Update - SB 79 Narrowly Passes Senate, Heads to Assembly

Media
Jun 5
2 min read

June 4, 2025 — Senate Bill 79 (SB 79) narrowly passed the California Senate vote with a bare minimum number of votes (21 out of 40).

The San Diego County delegation was split: Blakespear and Jones voted against the bill, while Padilla and Weber Pierson voted for it.

Now, we must focus on our local Assembly members. It's important to let them know that you oppose SB 79!

CA State Assembly members who represent residents in San Diego County are:

District 80 David Alvarez

District 77 Tasha Boerner

District 74 Laurie Davies

District 75 Carl DeMaio

District 76 Dr. Darshana R. Patel

District 79 Dr. LaShae Sharp-Collins

District 78 Christopher Ward

If you're unsure who your CA Assembly representative is, CLICK HERE.

Neighbors For A Better San Diego strongly opposes SB 79 (Wiener) for the following reasons:

SB 79 bypasses local zoning, putting homeownership and the future of California's single-family neighborhoods at risk.
It's not needed - We’re already ahead of our housing goals. Cities like San Diego are building plenty of market-rate housing. This bill targets a problem that doesn’t exist.
It hurts affordability. Older, lower-cost homes get torn down to make room for luxury high-rises, pushing out low-income families. Additionally, upzoning increases underlying land value due to increased income potential for investors, making starter homes more expensive.
It overrides local planning. SB 79 ignores the work that cities have done to identify the right areas for growth.
It disrupts neighborhoods. The bill allows large developments — UP TO SIX STORIES HIGH — in single-family areas, overriding local zoning laws and dropping density bombs haphazardly deep into residential neighborhoods.
Does not specify "walking distance" vs "crow flies" from transit. Allows 6-story buildings in residential neighborhoods within a half-mile of any planned bus rapid transit (BRT) or trolley line. It doesn’t clearly say how the “half-mile from transit” rule should be measured — by walking or as the crow flies.
Relies on transit that may never be built. Transit that doesn’t yet exist — and is not scheduled to be built for decades — should not be used to justify dense development now.
It spreads out development inefficiently. Randomly scattering massive SB 79 projects won’t create thriving, walkable communities.

SB 79 (Wiener) will have a profoundly negative impact on single-family neighborhoods throughout the state, including those in San Diego. You can read our full objections in our white paper.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION — Contact your State Assembly member TODAY and tell them to VOTE NO on SB 79!

Look up my CA State Assembly member...