Once again, Sacramento insider Buffy Wicks proves why our group has fought for years to restore genuine local control over zoning and land use through a statewide constitutional initiative. As a key ally of Scott Wiener and a leading voice in the YIMBY push for top-down housing mandates, Wicks continues to advance legislation that undermines cities’ and neighborhoods’ ability to manage growth responsibly.

Her latest bill, **AB 736**, seeks to impose a statewide cap on real estate transfer taxes (1.5% in most areas, 3% in high-tax cities like San Francisco). This would directly gut voter-approved local measures such as San Francisco’s Measure ULA (“mansion tax”), potentially costing the city an estimated $100 million annually in revenue that local officials intended for affordable housing and other needs. It also interferes with efforts like the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association’s ballot measure, another grassroots organization, while offering a partial concession to developers frustrated by high taxes on commercial-to-residential conversions.

Wicks’ track record makes the pattern clear:

– **AB 2011** (2022): Streamlined approvals and exempted qualifying projects on commercial land from CEQA review.

– **AB 1893** (2024): A so-called “compromise” on the builder’s remedy that still weakened local zoning enforcement and slashed required affordable units in non-compliant cities.

– **AB 609** (2025): Broadly exempted urban infill housing from CEQA, further stripping communities of environmental and planning protections.

Wicks frames these as necessary to “get homes built,” and claims success should be measured by actual affordable units for working-class communities rather than just bill signings. Yet, as we’ve argued for years, this Sacramento-driven erosion of local control has primarily served as a **giveaway to speculators and large developers** (who back bills like AB 736) without delivering the promised surge in genuinely affordable housing. State overrides bypass neighborhood input, ignore local conditions, and prioritize blanket density increases over thoughtful planning that preserves community character and actually addresses affordability.

Our Neighborhood Voices will continue to highlight how policy and politicians like Wicks centralize power in Sacramento at the expense of cities, towns, and residents who know their own neighborhoods best. This is exactly why we need a constitutional amendment making zoning and land-use decisions local matters only—no more state preemption that favors connected developers over community voices.