Politics & Government
Board of Ed to Oppose Mike Feuer Transit Bill
The legislation would weaken the Beverly Hills Unified School District's ability to fight the Westside Subway Extension.
The Board of Education will vote at its next meeting to oppose a bill that seeks to streamline the approval process of new public rail transit projects, such as the , by granting them special legal protection from state environmental review challenges.
Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) introduced in early January. The board believes that if the the bill is passed, the Beverly Hills Unified School District cannot file a timely California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) challenge against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to stop it from routing the Westside Subway Extension under .
“The timing of this legislation is suspicious,” board member Lisa Korbatov said at the Jan. 24 school board meeting. “This legislation speaks to us right now as we are the only ones who could soon make a CEQA challenge.”
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The panel voted 4-0 (board member Jake Manaster was not at the meeting) to request that Superintendent Gary Woods draft a resolution opposing AB1444. Woods was asked to bring the measure to the board’s next meeting for a vote.
The board will also consider hiring a lobbyist in Sacramento to help defeat the bill.
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Board President Brian Goldberg instructed BHUSD staff to “work with legal counsel to prepare proposals to hire a lobbying firm to oppose this legislation.” It is not clear if the proposals will be ready by the next board meeting, which is scheduled for Feb. 14.
The board already spends $15,000 a month on Venable LLP, a Washington, D.C. lobbying firm hired last year to persuade lawmakers to withhold federal funding for the Westside Subway Extension should Metro choose a route that goes under BHHS. Board members voted unanimously last month to until March 31.
In introducing AB1444, Feuer said the bill would encourage job growth and give people alternatives to commuting by car.
“This bill would create thousands of desperately needed jobs, and give commuters and residents environmentally sound transit options as alternatives to sitting in stopped traffic,” Feuer said in a Jan. 4 statement.
As part of the 42nd Assembly District, Beverly Hills is represented by Feuer. However, the city is for the November 2012 election.
Editor's Note: This article originally stated that BHUSD cannot file a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to challenge the Westside Subway Extension. It has been changed to reflect that the district can file such an act.
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