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The backstory: The city’s politics have taken a sharp turn to the right in recent years. The November election ushered in a new slate of conservative candidates and left the city with a full MAGA council.

Why it matters: The last city council voted to sue the state over its mandate to make room for more affordable housing and passed a local ordinance that would give a small committee of residents the power to censor children’s books for the library. But they faced resistance from local residents and the local council’s opposition bloc, which was voted out in November.

California and voters fight back: In response to the Huntington Beach crackdown, the state passed several laws, including the Freedom to Read Act, which prohibits local governments from restricting access to public library materials. Huntington Beach voters also collected enough signatures to require repeal of the measure on a future ballot.

What’s next: Huntington Beach vs. California, another year, another round of battles.

The once laid-back seaside town of Huntington Beach has seen intense politics in recent years. The city with roots in the working class (oil production and agriculture once dominated here) was long conservative. But even prominent local Republicans say local government has never been more contentious than it has been in recent years.

The pandemic is at least partially to blame for the change — residents protested mask mandates and beach closures, while some local businesses broke faith and declared themselves mask-free zones in defiance of state health orders.

After four conservative city council candidates won seats in 2022, they repeatedly clashed with their three left-leaning colleagues and passed legislation despite their loud objections. In November, these three minority council members lost their seats to a new conservative lineup, leaving the city composed entirely of MAGA council members.

The seven members, plus Michael Gates, the prosecutor, posed for cameras wearing red “Make America Great Again” hats at the newcomers’ swearing-in ceremony in December.

As a parting gift (gimmick?), the city council gave the losing outgoing council members framed MAGA collages of President-elect Donald Trump’s bloodied face after he survived last year’s assassination attempt.

At least for now, the city’s elected officials are firmly on the same page. But in the new year they face major challenges from their liberal opponents in the state government and from the residents. Here’s what’s coming:

The library wars continued

In fall 2023, the city council passed a resolution prohibiting minors from accessing city library materials with “sexual content.” This also included books about the human body and puberty. Opponents called it a book ban.

The council majority also voted to create a parent-educator review board to determine which children’s books are appropriate for the library. The backlash was so great that residents collected enough signatures to request the ordinance be repealed on a future ballot.

The council also flirted with outsourcing library operations to a private company last year, which quickly sparked another signature-gathering campaign to block privatization.

At its first meeting in January, the new City Council is expected to decide what to do with the two library-related ballot initiatives. The Council can adopt the measures directly, commission an impact assessment or make them available for a future vote, possibly later this year.

Regardless of what voters say on the Audit Committee, the state has already expressed its opposition to the regulation. The so-called Freedom of Reading ActThe law, which went into effect on January 1, prohibits local governments from restricting access to public library materials. The law stipulates that it applies to charter cities like Huntington Beach.

Court battles over housing and voter ID are looming

Charter cities have something of a mini-constitution that gives them additional rights to set their own rules regarding city affairs. Gates, the Huntington Beach city attorney, has used the city’s charter status to fight state regulations on multiple fronts, including elections and housing.

When it comes to housing construction, the city has not yet met the state requirement that cities plan a certain number of new housing units, including affordable housing. Huntington Beach plans to add around 13,000 new apartments (the city currently has nearly 78,000 housing units, according to data). Census data. The city is fighting this mandate in both state and federal court.

Compounding the conflict, Huntington Beach voters passed a new law in November giving them the right to vote for major zoning changes, including those designed to comply with state housing regulations.

The conflict between the city and state over election rules is also likely to intensify this year. In March, Huntington Beach voters passed a new law allowing the city to require ID to vote. Critics say voter ID laws unfairly target certain groups, including low-income voters. Proponents say they are a common-sense way to protect against voter fraud.

The state is trying to block Huntington Beach’s voter ID law in court. A judge recently ruled that it was too early for the state to sue because Huntington Beach had not yet decided whether and how it would implement its new election rules. The Attorney General is preparing to appeal this decision.