Proposed legislation that would pave the way to convert publicly owned golf courses in California to low-income housing units died in committee Thursday, Jan. 20, just a few days after passing its first test in the state assembly.
Known as the Public Golf Endangerment Act, Assembly Bill 672 passed through two California Assembly hearings on Jan. 12, but failed Jan. 20 to get the necessary support in the Appropriations Committee.
Authored by Cristina Garcia, the bill was amended twice in the first two weeks of January before being presented to the Committee on Housing and Community Development, which voted 6-2 in favor of the measure, and the Committee on Local Government, where it passed with a 5-2 vote and one abstention.
The bill proposes providing public relief in the way of developer subsidies to redevelop California's municipal golf courses into low-incoming housing and green space. According to the Southern California Golf Association, municipal golf courses comprise 22 percent of the state's supply and host 45 percent of all play throughout California.
Click here to read the full text of the proposed bill.
According to the Southern California Golf Association, AB 672, as a two-year bill, had to pass its House of Assembly before the end of January, which is not possible after being held up in the Appropriations Committee. Garcia can choose to refile the proposal. The deadline for filing 2022 bills in the California Assembly is Feb. 18.
The news met with some stiff opposition from within the golf industry in California and others in California, as many took to social media to voice their disagreement with the proposed legislation.