Coastal Panel Foe Seeks Supreme Court Hearing

A property rights attorney who has spent much of his career challenging the California Coastal Commission is now asking the U.S. Supreme Court to declare the commission unconstitutional in its structure.

Ronald Zumbrun, representing the Marine Forests Society, petitioned the Supreme Court after losing his case at the state’s highest court in June. He argues that the commission, which regulates development along the state’s 1,100-mile coast, violates the state Constitution’s separation of powers. The court is expected to decide whether to accept the case later this year.