"This year, San Francisco Senator Scott Wiener passed a bill that will allow mid-rise housing to be built near transit stops, a win for the pro-housing lawmaker who'd seen two previous attempts collapse before even reaching the Senate floor, blocked by lawmakers concerned about state interference in local land-use decisions. On multiple occasions this year, Senate Bill 79 just narrowly escaped the same fate saved only by a bit of legislative maneuvering by Wiener."
"To get his bill passed, Wiener had to muscle past committee chairs, kept floor votes open while he hunted down stragglers and negotiated over a dozen amendments into the bill to appease lawmakers from areas resistant to development. Wiener has called SB 79 landmark legislation but it remains to be seen if the bill helps to cement his legacy, or if it will be too weighted down with amendments to be of any practical use to developers, a common criticism of recent housing legislation."
Senator Scott Wiener secured passage of Senate Bill 79 to allow mid-rise housing near transit stops after two earlier versions failed. The bill narrowly avoided collapse multiple times and advanced only through legislative maneuvering, including pushing past committee chairs, holding floor votes open to find absent supporters, and negotiating over a dozen amendments to placate resistant districts. Supporters view the outcome as evidence of Wiener's increased clout and procedural mastery. Critics argue the extensive amendments and norm-bending may render the measure less effective for developers. The bill now awaits the governor's signature.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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