Thread: CA: Rental bill banning status questions going to Gov.

Rental bill going to Gov.


Editor's note: It's Politics reports Saturdays on the ins and outs of Whittier-area politics and city government.

Assemblyman Charles Calderon's legislation banning local governments from requiring landlords to inquire about a tenant's immigration status is on its way to the governor.

The Senate approved AB 976 on a party-line 22-12 vote Wednesday.

The bill was introduced in response to an ordinance by the city of Escondido banning landlords from renting to illegal immigrants.

A federal court has since struck down the law as unconstitutional, and Calderon, D-Industry, said cities shouldn't be adopting these kind of laws.

"It put landlords in an impossible situation," he said. "It imposed strict penalties and other punitive measures if they didn't evict or do the inquiry," he said.

The bill was supported by the Apartment Association of Southern California.

Opponents said ordinances like Escondido wanted to enact would help curb illegal immigration and prevent squalor that is dangerous not only to the individuals involved, but also to the surrounding neighborhoods where sanitation, parking and other troubles ensue, stated a state Senate analysis of the bill.


e-mail mike.sprague@sgvn.com


http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_6833869

just sent the Governator an email urging him to VETO.