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A former reality star is influencing LA's post-fires rebuilding
Spencer Pratt, seen at a social media awards ceremony in New York in 2018, is now using his online prowess to influence rebuilding efforts after the L.A. fires.
(
Dave Kotinsky
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VCG / Associated Press
)
Topline:
Spencer Pratt is best known for his role as a toxic boyfriend on MTV's mid-2000s reality show The Hills. But he's finding a new role in the wake of Los Angeles' fires with his advocacy against housing density.
What's happening: Pratt, who lost his Pacific Palisades home in January, is taking to TikTok and Instagram to oppose a series of bills in the California Legislature that would boost housing density and make it easier for some homeowners to rebuild after the fires.
Impact: Other celebrities who lost their homes, including Mel Gibson and Ricki Lake, are speaking out about the fires and their aftermath. But Pratt’s advocacy is finding the most political resonance — and not just among Republicans like Sens. Rick Scott and Ron Johnson, who launched an investigation into the fire and held a news conference last week alongside Pratt.
SB 9 and SB 549: Shortly after Pratt’s broadside against a law allowing fourplexes on land zoned for single-family homes, California Gov. Gavin Newsom waived it for fire-prone areas and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended it for the Palisades. One day after Pratt came out against a bill to create a local agency that could buy burned properties, rebuild them and sell them back to their owners, the author, Sen. Ben Allen, backed down.
SB 79: Pratt then took aim at SB 79, a bill by Sen. Scott Wiener to boost housing density near train stations and major transit stops statewide.
What's next: Lawmakers sent SB 79 to Newsom on Friday. He has until Oct. 13 to decide whether to sign it into law.
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