Dorsey, who struggles with his own substance use disorder, introduced legislation calling for future city-funded supportive housing to be drug-free, which he says would allow for relapses if they don’t put fellow residents’ sobriety at risk, but some advocates remain skeptical.

A proposal introduced by District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey, with co-sponsors Rafael Mandelman, Stephen Sherrill, Danny Sauter, and Bilal Mahmood, would require new permanent supportive housing sites to evict tenants for drug use — if it poses a danger to others' sobriety — or risk losing their funding, which some advocates believe could help residents maintain sobriety, as the Chronicle reports. The Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on the legislation later this spring.

Dorsey’s aim is to reduce the amount of accidental overdose deaths that occur in permanent supportive housing in San Francisco by ensuring a more reliably drug-free environment. One-fourth of the city’s overdose deaths last year occurred in supportive housing complexes, according to the Examiner.

San Francisco currently follows state guidance across its more than 15,000 supportive housing units, which does not allow eviction based solely on drug or alcohol use in the absence of other lease violations, and does not require any sites to be drug-free. State guidelines also call for a harm-reduction approach, where tenants are met with nonjudgmental support around substance use, offered education on safer practices, and connected to treatment options if they choose.

“The entirety of our permanent supportive housing portfolio is drug tolerant, and that means that no one can be evicted for the use of illicit drugs on site,” Dorsey told the Chronicle. “This poses some real problems for people who are in recovery or seeking to get into recovery, because we’re putting them in environments where they’re not succeeding.”

Per the Chronicle, Dorsey’s measure argues city-funded buildings have flexibility within that framework, and the new law would require new projects to adopt stricter policies or risk losing city funding. The legislation also directs the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing to survey residents on whether they prefer housing that permits or prohibits drug use, with results shaping future developments.

As someone who’s dealt with substance abuse disorder himself, Dorsey told Mission Local he believes that if he relapsed in treatment — and it posed a risk to fellow residents’ sobriety — he should also be evicted.

“If I was doing something that was endangering the sobriety of somebody who was fighting for their sobriety … if I was in a sober facility and if I got evicted, I would be inclined to say I should go,” said.

“By the way,” he added, “I have been in situations like that even in treatment.”

As Mission Local points out, Dorsey’s circumstances weren't comparable to residents in need of government-funded, permanent supportive housing, as he consistently had insurance and private housing.

Dorsey clarified the proposal would not make a single relapse grounds for eviction, emphasizing that removal would only apply in cases where a resident’s drug use is deemed “substantially disruptive” to others, per the Chronicle. Even then, he said the goal would be to avoid pushing people back into homelessness, instead connecting them to treatment or placing them in housing that allows ongoing use.

“If somebody is persistently using drugs in a way that is disruptive... then the city would find a drug-tolerant option for people who want to have a low-barrier option,” he said, via the Examiner.

The Examiner notes that the legislation does not draw a clear line between relapse and persistent use, leaving those determinations to the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing on a case-by-case basis, which is likely where the skepticism lies among opponents of the legislation.

Some advocates warn that tying city funding to stricter eviction policies could put planned supportive housing projects at risk, and complicate efforts to backfill gaps left by declining federal support, including Continuum of Care funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Dorsey said the proposal is intended to apply to future developments, though he acknowledged the city is still far from meeting demand for drug-free housing options, according to the Chronicle.

“This will give us a road map forward,” Dorsey said. “It will provide that, to the extent that city-funded permanent supportive housing comes online, that will have to be drug free until and unless we’re starting to meet the demand.”

Advocates also raised concerns about the potential for increased evictions under the proposal. Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness, said the measure raises broader tenant rights issues, even as it allows for relapse and includes provisions permitting medically assisted treatment, per the Examiner.

Friedenbach said she supports recovery-oriented housing options, but described the proposal as overly restrictive, reportedly calling it “performative” and unlikely to yield significant improvements.

