California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom have expressed their approval following a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The court affirmed the dismissal of Huntington Beach's federal lawsuit, which challenged the constitutionality of state housing laws.
Attorney General Bonta stated, "I am pleased that yet another court has emphatically rejected Huntington Beach’s attempt to exempt itself from state housing laws." He criticized the city for wasting public resources on what he described as a "meritless lawsuit" and urged it to adopt a housing plan promptly. Bonta emphasized his office's commitment to pursuing remedies in the ongoing state case against Huntington Beach, where a court has already found violations of the state's Housing Element Law.
Governor Newsom also commented on the ruling, saying, "Today, yet another court has slapped down Huntington Beach’s cynical attempt to prevent the state from enforcing our housing laws." He accused city officials of promoting unlawful NIMBY policies and highlighted that these actions are detrimental to their citizens by misusing time and taxpayer money that could be allocated to essential housing projects. Newsom reiterated that all cities must comply with state law and contribute to building more housing.
The decision marks another legal setback for Huntington Beach in its efforts against California's housing regulations.