August 31, 2026
In a remarkable statewide effort, individuals like you and groups throughout Santa Monica and beyond successfully beat back a last-minute attempt to undo AB 1740 Coastal Commission oversight for Santa Monica.
This “trailer bill”— legislation presented by the Governor just before a legislative recess to push through a measure without public input or hearings — brazenly sought to exempt local developer Jeff Worthe’s Santa Monica coastal project from Coastal Commission review. It’s reported that Worthe spent over $250,000 in that effort to avoid having to build the affording housing the Coastal Commission imposed. Likewise, he and his wife contributed a similar amount to Newsom’s political campaigns.
The press played a huge role in defeating this. Here are some of the articles that disclosed the scheme BEFORE it became a fait accompli:
https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/santa-monica-construction-legislative-carveout/
https://patch.com/california/santamonica/lawmakers-fight-coastal-act-carveout-appears-tailored-gehry-project
Santa Monica Daily Press (Matt Hall) “Will Gov. Newsom reward a longtime donor with new law streamlining his coastal development?”
https://share.google/1MR7Dllilx1ElLHlw
https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2026/August-2026/08_26_2026_Last_Minute_Budget_Deal_Would_Exempt_Major_Downtown_Project_from_Review.html
Los Angeles Times (Steve Lopez) Commentary: “Gov. Newsom backs off from shameful gambit, and it's a victory for California.”
https://apple.news/A5g1gfEszQyiU2XtUVJp9LQ
Essential leaders in this effort included Assemblymember Rick Zbur (who authored AB 1740 and amended it after a public outcry to keep Coastal Commission authority intact along our coast); Senator Ben Allen; Susan Jordan of California Coastal Protection Network; Ashley Oelsen, SM Commissioner, environmental leader, candidate for Santa Monica City Council; and neighborhood groups like FOSP, NOMA, WILMONT, NEN, as well as the SM Democratic Club, SMRR, and SMCLC.
Make no mistake: This was a developer-supported effort to dismantle the California Coastal Act step-by-step to build luxury homes up and down our coastline.
For everyone who called, wrote, and dogged our Santa Monica representatives, thank you!
You made the difference.
EditRegion4
