After weeks of tense negotiations with Gov. Gavin Newsom, California lawmakers on Monday passed two controversial bills that promise to make big changes to the state’s landmark environmental law to boost housing and clean energy projects.
The two bills — AB 609 from Asm. Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, and SB 607, by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco — were folded into addendums to the state budget, which was approved Friday. They both take aim at the 1970 California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA (pronounced “see-kwah” in state legislative parlance), which has been the ire of housing advocates and oversight agencies for years. Critics claim its ever-broadening scope and lengthy review process have slowed development and made it too expensive to build.
For years, however, reforming CEQA has been a divisive issue among state Democrats, due to its ardent support among labor, environmental groups and others, who have heralded it as one of the most important tools to fight pollution and sprawl. And they often point to studies calling into question whether it truly stops development from moving forward.
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Author: Joe Weber
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