Kevin Kiley: “This week, I officially introduced the Coastal Commission Accountability Act to strip the California Coastal Commission…”

“This week, I officially introduced the Coastal Commission Accountability Act to strip the California Coastal Commission of its powers under Federal law. The Coastal Commission is simply out of control. It is one of the most out-of-control agencies in the whole country, and it has veered far from its purpose of protecting the coast. From blocking SpaceX launches to obstructing fire prevention projects, the commission has repeatedly threatened the safety of Californians and weakened our national defense, while needlessly undercutting innovation and economic progress. The need to rein the commission in has now become urgent as we face the challenge of rebuilding Los Angeles following the fires, and that will not be possible if the commission is allowed to continue operating as it has been. Just to give you a couple of examples of some of its abuses, one of them is specifically related to fire. In 2019, the L.A. Department of Water and Power began replacing nearly 100-year-old wooden power line poles that are cutting through Topanga State Park. The project, though, was halted because there was apparently an endangered plant, the Braunton's milkvetch plant that was in the area. Now, the goal of this project was to improve fire safety for the Pacific Palisades area by replacing the wooden poles with steel, widening fire access lanes in the area, and installing wind- and fire- resistant power lines.…”