“We would like it to be about creating pilots instead of banning the flexibility that we need to maximize our badly needed housing resources,” said Friedenbach, speaking to the Examiner.

Randy Shaw, the executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, said he supports the legislation.

“Those residents are getting treatment, but they’re not tenants; they don’t have any tenants’ rights,” he told the Examiner. “We really need options for people to have permanent housing where they’re in a drug-free environment.”

According to Mission Local, Dorsey has framed his own history with substance use as central to his approach, speaking openly about past relapses and a disciplinary process during his time as a civilian employee with the San Francisco Police Department that he described as a “last chance.” He reportedly asked then-Mayor London Breed to consider him for the District 6 supervisor seat after reaching 18 months of sobriety, telling her he wanted to bring the perspective of someone in recovery to the role.

When speaking to Mission Local, he pointed to upcoming and potential initiatives tied to his broader drug policy agenda, including support for Mayor Daniel Lurie’s RESET Center pilot, which is expected to launch soon, as an alternative to jail or hospitalization for people arrested while under the influence.

Dorsey said he plans to make drug policy a central focus of his reelection platform, including a proposed “sober new deal” program offering temporary conditional income to support people completing treatment. He has also floated creating a kennel and foster care program for pets, which he said can be a barrier for some people seeking recovery.

Related: Mayor Lurie’s Controversial New RESET Sobering Center Will See Its Contractor Paid Based on Performance

Image: Matt Dorsey/Facebook

SF Supervisor Bilal Mahmood and SFFD introduced legislation banning the sale of lithium-ion batteries without a UL certification label due to increased fire risk, giving city agencies authority to penalize retailers and issue fines to consumers who violate the law.

Prompted by the tragic fire in the Tenderloin last December that displaced 45 residents, along with the rise in other battery-related incidents across the city, SF District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood and the SF Fire Department introduced legislation Tuesday prohibiting the sale of uncertified lithium-ion batteries in the city.

The legislation would restrict the sale of lithium-ion batteries by local and online retailers to those with the UL Solutions label, which indicates they meet the required safety standards. According to KGO, it would also allow the fire chief to fine residents up to $1,000 who are in possession of non-certified batteries, while authorizing the city attorney to pursue legal action against merchants who are caught selling them — online or locally.

"This measure is intended to prevent dangerous and fast-moving fires before they start, particularly in dense residential buildings where a single battery failure can threaten dozens of residents," Mahmood said at Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting, via NBC Bay Area.

As KQED reports, data from the SF Fire Department shows that structure fires stemming from uncertified batteries have been steadily increasing for several years. Mahmood’s office said in a press release that 120 lithium-ion battery-related incidents occurred in SF from 2024 to 2025, with dozens taking place in or near the Tenderloin.

"Our laws need to catch up with our technology, and this is the first step to do so," Mahmood said, per KGO.

Per KQED, common household devices also contain lithium-ion batteries, including phones, computers, and cordless vacuums, which also pose fire hazards.  

"Lithium-ion batteries are incredibly dangerous if improperly stored or improperly charged," said Fire Chief Dean Crispen in a social media post with Mahmood.

While batteries sold in the US are typically UL Solutions-certified, experts say some less reputable, budget e-bike models may sometimes come with uncertified batteries, according to KQED.

“The problem here is not e-bikes and scooters, the problem is when people are using non-UL certified batteries in them,” said Mahmood.

Fire Lt. Mariano Elias said battery fires often ignite with “no real warning” typically starting with a small amount of smoke, leading to sparks, then a big explosion, followed by the release of toxic smoke.

"Non-UL batteries can be charged over their expected limit where it causes thermal runaway, which creates a large amount of fire and smoke which is toxic to the members of our community as well as the members of our fire department," said Crispen in the video.

Elias said battery fires are also difficult to extinguish due to their waterproof casing.

“We’re kind of fighting the casing of the battery,” Elias said, speaking to KQED.

