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Why Huntington Beach's Beloved Airshow Has The City Locking Horns With The State — Yet Again
A plane flies upside down at the 2021 Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach.
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Michael Heiman
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Getty Images
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Topline:
The state of California agreed Tuesday to audit a controversial legal settlement between Huntington Beach and the operator of the city's beloved airshow, which attracts half a million visitors each year.
Origin story: The legal spat began after a major oil spill off the coast in 2021 and the city decided to cancel the airshow amid the cleanup. Code Four, which operates the annual airshow, sued for breach of contract. The city of Huntington Beach agreed to pay up to $7 million.
Why is it controversial? The city has so far refused to release the full terms of the settlement despite demands from some taxpayers who saw it as a suspiciously sweet deal. The Huntington Beach city attorney has said that releasing the settlement terms could compromise potential future claims against the companies responsible for the oil spill.
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Why now: State Sen. Dave Min had requested the state audit of the settlement, saying taxpayers have a right to know the full details of what the city agreed to give the airshow operator and why. Separately, a judge is set to make a decision soon on whether the city must release the full airshow settlement agreement.
The context: Huntington Beach has locked horns with the state government numerous times in recent years, especially since a strongly conservative majority took over the city council in 2022. Currently, the city has legal disputes with the state over housing law and voter identification. The state legislature is also considering a bill that would override a new city policy restricting access to books with sexual content in the city's libraries.
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