Briefs

Senate Votes Unanimously for Bruce’s Beach Bill

Bruce’s Beach press conference on April 9. From left to right: State Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, Chief Duane Yellowfeather Shepard — representative of the Bruce Family, former Manhattan Beach Mayor Mitch Ward, LA County supervisors Holly Mitchell and Janice Hahn, and State Sen. Steve Bradford. Photo courtesy of Supervisor’s Hahn office.

LOS ANGELES — The California State Senate June 2, passed SB 796 with unanimous bipartisan support. The legislation would remove state restrictions on Los Angeles County-owned beachfront property in Manhattan Beach once owned by Willa and Charles Bruce which limit the County’s ability to transfer the property. SB 796’s passage would allow Hahn to move forward with her effort to return the property to the surviving descendants of Willa and Charles Bruce.

Supervisor Hahn has released the following statement:

“I want to thank our State Senators who voted for this important legislation and have supported Los Angeles County’s effort to return the Bruce’s Beach property to the Bruce family nearly a century after it was stolen from them. It is my hope that once this legislation is signed into law, Los Angeles County can set an historic precedent for how we as a nation should go about beginning to atone for the sins of our past.”

SB 796 still needs to pass the State Assembly and be signed into law by Governor Newsom. Once it is law, Supervisor Hahn will take steps at the County level to return the property to the Bruce family.

Details: https://hahn.lacounty.gov/bruces-beach

Terelle Jerricks

During his two decade tenure, he has investigated, reported on, written and assisted with hundreds of stories related to environmental concerns, affordable housing, development that exacerbates wealth inequality and the housing crisis, labor issues and community policing or the lack thereof.