The fire department is also doing its part to increase public awareness surrounding lithium-ion battery safety. Experts recommend precautions such as unplugging e-bikes and scooters when fully charged and avoiding charging while asleep or away. For all devices using lithium-ion batteries, officials also advise strictly using the manufacturer’s charger and charging devices on flat, non-combustible surfaces out of direct sunlight.

Batteries should not be utilized if they pop or hiss, if the battery is visibly bulging, or if the device gets extremely hot.

"Anyone in San Francisco shouldn't have to be worried about purchasing unsafe batteries or being displaced by a fire due to a neighbor charging one of these they should trust that they are purchasing safe and certified batteries," Mahmood said.

Related: Six-Story Apartment Building Next to Golden Gate Theater Goes Up In Flames, 45 Displaced

Image via Citizen app

• About 900 new state laws go into effect in the new year, most notably bills banning masks on local and federal agents, reducing drug costs, and restricting AI chat bots. [Chronicle]
• French actress and far-right sympathizer Brigitte Bardot, who was convicted five times for inciting racial hatred in her later years, died Sunday at age 91. [Le Monde]

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist

As the clock ticks down on San Francisco's last gun shop, there's at least one group vocally applauding the business' closure: Members of the SF Board of Supervisors.

Of course, you already know the deal. Back in August, Supervisor Mark Farrell announced that he was going to propose legislation for San Francisco that would require that all gun sales be videotaped, and that all gun and ammunition buyers’ names, birthdates, addresses and driver’s license numbers be supplied to the San Francisco Police Department.

But SF only has one gun shop. High Bridge Arms has been in business near the intersection of Mission and Valencia streets since the mid-1950s, and they couldn't help but feel a little bit targeted (sorry!) by the legislation. By early September, store management was saying that if the legislation passed, the business would close, but by the end of the month, they decided not to wait, and announced that they'd be shuttering by the end of October.

Though back in August, Farrell's office told SFist that it "doesn’t mean to close anyone’s brick-and-mortar business," the Supe was singing a very different tune on Wednesday. That's when the Board's Budget and Finance Committee OKed Farrell's legislation, and Farrell couldn't have sounded happier that High Bridge Arms was going dark.

“At the end of the day," Farrell told the Ex, "I would much rather see a preschool, a coffee shop, a senior center or some other neighborhood-serving entity that contributes to the vitality of our city in its place."

“If that’s the result of the legislation, as a city we are going to be better off for it.”

Supervisor Katy Tang also appeared to rejoice the businesses closure, telling the Ex “So be it if our last remaining shop closed down here in San Francisco."

“I think that our city will be better for that.”

The full Board of Supervisors is expected to hear — and approve — Farrell's legislation on Tuesday. High Bridge Arms is expected to shut its doors for good on October 31.

Previously: SF's Last Remaining Gun Shop May Close Over Supervisor's Proposal
It's Official: As Of October, There Will Be No Gun Shops In San Francisco

A brutal gay bashing inside an Ohio high school classroom was captured on video last week. The grainy clip, later posted on Facebook, shows a skinny 15-year-old and openly gay male student being punched repeatedly by another heftier student. He was attacked for being gay, according to both his mother and common sense. The video is pretty graphic, but a necessity to watch, we think, since it's a regular occurrence inside U.S. schools.

Video of the attack below:

The attack happened at Union-Scioto High School in Chillicothe, Ohio, where students waited for the victim, Zach, to enter the classroom. Once inside, the unprovoked beating began.

"The boy stood there and waited on him and waited on him and waited on him," the boy's mother explains. "And as soon as he walks in the door, the boy hits him... he knocks the living crap out of him."

The young gay teen suffered broken teeth "and a possible concussion " during the jarring spat of classroom violence. And get this: his assailant was suspended for a scant three days. That's it. Furthermore, this was not the first attack to stem from the student's sexual orientation. ABC6/Fox28 News' Walter Allen reports the bully posted several anti-gay remarks on the victim's Facebook wall two days before the attack.

