California governor tells Coastal Commission to back off — again

By Blanca Begert | 01/28/2025 12:52 PM EST

The Coastal Commission already includes an exemption for permitting after fires, but that hasn’t stopped both Republicans and Democrats from taking aim at the agency.

A view of beachside homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire along Pacific Coast Highway.

Beachside homes in Malibu were destroyed in the Palisades Fire along the Pacific Coast Highway. Mario Tama/Getty Images

California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Monday again demanding that the California Coastal Commission, an agency maligned by President Donald Trump on his Friday visit to Los Angeles, not interfere with rebuilding in the wake of the Palisades Fire.

The Democratic governor described the order as further cutting red tape for rebuilding, a primary focus for Trump during his visit to Los Angeles on Friday.

“We will not let over-regulation stop us from helping the LA community rebuild and recover,” Newsom said in a statement.

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Trump had singled out the Coastal Commission as an obstacle to rebuilding, saying at a roundtable with elected officials that “they are considered the most difficult in the entire country, and we cannot have them play their games and wait 10 years to give somebody a permit. … I’m not going to let them get away with their antics.”

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