State Senate Judiciary Committee Advances AB 339 To Restore/Ensure Public's Ability To Speak On Council Items Remotely By Telephone</small>

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State Senate Judiciary Committee Advances AB 339 To Restore/Ensure Public's Ability To Speak On Council Items Remotely By Telephone

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(July 15, 2021) -- On Tuesday July 13, the state Senate Judiciary Committee voted 9-0-2 (Dem Caballero and Repub Borgeas "no vote recorded") to advance AB 339 that for jurisdictions over 250,000 population (like City of LB) would restore/ensure the public's ability to speak on City Council items remotely by telephone (a practice begun during the pandemic but ended July 6 by the City Clerk without Council input.)

The action sends AB 339 to the state Senate Appropriations Committee (a state budget gatekeeper) one step from a vote on the state Senate floor.

Among those voting "yes" were Judiciary Committee chair state Senator Tom Umberg (D, SE LB-west OC) and state Senator Lena Gonzalez (D, LB-SE LA County).

Long Beach Councilwoman Suzie Price supported AB 339 by signing onto a May 2021 letter (along with elected officials from other cities/agencies) supporting AB 339. Councilwoman Price also simultaneously agendized a July 13 City Council item joined by Councilmembers Supernaw and Uranga, to request a city management feasibility report on continuing the LB Council's telephonic testimony (ended July 6 by the City Clerk without Council input.)

If AB 339 becomes law, it would require Long Beach to restore telephonic remote testimony regardless of what city management may offer as "feasible."

On June 2, AB 339 passed the Assembly on a 54-9-16 vote...with Assemblyman Patrick O'Donnell (D, LB-San Pedro) voting "no."

Long Beach City Hall has taken no position on AB 339, introduced in January.

[Scroll down for further.]

ACLU California Action (sponsor) Abundant Housing LA ACT for Women and Girls Alan Lee, Member, Big Bear Lake City Council Alliance for Children’s Rights Bonnie Lieberman, Governing Board Member, Santa Clara Unified School District Bryan Osorio, Mayor, Delano California Common Cause California Environmental Justice Alliance California Faculty Association California League of Conservation Voters California News Publishers Association California Teachers Association California Work & Family Coalition Californians Aware Californians for Pesticide Reform Central California Asthma Collaborative Central Valley Air Quality Coalition CEJA Action Change Begins with ME Christy Holstege, Mayor, Palm Springs Cindy Chavez, Member, Santa Clara Board of Supervisors City of Rancho Palos Verdes Climate Action Campaign Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement Courage California Cultiva La Salud Disability Rights California Dolores Huerta Foundation East Bay YIMBY Ella Baker Center for Human Rights Faith in the Valley First Amendment Coalition Fresno Building Healthy Communities Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce Gayle McLaughlin, Member, Richman City Council GenUP Hammond Climate Solutions Hmong Innovating Politics Housing is a Human Right Orange County Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Indivisible CA State Strong Indivisible San Francisco Indivisible San Jose James Coleman, Member, South San Francisco City Council Janice Li, Member, BART Board of Directors Jessie Lopez, Member, Santa Ana City Council Jon Wizard, Member, Seaside City Council Jovanka Beckles, Member, AC Transit Board Justin Cummings, Member, Santa Cruz City Council Karina R. Dominguez, Member, Milpitas City Council Katie Valenzuela, Member, Sacramento City Council Konstantine Anthony, Member, Burbank City Council League of Women Voters of California Megan Beaman-Jacinto, Member, Coachella City Council Miguel Arias, Member, Fresno City Council Monica Montgomery Steppe, Member, San Diego City Council National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter NextGen Policy Nithya Raman, Member, LA City Council Northern Neighbors Orange County Equality Coalition Pacific Media Workers Guild Peninsula for Everyone People for Housing Orange County People’s Budget OC Public Advocates Pueblo Unido CDC Rich Tran, Mayor, Milpitas Rita Loof, San Bernardino County Board of Education, Area B San Francisco YIMBY Santa Cruz YIMBY Sean Elo-Rivera, Member, San Diego City Council Senior & Disability Action South Bay YIMBY Southside Forward Streets for People Suzie Price, Member, Long Beach City Council Terry Taplin, Member, Berkeley City Council Together We Will/Indivisible—Los Gatos UC Merced Community and Labor Center Urban Environmentalists Vickie Fairchild, Governing Board Member, Santa Clara Unified School District YIMBY Action Youth Justice Education Clinic, Loyola Law School Zach Hilton, Member, Gilroy City Counsel

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