale), Nick Schultz (D-Burbank), and Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach).
On the second day of the summit, the SCAG delegation met with over 39 legislators and legislative staff, including Senate Pro Tem Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), senators Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta), Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas), Tony Strickland (R-Huntington Beach), Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena), as well as Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) and assemblymembers Juan Carrillo (D-Palmdale), Mike Fong (D-Alhambra), Laurie Davies (R-Laguna Niguel), Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City), Mark González (D-Los Angeles), Greg Wallis (R-Rancho Mirage) Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa), and Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), among others. The delegation also met with Deputy Secretary Trey Reffett from Governor Newsom’s office. During lunch on the second day of the summit, the delegation also hosted California State Treasurer Fiona Ma for a meet-and-greet.
President Allen was joined by Regional Council First Vice President Ray Marquez (Chino Hills), Legislative/Communications and Membership Committee (LCMC) Chair Patricia Lock Dawson (Riverside), and Vice Chair Margaret Finlay (Duarte), along with Regional Council members Wendy Bucknum (Mission Viejo), Tanya Doby (Los Alamitos), Mike Goodsell (Holtville), Mike Judge (Simi Valley), Jan Harnik (Palm Desert), Gil Rebollar (Brawley), Rocky Rhodes (Simi Valley), Suely Saro (Long Beach), and Thomas Wong (Monterey Park). Global, Land Use, and Economic Council member Tracy Hernandez, chief executive officer of the New California Coalition, also joined the SCAG delegation in Sacramento. SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise, Chief Operating Officer Darin Chidsey, Chief Planning Officer Sarah Jepson, and Chief Government and Public Affairs Officer Javiera Cartagena also attended the summit.