CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : Brown Bill Calls for New Regional Panels

Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, making good on an earlier promise, announced legislation that would create new regional agencies in California to oversee air pollution control, transportation and regional planning. Brown’s measure would eliminate 20 air pollution control districts, 27 transportation planning agencies, seven water quality control boards and 20 local agency formation commissions. In their place, seven new agencies would take over their functions and draft plans for development that has effects beyond the bounds of cities and counties. The largest agency would encompass Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial counties.