Coming off his win for the state’s redrawn 24th Senate District, which includes Topanga, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Calabasas, Ben Allen is the author of a new law imposing first-in-the nation restrictions on single-use plastics and packaging. Benjamin J. “Ben� Allen (D-Santa Monica) was first elected to the State Senate in 2014. A dedicated environmentalist, Allen has authored crucial legislation in the areas of environmental protection, climate change, green transit, education funding, government transparency, electoral reform, economic development and access to housing. Raised in Santa Monica, Allen is the son of teachers and holds degrees from Harvard, Cambridge, and a law degree from UC Berkeley. Allen and his wife, Melanie, an attorney, live in Santa Monica and have a son, Ezra. Senate District 24 Allen now represents the newly redrawn 24th State Senate District, which consists of the entire Westside, coastal South Bay, and the Santa Monica Mountains communities of Los Angeles County including Topanga, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Calabasas. The Santa Monica native will continue to represent the 26th, a dog-leg coastal district that includes Rancho Palos Verdes to the south, Hollywood Hills to the north, Hollywood to the east, the Topanga State Park area to the west and Catalina Island, through the end of the year. Due to the redistricting that overlaps in some areas, Allen will share district duties with State Sen. Henry Stern until 2024. (Stern was elected to the California State Senate in November of 2016. He represents the diverse constituents of the 27th district that includes just under half of Ventura County and parts of Los Angeles County.) Electoral districts statewide were redrawn by the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission, with each encompassing around a million people. The process is required under the Constitution every decade. The boundaries for local districts, like the county Board of Supervisors, are drawn by those entities. In the race for the redrawn district, 44-year-old Allen, who has spent two terms representing the South Bay, Westside and Hollywood in District 26, was the only candidate. Because his district lies within Los Angeles County and doesn’t cross county lines, Allen only gets one office and will likely keep it in Redondo Beach. Allen said, however, that he would like to set up temporary headquarters in different areas such as Topanga, Westlake Village, Santa Monica, or “wherever I am visiting.� Topanga and the Santa Monica Mountains When asked how he would govern within the new district, Allen said saving the Santa Monica Mountains is a major priority. “I grew up in the district just over the mountains, and my dad and I went hiking there. Literally every day my dad and I would explore new trails and canyons,� Allen said. “It’s in my blood and in my bones.� Allen added that he would be working with Third District Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to obtain additional parcels of land to “keep the Santa Monica Mountains out of developers’ hands.� The senator emphasized that the Santa Monica Mountains should be saved from overdevelopment, especially due to the risk of wildfire. “We should not incentive new construction in very high fire hazard severity zones,� he said. “The Santa Monica Mountains is very special, an incredible asset for our region, we owe it to future generations to preserve the land.� Allen further emphasized the need for preserving the State Parks in his district. “Beyond that, we will work to get State Parks the resources they need,� he said. “What can I do for the major State Parks in our district, including Will Rogers and Topanga, [we can get] several million for both parks … we have to make sure that they have the resources they need to run effectively.� Remarks to the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club Appearing in jeans and a blue sweater, Allen addressed an annual meeting of the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club on Sunday, Feb. 5, “Thank you!� he said walking up to the microphone at Palisades High. “You are still stuck with me,� he announced to cheers from the audience. Allen spoke of the new state budget due to come out later this year. “The State of California got a lot of money, although we are in a contraction now,� Allen said. “The Governor did a pretty good job of protecting the environment, working on homelessness, Metro, that’s all good. We’ll see how the next few months evolve [with a]rainy day fund mechanism. We passed the bill on plastics, I’m very proud of that. We have an historic climate package, climate policy, it really keeps California at the front of international leadership.� Allen also addressed audience questions about gas prices, heating bills, and affordable housing. “Gas has skyrocketed and we need to demand transparency on oil prices,� Allen said. “The gas markets are international markets and your club needs to continue to bang the drum on this. Suffice to say there are a lot of experts looking into this issue.� Single-Use Plastics Law Signed by Gov. Newsom on June 30, 2022, Allen’s SB 54 sets a statewide mandate of reducing the waste generated by single-use disposable packaging and food service ware by 65 percent by 2032 through source reduction, recycling, and composting. This new law requires the creation of a Producer Responsibility Organization overseen by the state’s CalRecycle to ensure producers only offer recyclable or compostable packaging and food ware. The law also mandates that materials be recyclable or compostable within 10 years and calls for a 25 percent reduction in the amount of plastic-covered material introduced to the market within the same timeframe. In addition, the plastics industry will fund a new pollution mitigation fund, providing up to $500 million per year for the next decade toward cleaning up plastics pollution, primarily in disadvantaged, low-income and rural communities. “It really was the product of very difficult and ultimately successful negotiations by a number of folks who are usually on the opposite sides of tough debates,� Allen said in an interview July 1. He said the outcome may have been different if not for backers of a ballot measure set for the November election who ultimately scrapped their plans and worked with him. “This is a big step forward. I’m proud of it because not only is it going to put California in the forefront of the fight against plastic waste and plastic pollution,� Allen said. “It’s grounded in common sense.� To contact Sen. Ben Allen’s office: District Office, 2512 Artesia Blvd., #320, Redondo Beach, CA 90278-3279. Phone: (310) 318-6994. Email: Senator.Allen@Senate.CA.gov or online at sd24.senate.ca.gov