Senate Bill 50, the closely watched upzoning bill proposed by State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), made it a lot further through the Legislature than the prior attempt, SB 827. Still, SB 50 will short of the finish line in 2019.
Updated with a statement by State Senator Scott Wiener and additional articles by the L.A. Times.
"Senate Bill 50, the major transit-housing bill by SF-based State Sen. Scott Wiener, risks being stuck in limbo after a Monday hearing left its fate ambiguous," reports Adam Brinklow.
"Wiener’s bill, which would eliminate some zoning restrictions near major transit lines and job centers—and likely result in de facto upzoning of key parcels in major California cities and taller, more dense housing in these areas—faced the senate’s Appropriations Committee this week," according to Brinklow.
The committee ended up suspending the bill, as reported by LA Times reporter Liam Dillon on Twitter.
State Senate Appropriations chair @Portantino announced that #SB50, the bill that would increase density around transit and elsewhere around the state from @Scott_Wiener has been held for the year and will eligible again in 2020.
— Liam Dillon (@dillonliam) May 16, 2019
In April, the bill seemed like the bill's backers had brokered the necessary compromises to win approval. Senator Wiener shared a statement expressing "deep disappointment" over the fate of the bill.
The Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee made #SB50 a 2-year bill, meaning he won’t let it come up for a vote this year. It’ll be eligible for a vote in January. While I’m extremely disappointed, I am 100% committed to moving the bill forward. This fight is far from over. pic.twitter.com/0zpDoz6vsO
— Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) May 16, 2019
Additional coverage from Bryan Anderson and Hannah Wiley for the Sacramento Bee is also available.
Since the news broke, the Los Angeles Times has added a wave of coverage, including articles by Liam Dillon and Julia Wick.
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