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State Sen. Sasha Renee Perez outlines wildfire recovery, housing and safety bills at Glendale council meeting
Summary
Sen. Sasha Renee Perez updated the Glendale City Council on wildfire recovery funding, housing and public‑safety bills and fielded council and resident concerns about housing mandates and SB 79. She highlighted state investments in firefighting capacity and several signed bills, including AB 91 (MENA inclusion).
State Sen. Sasha Renee Perez (D‑25th Senate District) briefed the Glendale City Council on a package of recent state actions and introduced bills affecting wildfire recovery, housing, public safety and schools.
Perez said the Legislature provided $39 million one‑time plus an ongoing $78 million to move CAL FIRE crews from a seasonal to a year‑round footing, a change she framed as a response to the region’s lengthening fire season. "Those firefighters are going to be able to provide that critical backup when we know fires are happening in our community," she said.
The senator described a large state commitment to post‑fire recovery, including $500 million toward a housing assistance program and $100 million for an encampment resolution fund; she also said the Legislature backed a $750 million film tax credit intended to preserve jobs in the local entertainment industry.
Perez highlighted several bills her office worked on this year. She described AB 91, the Middle Eastern and North African Inclusion Act, as a measure that will improve counting and thereby funding for communities with large MENA populations, and she said it was recently signed into law. She also summarized wildfire recovery legislation — including measures to protect homeowners who did not update title documents and to prevent businesses in disaster zones from losing commercial insurance — and bills aimed at tenant protections after smoke or ash damage.
Residents and council members raised concerns about SB 79, the statewide housing and zoning measure. Multiple public speakers said they were disappointed the senator voted for the bill; Edgemond Haghopian told the council he was "deeply disappointed with your vote on SB 79." Perez responded that amendments narrowed the bill’s scope and that she helped secure flexibility and carve‑outs for cities; she also said some provisions apply only to existing or planned stations as of Jan. 1, 2026, and pledged follow‑up with local officials.
On insurance issues, Perez said her office secured a market conduct evaluation into State Farm and pushed the CPUC for audits of investor‑owned utilities’ rate proposals. She said her office is continuing efforts to address abrupt insurance cancellations and to expand access to state rebate programs for utility upgrades.
Next steps: the senator offered to meet with the council and return for further discussion; council members asked staff to follow up on specific local funding requests and carve‑out language.
