Sponsored link
Sunday, July 6, 2025

Sponsored link

Ellis Act, Prop. 13 bills advance in Sacramento


Leno, Mayor Ed Lee, and Assemblymember Phil Ting at a press conference supporting Ellis Act reform

By Tim Redmond

MAY 29, 2014 — State Sen. Mark Leno’s bill to limit Ellis Act evictions squeaked through the Senate today with 21 votes after Leno promised to make a few amendments. That means the measure will advance to the state Assembly, where once again there will be a bitter fight against real-estate interests.

Leno agreed to amend the bill to differentiate between small property owners and big speculators, to create an exemption for people who own fewer than two buildings, and to look at a possible sunset clause.

That was enough to convince Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, who had initially voted against the bill, to flip to the Yes side.

Assemblymember Tom Ammiano had a much easier time with his Prop. 13 reform bill, which cleared the Assembly floor 56-8. The measure would close a major loophole in the law that allows property owners to skirt higher taxes when they buy property.

The Ellis Act bill will have to go through policy committees in the Assembly, where the amendments will be heard, and then come back to the Senate for concurrence. At every step of the way, the California Chamber of Commerce and real-estate interests will be trying to derail it.

The Leno bill failed the first time it came up, but he managed to convince enough Democrats to support it that it won the minimum necessary votes.

Tim Redmond
Tim Redmond
Tim Redmond has been a political and investigative reporter in San Francisco for more than 30 years. He spent much of that time as executive editor of the Bay Guardian. He is the founder of 48hills.

48 Hills welcomes comments in the form of letters to the editor, which you can submit here. We also invite you to join the conversation on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Sponsored link

Sponsored link
Sponsored link

Latest

BIG WEEK: SF Mime Troupe, Fillmore Jazz Fest, Ant Farm, cheetah croissants….

Plus: Gamelan Seker Jaya, DJ Derrick Carter, Breadbelly's new bake, ancient Greek romance, a drum and bass trailblazer, more to do

What to see at Yerba Buena Gardens Festival this summer ☀️

Celebrating 25 years of free, accessible and artistically excellent programs in downtown SF!

Drama Masks: In ‘Aztlán,’ gripped by intense forces beyond control

Magic Theatre melds carceral to mystical. Plus: Enthralling 'The Last Goat' presents Ancient Greek tale that does much with little.

Screen Grabs: Caught up in the raptors, again

'Jurassic' holiday weekend kicks. Plus: Thomas Kinkaide's secrets, Fraenkel Film Fest, Bill Gunn and Mikio Naruse retrospectives, more.

You might also likeRELATED