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Emeryville staff lays out recommended state legislative positions; council members split on several housing and transit bills
Summary
A consultant presented a proposed 2025–26 state and federal legislative agenda and recommended positions on a suite of housing, transportation and municipal bills. Council members voiced support for some measures and opposition to others; no binding council vote on the full package was recorded at the meeting.
City consultants and staff presented an updated 2025–26 state and federal legislative agenda Tuesday, proposing support, support-with-amendments, or opposition on a range of bills addressing housing, transportation, insurance and municipal procedure.
Niccolo DeLuca, who presented the recommendations, told the council that the list reflected prior direction from council and focused staff advocacy on measures likely to move the needle for Emeryville. "Every bill that's on this list, there's a recommended position of either support, support with amendments, oppose, or oppose unless amended," DeLuca said.
Why it matters: The recommendations cover bills that could affect local housing production, CEQA exemptions, tenant protections and transit funding. Council positions help guide the city's advocacy in Sacramento during fast-moving legislative deadlines.
Key bills discussed: DeLuca highlighted AB 609 (a CEQA exemption for certain housing projects up to 20 acres), AB 736 (a proposed housing bond), AB 1162 (anti-frivolous-litigation provisions related to housing projects), SB 79 (streamlining near transit with CEQA exemptions), SB 63 (regional revenue measures for transit), SB 239 (greater teleconferencing flexibility), SB 295 (algorithmic-collusion/tenant protections) and SB 692 (authority to remove abandoned RVs when they pose health/safety hazards). He recommended a mix of support, support-with-amendments, and opposition depending on the bill.
Council reaction and debate: Planning Commissioner Sam Gold (speaking in public comment) praised the draft positions and urged support for AB 609 and SB 79, saying they pair housing with transit investment. Council Member Preyforce said she opposed multiple items on the list — including AB 609, AB 736, AB 1162, SB 63, SB 79 and SB 692 — arguing that AB 609 weakens CEQA and that SB 692 could criminalize homelessness by enabling vehicle seizure.
Other council members supported a focused, pragmatic approach. Council Member Welch said she favored housing where infrastructure and services already exist, arguing that encouraging development near transit helps reduce displacement and environmental impacts from sprawl.
What the council did: The presentation was discussed and council members provided feedback. The transcript records no council vote adopting the full package at this meeting; staff will return with updates and can bring additional bills at a later date. DeLuca said staff will continue tailored engagement and provide weekly updates during the legislative session.
Clarifying details: The presenter noted timing constraints — both legislative chambers were approaching house-of-origin deadlines — and said his office had prepared a clean and a track-changes version of the policy platform. Council members asked for amendments and additional analysis on greenhouse-gas and environmental tradeoffs for building-standard changes (AB 306) and asked staff to return on additional bills such as ADU-related measures.
Next steps: Staff will incorporate council direction, pursue amendments where requested, and report back on bill movement during the session. No binding council positions were adopted on the full legislative list during the June 3 meeting.
