Senate committee hears broad support, legal questions for CRMC reform bill (S-775)

Senator McKinney told the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture that Senate Bill 775 would replace the volunteer Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) with an executive-style Department of Coastal Resources, arguing the change would create clearer accountability and restore public trust in coastal permitting and enforcement.

The Attorney General’s office, represented by Allison Fonseca, policy and legislative counsel, testified in full support. Fonseca said the CRMC professional staff are “strong” and that removing the council would empower staff to make technical decisions while retaining community input through an advisory committee. She told the committee the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) analysis overstated staffing needs and noted that bringing legal services in-house could replace roughly $200,000 in outside counsel costs.

Save the Bay and allied organizations testified the council structure has produced repeated delays,…