Governor signs Coastal Commission bill Gov. Gray...

Governor signs Coastal Commission bill

Gov. Gray Davis signed a bill Thursday that he said would remove

the California Coastal Commission from a constitutional crisis

brought on by a Newport Beach environmentalist’s lawsuit.

Davis, who signed the bill at a noontime ceremony, said it would

solve the agency’s constitutional questions. The bill, presented by

Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), would remove the

Legislature’s power to remove commissioners at will.

“No symbol of the California spirit is more widely recognized or

revered than our magnificent coast,” Davis said. “Since its creation,

the coastal commission has been the guardian angel of this precious

natural resource.”