BIASC CONDEMNS SCAG "HOUSING KILLER" LEGISLATION; WILL LAUNCH REGIONAL GOVERNMENT REFORM EFFORT

SCAG Chairman Ray Marquez Blocked Board Reconsideration as Opposition Grew Among SCAG Members, Including Board of Supervisors Representatives from Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIASC) today condemned the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) for continuing to sponsor and advocate for Senate Bill 1087 (Cabaldon) despite mounting opposition from across the region—and for failing to give its elected Regional Council an opportunity to reconsider that sponsorship after the bill was substantially amended.

Following the Legislature's passage of SB 1087, BIASC will immediately shift its campaign to urging SCAG member cities and counties to call on Governor Gavin Newsom to veto the legislation, while launching a broader regional effort to demand greater transparency, accountability and elected-official oversight at SCAG.

SB 1087 began as an effort to reform California's regional planning framework. But significant late-session amendments fundamentally changed the legislation, prompting the California Building Industry Association (CBIA) to designate SB 1087 a "Housing Killer."

As opposition grew among counties, transportation agencies, local governments, business organizations and housing stakeholders, SCAG continued its sponsorship.

Multiple requests were made for SCAG Chairman Ray Marquez to convene the elected Regional Council so its members could debate and vote on whether SCAG should continue sponsoring the substantially amended bill.

That vote never occurred.

"SB 1087 exposed a serious breakdown in regional governance," said Jeff Montejano, Chief Executive Officer of BIASC. "The bill changed, the coalition changed and regional opposition grew—but SCAG's position did not. Elected representatives asked for an opportunity to reconsider SCAG's sponsorship, and they were never given that vote."

"The cost and difficulty of building homes in Southern California just increased, and SCAG helped make it happen," Montejano continued. "SB 1087 expands the influence of SCAG, regional planning agencies and CARB over decisions that directly affect how and where communities can accommodate housing. At a time when California desperately needs more attainable homes, this legislation moves us in the wrong direction."

WHY BIASC OPPOSES SB 1087        

BIASC believes the final legislation threatens housing production by expanding state and regional influence over local planning while weakening important procedural safeguards.

Key concerns include the removal of critical Administrative Procedure Act protections that had been negotiated into the bill that would require CARB to provide the public with a meaningful opportunity to participate in the adoption of state regulations and to ensure that regulations are clear, necessary and legally valid.  Replaced by meaningless 'receive and file' requirements, CARB has been given a legal shield to enact policies that will exponentially increase housing costs, like Vehicle Miles Traveled.

THE NEXT PHASE: VETO AND REFORM

BIASC will now focus on two priorities:

Governor's Veto: Mobilize SCAG member cities and counties, builders, business organizations, housing advocates and regional partners to urge Governor Newsom to veto SB 1087.

SCAG Accountability and Reform: Work with Southern California elected officials and stakeholders to examine SCAG's governance, lobbying practices, transparency, use of member-agency resources and elected-official oversight—and pursue reforms necessary to ensure major policy positions taken in the region's name remain accountable to its elected representatives.

"The Legislature passed SB 1087, but the process exposed something much bigger," Montejano said. "Southern California deserves a regional planning organization that answers to its elected members—not the other way around. This debate will continue long after tonight."

The fight for housing attainability, local control and accountable regional government is not over.

ABOUT BIASC

The Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIASC) represents builders, developers, contractors, trade partners and industry professionals throughout Southern California and advocates for policies that expand housing opportunities, protect housing attainability and support responsible economic growth.

Contact:
Shannon Widor, Chief Public Affairs Officer
Building Industry Association of (BIASC)
[email protected]

SOURCE Building Industry Association of Southern California, Inc.