Scott Wiener

A bill touted as a means of helping the housing crisis by streamlining infill and transit-rich neighborhood increases for small apartment buildings, but has been criticized by opponents who said it would make home ownership a competitive sport for pension funds, rental giants and Making other deep pockets passed the meeting on Monday.

The bill, Senate Bill 10, drafted by Senator Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, was passed by 41 votes to 9 and is now being sent back to the state Senate for final approval before going to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. On site, meeting speaker Tem Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, and meeting member Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto, voted in favor.

SB 10 allows cities to voluntarily expand non-overgrown areas near transportation routes or in existing urbanized locations to 10 unit buildings without going through California’s Environmental Quality Act. Cities can also designate these projects as legitimate, meaning that they can be ministerially approved without a lengthy approval process. According to the Vienna office, it is currently illegal to build more than one residential unit per plot in single-family zones.

The bill was defeated by Livable California, which challenged the bill’s ability to resolve the housing crisis and whose officials said it would create gentrification and increase land speculation. Livable California also opposed Senate 9 bill, authored by State Senate President Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, that would allow for split and semi-detached houses in areas that are currently single-family home. The bill is due to be voted on in the Assembly this week.

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State Senator Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, presented a bill on Thursday to decriminalize the use and possession of some psychedelics.

Senate Bill 519 would legalize psilocybin – the main ingredient in magic mushrooms – psilocyn, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), ketamine, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), ibogaine, and mescaline with the exception of peyote.

It would also clear the criminal records of people convicted of having or using these psychedelics.

The bill would also create a commission that would make recommendations to California lawmakers on how to further regulate the substances.

The bill does not include peyote as it is classified as an endangered species.

Most of the drugs that would be decriminalized by the bill are those that the federal government believes are the most dangerous type of substances due to their high potential for abuse. Marijuana, which is legal in California, and heroin are also List I drugs.

The bill was co-authored by Congregation members Evan Low, D-San Jose, Sydney Kamlager, D-Los Angeles, and Bill Quirk, D-Hayward.

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