Thursday, March 27, 2025

Will This Bill Be The End Of California’s Housing VS Environment Wars?

By Ben Christopher, CALMATTERS

For years California has been stuck in a recurring fight between legislators who want the state to turbocharge new home construction and legislators determined to defend a landmark environmental protection law.

The final showdown in that long-standing battle may have just arrived.

A new bill by Oakland Democratic Assemblymember Buffy Wicks would exempt most urban housing developments from the 55-year-old California Environmental Quality Act.

If it passes — a big if, even in today’s ascendent pro-building political environment — it would mean no more environmental lawsuits over proposed apartment buildings, no more legislative debates over which projects should be favored with exemptions and no more use of the law by environmental justice advocates, construction unions and anti-development homeowners to wrest concessions from developers or delay them indefinitely.

In short, it would spell the end of California’s Housing-CEQA Wars.

“If we’re able to get it to the governor’s desk,

Thursday, March 27, 2025

California Food Banks Brace for Funding Cuts, and Not Only from the Trump Administration

By Jeanne Kuang, CALMATTERS

Five years since the COVID-19 pandemic upended the economy and made millions experience hunger for the first time, demand at the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services is still higher than ever.

The number of monthly clients has risen to 310,000, more than double the number of people the food bank served before the pandemic, spokesperson Kevin Buffalino said.

So it was a blow this month, he said, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture halted hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds for food banks. Caught up in the freeze were 11 truckloads of food – 400,000 pounds – that the Sacramento food bank was expecting over the next few months.

A total of 330 truckloads bound for food banks across the state has been suspended, according to the California Association of Food Banks, with no indication of when or if they’ll be delivered. The biggest potential hit is to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank,

Thursday, March 27, 2025

FEMA, SBA Representatives Slated to Speak at Community Forum for Altadena Disaster Recovery

Federal Emergency Management Agency and Small Business Administration representatives will meet with Altadena residents on March 29 to answer questions about disaster recovery efforts and funding opportunities, according to Pastor Kerwin Manning of Pasadena Church.

The event, titled “FEMA in Focus: Your Questions, Real Answers,” was created to bring federal officials and community members together ahead of the March 31st FEMA deadline.

Pastor Manning and Pasadena Church, NAACP-Pasadena, Neighborhood Servants, Pasadena Community Coalition and local radio host James Farr invited “FEMA to answer the pressing questions of the Altadena community.”

The forum was planned to allow families, small business owners, and nonprofits to directly engage with FEMA representatives about disaster recovery progress and funding concerns.

In an announcement, the organizers said the two-hour session will feature Brandi Richard Thompson, Public Affairs Officer for FEMA, and Corey Williams, Public Information Officer for the SBA.

The pair will address topics including individual assistance programs, debris removal efforts, FEMA programs and SBA resources,

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

CORE Partners With County Officials to Clear Wildfire Debris From Altadena Reservoir

STAFF REPORT

Project supported water restoration for Altadena residents

CORE, a global crisis response nonprofit co-founded by actor Sean Penn, began clearing debris from an Altadena reservoir Thursday to restore water access for residents affected by recent wildfires.

The project, funded by philanthropist Stephen J. Cloobeck, was in partnership with Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger and the Rubio Cañon Land & Water Association.

“I want to express my sincere gratitude to both Stephen Cloobeck and CORE for stepping in to help Rubio Cañon Land & Water Association clean its Altadena reservoir and remove debris from this commercial property,” said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger. “Their swift and dedicated efforts are making a meaningful impact, helping to restore water access for Altadena residents and families more quickly.”

The cleanup efforts began at 7:30 a.m. and continued until 2:00 p.m. on March 21 at 825 E.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Christopherson Builders to Offer Ground-Up Homebuilding Services to Fire Survivors in Los Angeles

Christopherson Builders to host informational presentation April 2 in Pasadena

Christopherson Builders, a homebuilder with a great understanding of rebuilding after fires, today announced the launch of their availability to assist Eaton Fire survivors with rebuilding their homes. Christopherson Builders is ready to begin assisting the Altadena area immediately. They invite the community to join them at the Eaton Canyon Golf Course, 1150 Sierra Madre Villa Blvd., Pasadena at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, April 2. 

Christopherson Builders is hosting this evening event where the community can meet part of the team and hear about lessons learned after working on rebuilds throughout the past seven years. With hundreds of rebuilds completed the company has processes in place including debris removal, experience with insurance assistance and multiple semi-custom plans to share. 

