Huntington Beach v. California, another year, another round of battles

Politics have been intense in recent years in the once laid-back coastal town of Huntington Beach. The city with working class roots (oil drilling and farming once dominated here) has leaned conservative for a long time. But even prominent local Republicans say local government was never as contentious as it has been in recent years.

The pandemic is at least partly to blame for the change — residents protested mask mandates and beach closures while some local businesses went rogue and declared themselves mask-free zones in defiance of state public health mandates.

After a slate of four conservative City Council candidates won seats in 2022, they repeatedly butted heads with their three left-leaning colleagues and passed legislation over their loud objections. In November, those three minority council members lost their seats to a new conservative slate, leaving the city with a full-MAGA council.

The seven members plus Michael Gates, the city attorney, posed for cameras in red “Make America Great Again” hats at the newcomers’ swearing-in ceremony in December.

As a going-away (gag?) gift, the City Council gave the defeated outgoing councilmembers framed MAGA-themed collages centered around the bloodied face of President-elect Donald Trump after he survived last year’s assassination attempt.

For now, at least, the city’s elected officials are solidly aligned. But they face some major challenges in the new year from their liberal foes in state government, and from residents. Here’s what’s coming up:

The library wars, continued

In the fall of 2023, the city council passed a resolution prohibiting access for minors to city library materials containing “sexual content.” This turned out to include books about the human body and puberty. Opponents called it a book ban.

The council majority also voted to establish a parent-guardian review board to determine which children’s books were appropriate for the library. There was such a backlash that residents gathered enough signatures to put a repeal of the ordinance on a future ballot.

The council also flirted last year with outsourcing library operations to a private company, which swiftly prompted another signature-gathering campaign to block privatization.

At its first meeting in January, the new City Council is expected to decide what to do about the two library-related ballot initiatives. The council can adopt the measures outright, order an impact study, or put them on a future ballot, possibly this year.

Regardless of how voters weigh in on the book review board, the state has already indicated its opposition to the ordinance. The so-called Freedom to Read Act, which took effect on Jan. 1, prohibits local governments from restricting access to public library materials. The law specifies that it applies to charter cities like Huntington Beach.

Court battles looming on housing, voter I.D.

Charter cities have something like a mini constitution, which gives them extra rights to make their own rules when it comes to city affairs. Gates, Huntington Beach’s city attorney, has used the city’s charter status to fight against state rules on multiple fronts, including voting and housing.

On housing, the city has thus far failed to meet the state’s mandate that cities plan for a certain number of new housing units, including affordable housing. Huntington Beach is supposed to plan for about 13,000 new homes (the city currently has close to 78,000 housing units, according to Census data. The city is fighting that mandate in both state and federal court.

Adding to the conflict, in November, Huntington Beach voters passed a new law giving themselves the right to vote to approve major zoning changes, including those intended to comply with state housing rules.

A clash between the city and state over voting rules is also likely to intensify this year. In March, Huntington Beach voters approved a new law allowing the city to require ID to cast a ballot. Critics say voter ID laws unfairly target certain groups, including low-income voters. Supporters say they’re a common sense way to protect against voter fraud.

The state is trying to block Huntington Beach’s voter ID law in court. A judge ruled recently that it was too early for the state to sue since Huntington Beach has yet to decide whether and how it would implement its new voting rules. The state attorney general is preparing to appeal that decision.