Seeing as how the attacker received a too-brief suspension, a petition was created to get The Union-Scioto Local School District, who don't have a policy on LGBT students from being bullied or attacked based on their sexual orientation, to responded in a harsher manner. Expulsion, to be exact.

Petition creator Bret Thompson of Columbus, Ohio notes:

Union-Scioto has no policy in place that specifically protects students from being bullied or attacked based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The Union-Scioto Local School District does have a policy that prohibits harassment based on sex, race, color, national origin, religion, disability, among others, but it does not specifically protect against harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Tell the Union-Scioto School District to protect LGBT students by prohibiting harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity and to send a message that this beating was unconscionable by expelling the perpetrator!

You can read or sign the petition (if the mood should strike) here. If you feel like calling the school to air you grievances, you can reach Union-Scioto High School at 740-773-4105.

Update: Unioto High School student Levi Sever "was charged this morning with a delinquency count of assault" in the beating of fellow classmate, Zach. The Columbus Dispatch has more details.

During today's Board of Supervisors meeting, District 8 Supervisor Scot Wiener will unsheathe new legislation about public nudity in San Francisco. Wiener represents the Castro, which has seen an uptick in nakedness as of late. Sanitary issues surrounding clothing optional ilk have made some residents worry that they're leaving more than just a jarring impression. If you catch our drift.

Wiener's proposed legislation will hit upon two key sanitary issues. First, it would require nudist to place a covering -- like a towel or a picture of their poor mother -- under their stinky, presumably dirty and quite possibly crusty ass when sitting down in a public setting. Second, and most importantly, Wiener's legislation would require clothing-free types to wear attire before they enter a restaurant. (We think that said legislation should go one step further by barring shorts, flip-flops, and skank tanks at any and all restaurants in the Castro, but we digress.)

"San Francisco is a liberal and tolerant city, and we pride ourselves on that fact," said Supervisor Wiener in a written statement "Yet, while we have a variety of views about public nudity, we can all agree that when you sit down naked, you should cover the seat, and that you should cover up when you go into a food establishment."

The city's war on fecal mater comes on the heels of a nascent plan to install "pooplets" for the homeless.

What do you think of the new proposed nudity legislation?

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee, according to KRON 4, approved legislation yesterday that would ban cat declawing in San Francisco. The Board of Supervisors will vote on next week on the issue. Much to no one's surprise, West Hollywood has a ban on cat declawing. Other California cities considering doing the same thing include Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Berkeley, and Beverly Hills.

Here it is in all of its confusing glory. In a nutshell, Rota Hao explains, it's because our constitution sucks -- even Mississippi has a provision in their constitution that says "you can't amend this constitution to take away people's fundamental rights" and we don't have that.

First last week's inane set of budget propositions, now this.

Anyway, thousands of people will gather around the country today to protest the decision and on Saturday, Fresno will become ground center for those rallies.

Take note, California: the Governor of New York introducing legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. "There is clearly a problem in that those individuals who are gay or lesbian who would live in a civil union are still not entitled to somewhere between 1,250 and 1,300 civil protections" that are afforded to married couples, Paterson said yesterday.

A similar same-sex marriage bill was knocked down in the New York state Senate in 2007 when former Gov. Eliot Spitzer brought it to the table. What's more, this most recent announcement comes on the heels of New York installing Archbishop Dolan.

So, you've got nothing to do on a Tuesday? Well, Equality California has just the thing. Head on over to Sacramento to participate in 2009 Marriage Lobby Day, an opportunity for concerned citizens to nag their elected officials about fighting the good fight against Prop 8.

The main thrust of the event concerns the passage of SR 7 (Leno) and HR 5 (Ammiano), which would make it the state's official position that Prop 8 should be overturned. But there's lots of other fun activities scheduled throughout the day: letter writing, blogging, sign-making, and as always, networking networking networking. Don't miss out!

