July 2, 2026
Good news: A last-minute attempt to persuade Governor Newsom to override our community’s efforts to protect our coastline from an onslaught of new high-end development—a so-called “trailer bill”—has failed.
Recently, residents fought to save the California Coastal Commission’s authority over our coastal zone—authority that was threatened by legislation crafted by our City Council and shepherded by Assemblymember Rick Zbur. This legislation (AB 1740) would have stripped the state’s premier environmental agency of jurisdiction over Santa Monica’s coastline.
After an outcry from residents and environmental groups, AB 1740 was amended to keep Coastal Commission oversight intact.
Then a “trailer bill”—a back-door tactic using the budget process to push through legislation without public input or hearings—was quickly devised. It read as though it had been written by developers themselves, giving them carte blanche over our coastline.
We’re pleased to report that the political pressure proved too great, and the “trailer bill” was never submitted to the Legislature by the July deadline.
To their credit, Assemblymember Zbur and State Senator Ben Allen both went on record opposing this anti-democratic maneuver, which undoubtedly helped prevent it from advancing.
Victory!
But from what we’re hearing, this truly awful “trailer bill” could resurface again in August before the budget year ends.
Our coastline is apparently just too valuable for the elites to ever stop trying to monetize it.
Of course, we’ll continue to keep you informed because this fight isn’t over. But for now, this is good news—and a reminder of what can happen when a community comes together to demand that its voice be heard.
Thanks for getting involved. And staying involved.
