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Mayor proposes FAIR Act to consolidate Long Beach ethics and lobbyist rules; residents urge investment screening
Summary
Mayor Richardson introduced the Framework for Accountability, Integrity, and Reporting (FAIR Act) to consolidate ethics rules and strengthen lobbyist disclosure. Public commenters and the Ethics Commission urged quick adoption and asked the council to include a civil and human‑rights investment screening policy.
Mayor Rex Richardson introduced a proposal to draft a single ordinance consolidating Long Beach’s ethics rules, streamlining lobbying disclosure and creating clearer reporting tools.
"This is the beginning of the ordinance development process," the mayor told the council, urging referral to the Government Operations and Efficiency committee for public input. The FAIR Act, he said, would consolidate ethics provisions now distributed across municipal code and administrative policies and would modernize reporting and disclosure.
Barbara Pollock, chair of the Ethics Commission, spoke in support and urged prompt action, saying the commission has worked on the project for two years. "The FAIR Act will consolidate in a single municipal code title, ethics rules that are now distributed through other provisions of the municipal code, policies, and administrative regulations," she said.
Several residents urged the council to pair the FAIR Act with a civil and human‑rights investment screening policy to prevent public investment in companies linked to human‑rights abuses. Speakers representing community groups and the Equity and Human Relations Commission said the screening policy was ready for council consideration and would align the city’s investments with declared values.
Council members questioned operational issues including staffing, calendar disclosure technology, redaction of security‑sensitive items, and the resources needed to implement frequent reporting. Council accepted a friendly amendment requesting staff return with an implementation report (including SB 707 compliance) and directed the city clerk to recirculate a public survey to gather broader input. The motion that the mayor’s communication be referred for committee review and report back was carried.
What’s next: the mayor’s proposal will be refined through the Government Operations and Efficiency committee with additional public input and a staff implementation analysis before any ordinance is drafted.
