The Santa Monica Democratic Club voted recently to endorse a package of state bills aimed at expanding environmental protections, safeguarding vulnerable populations and preserving California’s coastline.

During a wide-ranging meeting that also tackled housing and parkland development issues, the club’s legislative committee brought four pieces of legislation forward for a consent calendar vote. Members approved the recommendations overwhelmingly after a short discussion.

“Our legislative committee has worked hard to vet these bills, and they all align with the values we stand for,” said Isabel Storey, who presented the measures to the membership. “This is about protecting our community and the environment at a critical time.”

One bill, AB 648, authored by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, would allow community colleges to build student and faculty housing. Currently, only California State University and University of California campuses can develop on-campus housing. Santa Monica College, where a significant portion of students struggle with housing insecurity, helped sponsor the bill. Club members emphasized the direct local impact the legislation could have.

“This bill is desperately needed,” said Isabel Storey. “We know students are sleeping in their cars, and this would allow colleges like SMC to finally plan housing options.”

Another measure, SB 7, addresses what some are calling a growing labor rights crisis linked to artificial intelligence. Known as the “ No Robo Bosses” bill, the proposal would require that human beings be involved in decisions to hire, discipline or fire workers, rather than allowing AI systems to manage these actions independently.

“People are being monitored and fired without ever interacting with a real person,” said Storey. “This bill would restore basic human dignity to the workplace.”

The club also voted to oppose AB 942, which would slash energy credits for rooftop solar customers and impose a new “solar tax.” Environmental advocates warned that if the bill passes, it would break longstanding agreements made with homeowners who invested in solar panels based on a promised 20-year payback period.

“This would be a huge step backward for clean energy,” said Storey. “More than two million California households trusted that investment, and now the legislature could pull the rug out from under them.”

The fourth measure, AB 246, seeks to protect recipients of Social Security from eviction if their benefits are interrupted due to administrative failures or cyberattacks. While originally written on a different topic, the bill was amended to focus on eviction protections following rising concern about disruptions to federal payment systems.

“This bill recognizes that vulnerable people should not lose their homes because of government dysfunction,” Storey said.

Each bill was presented to the membership as part of a consent calendar, but members were given the option to pull any measure for a separate discussion. Only minor clarifications were requested before the full package was adopted with near-unanimous support. A handful of members abstained, and one member voted no.

The endorsement comes as California faces renewed challenges on multiple fronts. The state continues to deal with the aftermath of record-setting wildfires, rising homelessness and tensions over its ambitious clean energy goals. At the local level, Santa Monica has been grappling with the twin pressures of housing affordability and environmental sustainability, themes that ran through the entire evening’s agenda.

Club President John Katz said the strong vote reflected the club’s enduring priorities.

“It is not enough to care about these issues abstractly,” Katz said. “We have to show up, advocate and push our representatives to make the right decisions.”

Storey added that the legislative committee would now work with allied organizations to lobby on behalf of the endorsed bills.

“Our work is just beginning,” she said. “But every action we take here locally has ripple effects across the state and the country.”

The club also launched a new ad hoc committee on the future of Santa Monica Airport during the meeting, a project that will involve months of study on how to transform the site into public space after aviation activities cease in 2029. Environmental sustainability is expected to be a major part of that conversation as well.

As the meeting wound down, members were reminded that action, not just discussion, was the goal.

“We do not just talk about progress,” Katz said, adding, “We build it.”

Tags: Up Front