“We were asked to join in the efforts and are honored to share what we have learned from our past,” says Amy Christopherson Bolten, President of Christopherson Builders and leading home-builder in Northern California for the past 45 years.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Unions Ask California To Play A More Powerful Role In Labor Disputes

By Lynn La, CALMATTERS

As businesses like SpaceX and Amazon seek to undo the National Labor Relations Board, California unions are trying a novel tactic to preserve labor organizing rights.

They’ve introduced a bill that would give the state a new role in union disputes. Assembly Bill 288 by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor would give the state jurisdiction over union elections, accusations of employer retaliation and other cases between employers and unions — in the event the federal board doesn’t or can’t respond.

The proposal by the Inglewood Democrat is likely to face pushback from businesses and legal challenges, primarily over the question of whether the bill would infringe on federal law.

Experts say because the National Labor Relations Act already governs union organizing rights and the procedures for unionizing for most private-sector workers nationwide, state agencies can’t have jurisdiction.

But the California Labor Federation says the state must try to step in as the federal agency is increasingly in the crosshairs of prominent businesses,

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

LA Supervisors Approve $637 million for Homelessness Services

CITY NEWS SERVICE

After several back and forth amendments on budget adjustments, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday voted unanimously to allocate a $637 million budget for homelessness services.

The total consisted of over $535 million from fiscal year 2025-26 Measure A Comprehensive Homelessness Services funds, $59 million from one-time Measure H carryover, and $42 million from the State Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program.

Over $96 million of the Local Solutions Fund was allocated to cities and unincorporated areas under one of six formulas available for the board to choose. Senior Manager of Homeless Initiative Carter Hewgley said Formula No. 6 stood out in incentivizing progress.

The board considered the adoption of baseline and target metrics as recommended by the Executive Committee for Regional Homeless Alignment, a move that was vocally opposed by several local leaders.

Palmdale Mayor Richard Loa urged the board to reconsider the allocation, saying the budget disproportionately takes away money from cities and unincorporated areas that need it the most.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Deadline to Submit Form Allowing Fire Debris Removal Just Five Days Away

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

There are just five days left for local property owners affected by the Eaton Fire to submit forms for debris removal.

Residents in Altadena and Pasadena have until March 31 to turn in the Right of Entry (ROE) form that allows crews onto their properties.

As of last week, 5,087 ROE forms had been submitted and 3,080 of them had already been transmitted to the Army Corps for cleanup. The department is processing hundreds of ROEs daily and transmitting over 200 each day, ensuring that the cleanup continues at a steady pace.

Local residents can hire a private contractor for debris removal, but they must still opt out of the Army Corps of Engineers program. They are still required to fill out an ROE.

The Army Corps of Engineers has significantly expanded its debris removal efforts in the Eaton footprint, with 80 crews now working to clear affected properties, a major increase from the 34 crews operating just two weeks ago.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Supervisor Barger Honors Altadena Social Workers’ Heroism in Eaton Fire Response

Supervisor Barger recognizes agencies as county declares March Social Work Month

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger on Tuesday honored three Altadena-based foster youth agencies for their swift action during the Eaton Fire that swept through Altadena in early January, as the Board unanimously declared March as National Social Work Month in the County.

Five Acres, Sycamores, and Bourne Family Services received recognition for ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable children during the fire emergency that began on January 8.

“Despite the terrifying circumstances, the Five Acres team remained an unwavering anchor for foster youth,” Barger said at Tuesday’s Board meeting. “Even with 25% of their staff displaced by the fire, their professionalism and dedication never wavered. They put children first, and that is truly commendable.”

The commemoration aligns with the National Association of Social Workers’ theme, “Social Work: Compassion + Action,” highlighting the crucial role social workers play in supporting vulnerable residents during times of hardship.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

LA District Attorney Reverses Blanket Ban on Death Penalty Prosecutions

New policy allows capital punishment in “exceedingly rare cases” after extensive and thorough review

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced Tuesday an immediate policy shift that lifts the previous administration’s “extreme and categorical” prohibition on seeking the death penalty in murder cases.

Under the new guidelines, prosecutors may pursue capital punishment only in “exceedingly rare cases” and after extensive and comprehensive review. The policy requires a “beyond reasonable doubt” standard for charging at all stages of review, rather than the previous “probable cause” threshold.

“I remain unwaveringly committed to the comprehensive and thorough evaluation of every special circumstance murder case prosecuted in Los Angeles County, in consultation with the murder victim’s survivors and with full input on the mitigating and aggravating factors of each case, to ensure that the punishment sought by the Office is just, fair, fitting, and appropriate,” Hochman said in a statement.

The policy change recognizes “an evolving determination that the death penalty should be restricted to the most egregious sets of circumstances,”