Oh, . While gay activists were busy angrily masturbating at each other, the people on the other side were busy accomplishing things. They're anticipating that Obama will overturn DOMA (which is like the national version of Prop 8), and they've already taken steps to stop him.

Check out domadefensefund.com -- we won't contribute to their pagerank by linking to it, but we all need to see what they're doing so that we can one-up them, and do it YESTERDAY. Look at how slick they are: it actually looks like they're presenting an urgent, reasonable case. Never mind that their claims are as silly and made-up as "Prop 8 will protect children" -- it doesn't matter whether they're telling the truth. All that matters is that people will believe them.

The facts on DOMA are these:
- Obama wants to repeal it. Hillary opposes it. Lots of Congrescritters want it gone. Even the guy who wrote it now opposes it.
- It won't go away by itself, and Obama can't wipe it away all by himself. Support for its repeal is still tepid among voters, since most folks aren't even aware of it. So if we don't make an efficient push for its repeal, it's here to stay.
- The Bad Guys are making the same claims as usual -- that repealing DOMA would force same-sex marriage on everyone. We know they're just making that up, but again -- it doesn't matter if you lie as long as people believe you.
- No serious organization is taking the lead on overturning DOMA. The first google hit on "overturn doma" is a daydreamy Join The Impact messageboard.

We're still just shaking our heads in wonderment at what they've managed to create while we're still busy looking at our navels: a single unified presence (instead of a patchwork of a hundred Facebooks and forums) on a modern-looking website (instead of an embarrassing dinosaur). To be sure, some of the decisions over the last few months demand analysis. But while we're busy figuring out which opportunities we missed, it looks like we're about to miss an even bigger one.

So, to sum up: we're doomed.

Disclosure: SFist_Matt is the creator of Stop8.org, a site that monitors the media for reporting on California marriage equality.

The entertaining/controversial Chris Daly, who seems a bit quiet as of late, has a new target now: wafts of cigarette smoke. We're told that his latest push of legislation "calls for a smoking ban outside of restaurants, in waiting areas, within 20 feet of nonresidential buildings," and in common areas of apartment buildings. That is to say, you might have to look elsewhere to spark up that Capri or Virgina Slim while eating out. The Board of Supervisors will vote on the measure come Thursday.

Oh, and we're also told that this is the 59th piece of restaurant-related legislation pushed in 2008.

Also, yes, it's commendable of Daly to introduce yet another ban on rich, smooth, satisfying cigarettes. It's great. And keeps us healthy. Or whatever. If it passes, cool; if not, meh. Are you as chock-full of chic insouciance when it comes to this proposed ban as well? Or do you demand to get your fix in between bites at Orson? [Curbed, via ABC7]

Image of the "pathology of lung showing centrilobular emphysema characteristic of smoking. Closeup of fixed, cut surface shows multiple cavities lined by heavy black carbon deposits. (CDC/Dr. Edwin P. Ewing, Jr., 1973)": Wikicommons

We were down at the Heart of the City Farmer's Market again today, and we were glad to see the sign above. Looks like the market managed to worm its way out from under the powerful Newsom thumb, and will continue to remain a nonprofit. Yay!

But, the other side of the sign revealed a tougher, more insidious threat to the market. Find out what it is after the jump!

Hey, are you doing anything tomorrow night? If you're like us and you love the Heart of the City Farmers' Market (Wednesdays and Sundays on UN Plaza), you might want to consider going to City Hall, sidestepping the throngs of happy marrying couples, and going to room 250 at 5:00. See, Mayor Gavin has introduced legislation that would turn the operation of the market over to the city's Real Estate division, taking it away from its current board of directors.

The idea is that the city could somehow make more money off of the market, and use the extra to help close the budget deficit. Frankly, we're skeptical. If you can't make the meeting tomorrow, you can always go down there now and sign one of the petitions they have at the table pictured above. And pick up some strawberries...yum.