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LA Council backs state bill limiting cargo caps at ports after heated debate
Summary
The Los Angeles City Council voted to support SB 34, a state bill that would prohibit cargo caps and public funding for automation at the San Pedro Bay ports, after extended debate weighing air quality goals against job and economic impacts.
The Los Angeles City Council voted to approve a resolution supporting California Senate Bill 34 (SB 34), a measure that would bar the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) from imposing cargo throughput caps and would restrict use of public funds for automation that displaces port workers.
Councilmember Nithya Raman, the city’s representative to the AQMD board, urged colleagues to oppose the resolution, saying it would “restrict the ability of our local air quality regulatory agency to regulate air quality in our region.” Raman said AQMD’s cooperative approach with ports and community stakeholders is designed to lower pollution without disrupting port activity.
Councilmember McCosker and several union speakers framed the vote as protecting jobs and regional logistics. “If you tell an international shipping company that there might be a cap on trade in the Port of Los Angeles, you know what the shipping company does? They move the cargo on day one,” McCosker said during debate, arguing that potential caps would shift traffic to less-regulated ports and could increase, not decrease, overall emissions. Longshore union leaders including Drew Gutierrez and Gary Herrera spoke in favor of SB 34, saying the bill balances environmental goals with protections for port workers.
Environmental groups that oppose SB 34 also testified during public comment. Chris Chavez of Coalition for Clean Air said the measure would undercut AQMD’s ability to reduce smog-forming pollutants at one of the nation’s most polluted port complexes and warned of public-health consequences if regulators’ authority is limited.
After nearly two hours of public testimony and council debate, the resolution passed on the council floor. The roll call recorded 12 ayes and 2 noes. The council forwarded the resolution to the mayor and signaled support for the Legislature’s SB 34, while members who opposed the measure said it removes an important tool for air regulators to reduce pollution in communities near the ports.
Votes at a glance: SB 34 resolution — approved, 12–2.
What happens next: The council’s resolution is a formal expression of the city’s position to state lawmakers and does not itself change AQMD rules. The measure will proceed through the state legislative process; the council’s action asks state leaders to adopt SB 34 as written and to consider the labor and economic arguments presented at the meeting.
