Elder Drafts Spending Bill for Port

In response to complaints from Wilmington residents who say the Port of Los Angeles hides behind state law in refusing to spend any of its revenue sprucing up their community, Assemblyman Dave Elder (D-Long Beach) has drafted a bill that would remove the port’s excuse.

Port officials have said repeatedly that the state Tidelands Trust prevents them from using port profits to spend money on Wilmington’s community needs, such as recreation facilities, street improvement and traffic control. The Tidelands Trust governs all ports, restricting spending to commerce, navigation and fisheries.

At a meeting of the Wilmington Home Owners Thursday night, Elder said his bill would amend the trust to include a specific exemption for the Port of Los Angeles.

Although the legislature’s deadline for filing bills was Friday, Elder said he intended to place an “urgency” clause on his bill, which will enable him to file it at a later date.