What happens in Sacramento doesn’t necessarily stay in Sacramento, and 2023 will see a slew of new laws go into effect that could affect life in Long Beach.
Those new state laws will come in addition to local ordinances and measures that were approved in Long Beach in recent months. These laws will affect things like property taxes, what days your kids are off from school for newly recognized holidays (Juneteenth) and if you have to pay taxes on rebates you may have received for tearing out your lawn and replacing it with drought-tolerant landscaping.
Here are some of the new laws going into effect in the coming year:
Housing
One of the biggest changes for Long Beach property owners will be a property tax increase due to Measure Q’s adoption in November.
The $1.7 billion bond measure will help modernize LBUSD schools and it will raise property taxes by $60 for every $100,000 of assessed value.
Tweaks to statewide housing law will also change how and where housing is allowed to be built in the city. Senate Bill 6 allows housing in areas generally permitted for retail or office space if the project meets certain requirements. Another law, AB-2097, will require cities to show proof that a parking minimum is needed for a project to avoid negative impacts to the neighborhood where it’s proposed.
If you’re looking to build an ADU, or accessory dwelling unit, in 2023, AB-2221 allows you to include a detached garage for your additional unit. Long Beach has an ordinance governing ADUs built in the city and has looked to speed up the approval process as the city tries to increase housing production.
Another new law will make it cheaper to tear out your lawn and replace it with native landscaping. Programs like the Long Beach Water Department’s Lawn-to-Garden initiative offer residents funds to help with those conversions, and under AB-2142 that money will no longer count as taxable income.
Police
Much was made of the November election for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s seat as local Democrats worked to remove incumbent Sheriff Alex Villanueva by offering up a field of candidates they thought could defeat him. Former Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna won the election, and because of Assembly Bill 759, Luna will get to serve a six-year term in the office instead of the typical four years. This change is being made to align elections for sheriff and district attorneys in each California county with presidential elections. Those, like Luna, who were elected in 2022, won’t face reelection until the 2028 election cycle.
AB-1406 will require Tasers to be worn on the opposite side of the body from an officer’s firearm, an apparent reaction to the 2021 accidental shooting of a man by a Minnesota officer who thought they grabbed their taser.
Officers will also be required to be screened for bias (AB-2229) against race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, religion, disability and sexual orientation before being hired. Officers will no longer be required to be a citizen of the United States (SB-960) as a requirement to be hired.
What constitutes a hate crime and how they’re reported is also undergoing changes. Hanging nooses or displaying other signs or symbols like swastikas or burning crosses “for the purpose of terrorizing” will be categorized as hate crimes under AB-2282. Under AB-485, police departments will be required to post information about hate crimes it sends to the Department of Justice on their websites each month.
Elections
Long Beach will be linked to statewide elections going forward after Long Beach voters approved Measures LBC and LBU, which will tie city election cycles to the gubernatorial (June and November) and presidential (March and November) schedules.
The city had historically held elections in April and June, something that contributed to low voter turnout, which was often below 20%. The most recent election this November saw over 40% of registered voters cast a ballot.
It will be tougher to qualify a recall election in the future with the passage of AB-2584. Long Beach residents would have to collect 50 signatures instead of 10 to qualify a petition to recall an elected official. It would also require recall advocates to disclose the cost of a special election.
The Long Beach City Clerk’s office said the current estimate for a special citywide election could be as high as $8.6 million.
Polling places could be put in “special” locations in the future, with AB-2037 allowing election officials to authorize voting at places whose primary purpose is to sell alcoholic beverages.
Daily life
The way Long Beach trash is picked up is in for a big change as the city moves to align with an existing organic recycling law that will require food scraps, yard waste and other compostable material to be diverted from landfills.
Long Beach has already started raising trash rates to help pay for the new trucks and cans needed for the new program. New legislation could help the city ease into the program, which officials believe is needed to be fully compliant with by the end of 2023.
AB-1985 will allow cities to phase in this program more gradually, requiring 33% compliance by the end of next year, 66% by 2024 and full compliance by 2025.
A new law governing cannabis deliveries (SB-1186) will allow deliveries from outside of a city for medicinal patients. The city’s current regulations for cannabis deliveries in the city require a business to have a physical presence in the city. This law will go into effect in January 2024.
More city regulations are anticipated to be completed in the early part of 2023 that will govern food trucks and sidewalk vendors. The city has been working to update its food truck ordinance and align its rules for sidewalk vending with new state laws. Vendors will be required to be permitted by the city but where and how vendors and trucks can operate has yet to be voted on by the City Council.
Rain or not, Long Beach’s New Year’s Eve fireworks will go on