Governor Newsom signs housing bill overhaul of California's landmark environmental law
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday that would remake California’s landmark environmental protection rules that he said are crucial to addressing the state’s housing shortages and the homeless crisis that leads to homelessness.
Newsom threatened to reject the state budget passed last Friday unless lawmakers overhauled the California Environmental Quality Act, the 1970s law, which requires strict review of its environmental impact.
Governors and housing advocates believe that Ceqa, while having good intentions at the time, raised bureaucratic barriers, which made it increasingly difficult to build housing in the country’s most populous state.
Despite opposition from environmental groups, lawmakers have passed changes. Newsom said it was a step to address the state's housing affordability problem.
“It’s too urgent and too important to start the process like the previous generation,” he told reporters at a press conference after signing the bill.
Earlier this year, Newsom abandoned some CEQA rules for Southern California wildfire victims to revisit the opening ceremony of the law that critics say has said hampers hampers developed and raised construction costs.
The state budget passed last week passed many progressive priorities, including a landmark healthcare expansion for low-income adult immigrants without legal status, to end the $12 billion deficit.
