By Jorge Casuso
May 7, 2026 -- A State Assembly bill that allows certain types of developments and activities along Santa Monica's coast without a Coastal Commission permit has unanimously sailed through its three committee hearings.
On Wednesday morning, AB 1740, co-sponsored by the City, was one of 388 bills approved by the Appropriations Committee Wednesday and is now headed to the Assembly floor for what is expected to be an easy approval.
The bill -- which solely targets Santa Monica -- would then face a more uncertain fate in the State Senate, as opponents prepare to mount an intensive lobbying effort.
"The Senate is where the soft spots are," said Ashley Oelsen, an environmentalist and potential City Council candidate who is spearheading the opposition. "I'm hopeful that we can put enough pressure there,"
Opposition to the bill -- which came as a surprise after the City co-sponsored the bill without a public hearing or Council vote -- gained momentum in the days leading up to Wednesday's vote.
On Monday, Northeast Neighbors emailed legislators urging them "to hold the bill," and the slow-growth Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City mounted a last-minute email campaign urging Zbur to oppose "the give-away" to developers.
"Santa Monica City Council is trying to gut the Coastal Commission’s jurisdiction over the areas of our city it is currently charged to protect," the Coalition's letter said.
"A system that has worked for 40 years to preserve our shoreline is under attack. Why do local officials want to reduce Coastal Commission oversight in Santa Monica? As always, follow the money."
AB 1740, the Coalition wrote, is "a carve-out, a gift to developers and their friends on our City Council so they can build higher density condos along our coast."
City officials said Santa Monica's involvement with the bill stemmed from a request by Zbur "to gauge interest in sponsoring the bill."
"The concepts reflected in the bill were informed by ideas and challenges shared by City staff" including the need to expedite such initiatives as bike lanes, outdoor dining, special events and housing projects.
"The City evaluated the co-sponsorship opportunity based on consistency with its adopted State Legislative Platform and long-standing policy positions," officials wrote last month in an email addressing concerns from a slow-growth group.
"The actions proposed in AB 1740 align with policy positions that the City has supported in multiple legislative cycles," said the April 22 email to the Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow (SMa.r.t.).
Oelsen believes the pro-housing Council plans to use AB 1740 to help build affordable projects on City owned land along the coast. She notes the City owns several parcels used for parking, a use that could be reduced under the bill.
"It's not about anything other than development," Oelsen said. "It can turn a lot of land into surplus land that can turn all this into housing."
She notes that the bill is co-sponsored by Abundant Housing LA and Streets for All, pro-housing groups that financially backed the four Council candidates elected in 2024.
"There was no public input," Oelsen said about the City's co-sponsorship. "This is upsetting people across organizational lines."