McKinnor Legislative Package Lowers Housing Costs, Protects Renters
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D- Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale) introduced a comprehensive package of legislation Wednesday aimed at reducing costs, increasing transparency and protecting renters from exploitative practices.
The three-bill package—AB 1963, AB 2350, and AB 2616—targets systemic barriers that make it harder for Californians to secure and maintain safe, affordable housing.
AB 1963 tackles the high and repetitive costs of rental application fees by requiring landlords to accept reusable Portable Tenant Screening Reports (PTSRs). Specifically, the bill also caps the cost of rental screening reports, requires upfront disclosure of all application requirements and allows rental screening reports to be reused for up to 45 days. Tenant screening and application fees can create significant financial barriers, particularly for low-income renters navigating multiple applications. By standardizing and streamlining the process, AB 1963 ensures renters can apply for housing without incurring repeated and unnecessary costs.
AB 2350 protects renters from high-interest, short-term lending schemes marketed as “Rent Now, Pay Later.” These financial products often trap tenants in cycles of debt through hidden fees and escalating interest rates. This bill specifically prohibits predatory rent-based lending services, holds lenders and property owners accountable and empowers enforcement by state regulators and impacted renters.
AB 2616 establishes a statewide standard for safe indoor temperatures in rental housing. Specifically, the bill requires residential units to maintain a maximum indoor temperature of 82°F, prohibits landlords from passing cooling upgrade costs onto tenants, allows tenants to install their own cooling devices and establishes reasonable compliance timelines beginning in 2028.
Extreme heat has already led to hundreds of deaths and rising emergency room visits across California. This measure ensures renters—especially those in vulnerable communities—can live in safe and habitable conditions.
“California renters are being squeezed at every turn—from application fees to predatory lending to unsafe living conditions,” said McKinnor. “This legislative package is about putting money back in renters’ pockets and ensuring that every Californian has access to safe, stable, and affordable housing. Affordability isn’t just about rent—it’s about everything surrounding it. From the moment someone applies for housing to the conditions they live in, we must ensure fairness, transparency and safety for residents across the state.”
These measures will be considered by the State Assembly this Spring.
Bass, Rodriguez Launch Solar Street Light Initiative in Pacoima
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass launched a new Solar Street Lights Initiative Wednesday in Pacoima, pledging to repair or replace up to 60,000 street lights citywide over the next two years — targeting a decade-long backlog of deferred maintenance and a surge in copper wire theft that has left thousands of city blocks underlit.
Los Angeles operates more than 220,000 street lights citywide, an estimated 60,000 of which are eligible for solar conversion. The city currently has more than 32,000 outstanding street light service requests.
Funding for street light infrastructure has remained flat since 1996, and copper wire theft has increased 1,200 percent over the last decade — with repairs from theft costing at least four times more than standard maintenance. Solar technology addresses the theft problem directly by eliminating the copper wiring that makes conventional lights a target.
The announcement was made in Pacoima, in the district of City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who framed the initiative as a basic civic obligation.
“Angelenos deserve safe streets that are reliably lit,” said Rodriguez. “This initiative takes meaningful action to fix thousands of our City’s broken lights and restore visibility where it’s been missing for far too long, while moving us toward more secure, solar-powered street lights that are less vulnerable to theft.”
Bass tied the initiative to both public safety and the city’s broader clean energy goals.
“These are the basics that shape how we feel about our city, and whether our city is safe,” said Bass. “Instead of continuing to patch together antiquated street light technology, we’re using solar to make our lights more reliable, resistant to theft, and cleaner to operate.” The city has set a target of transitioning to 100 percent clean energy by 2035.
Gabriel Introduces Legislation to Create Seal for Non-Ultra-Processed Foods
Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino, Lake Balboa, Van Nuys) announced landmark legislation (Assembly Bill (AB) 2244) on Wednesday, designed to empower Californians to make better-informed and healthier choices by increasing transparency around ultra-processed foods.
AB 2244 would establish a first-in-the-nation “California Certified” seal that food manufacturers can place on products that meet clear standards for non-ultra-processed foods. Modeled after the widely recognized “USDA Organic” label, the seal would provide consumers with a simple, trustworthy way to identify healthier options with a quick glance.
The bill would also require grocery stores in California to display products bearing the “California Certified” seal in a prominent, high-traffic area of the store, making it easier for busy families to find healthier foods quickly and conveniently.
“Parents shouldn’t need a Ph.D. in chemistry to understand what they’re feeding their kids,” said Gabriel. “Like the USDA Organic label, this new seal will empower consumers with clear, trustworthy information and make it easier for them to locate healthier foods that are free from harmful additives. While Washington DC is paralyzed by inaction, California is stepping up to protect our kids and confront the health risks associated with ultra-processed foods.”
A growing body of research has increasingly linked high consumption of ultra-processed foods to serious health harms, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic disorders, reproductive harm, and other chronic conditions. Despite these risks, many consumers struggle to distinguish between minimally processed and highly processed products due to confusing labels and marketing practices.
Hahn Honors East Whittier Woman’s Improvement Club on its 125th Anniversary
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn (D-Southeastern LA County, including Long Beach, San Pedro, Diamond Bar, Whittier, Cerritos, Downey, Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hacienda Heights) this week honored the East Whittier Woman’s Improvement Club on the occasion of Women’s History Month.
The club, dedicated to community improvement and the preservation of local history, is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. The East Whittier Woman’s Improvement Club is believed to be the oldest women’s club in the County east of Los Angeles.
“The story of the East Whittier Woman’s Improvement Club is women’s history,” said Hahn. “At a time when women did not yet have the right to vote, when their voices were too often left out of public life, a group of determined women in Whittier came together with a vision to improve their community, to create opportunity, and to build something lasting.”
Among the Club’s notable accomplishments are preserving historic buildings such as its own Clubhouse, which began as a pump station for the East Whittier Land and Water Company before being acquired by the Club in 1908. The historic building now serves not only as the Club’s Clubhouse but as an events venue.
Members of the Club were also instrumental to the restoration of the Pio Pico Adobe in Whittier, which served as the home of California governor Pio de Jesus Pico before and during the Mexican-American War.
