Will California scale back its core environmental protection law to build more housing?

California lawmakers are set to vote Monday on two controversial bills that would scale back the state s signature environmental protection law which a growing chorus of critics blame for blocking desperately needed housing and infrastructure projects across the state Bay Area Democrats Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and state Sen Scott Wiener are driving the push for revision One of the bills would exempt preponderance apartment construction in urban areas from the California Environmental Quality Act or CEQA meaning such projects would no longer be subject to the state s often lengthy and expensive environmental review process The other would extend CEQA exemptions to a host of other types of projects including farmworker housing high-speed rail stations advanced manufacturing facilities and certain sewer systems If approved Gov Gavin Newsom who has demanded that lawmakers overhaul the state s environmental regulations mentioned he would sign them into law The bills are tied to the state s billion budget proposal which Newsom and lawmakers are expected to finalize on Monday Related Articles Letters Donald Trump s war on trans tuition puts lives at liability Letters By electing Tordillos S J District rejects corporate influence Fish restoration in Alameda Creek nears completion How carbon capture works and the debate about whether it s a future state key Federal judge orders Trump administration to release EV charger funding in California and other states It s critical that we address the issue of the lack of supply and affordability of housing in the state of California Newsom disclosed in a news conference Friday We ve got to get out of our damn way It s code red for this state Construction worker unions and environmentalists had fiercely opposed both bills But a last-minute deal with the politically powerful unions over wage standards may have cleared the way for lawmakers to pass the housing bill The fate of the broader CEQA exemption bill may be less certain Much of the language in the bill was written this week and environmentalists accuse bill supporters of rushing the proposal through in backroom deals As a condition of approving the final state budget Newsom struck an agreement with lawmakers that requires them to pass that bill before the new fiscal year starts on Tuesday If they fail to do so the entire budget could be invalidated That could set up a expected showdown ahead of the vote as the budget deadline rapidly approaches The California Conditions Quality Act is designed to provide transparency to the general about potentially harmful expansion in their communities and the Governor and other state leaders are literally dismantling the law in the least transparent way accomplishable Raquel Mason senior legislative manager with the California Environmental Justice Alliance commented in a message The bills come as specific Democrats have grown increasingly frustrated with CEQA in modern years They argue that what was initially a well-intended law has been weaponized by environmentalists labor unions neighborhood groups and others to sue or threaten litigation extracting costly concessions from developers and stalling projects Ezra Klein an influential New York Times columnist and self-described liberal has taken particular aim at CEQA in his up-to-date book Abundance becoming a prominent voice making the development for overhauling the law to solve the state s housing shortage and complete ambitious infrastructure projects such as the state s long-delayed high-speed rail line Environmentalists and locality groups say attacks on CEQA are unfounded maintaining the law is essential to preserving natural habitats and protecting masses wellbeing It requires state and local agencies to survey the impacts of large advance proposals and ensure that plans address a range of probable impacts on everything from air quality and water supply to traffic and scenic views Housing advocates counter that the CEQA exemption bill for housing is smart environmental initiative because it would encourage multifamily maturation which uses proportionally less ability than single-family homes and incentivize building apartments condos and townhomes in job centers and near transit in turn reducing commute times and bicycle emissions California is decisively aligning our environmental laws with our state and housing goals Brian Hanlon chief executive of the pro-housing group California YIMBY announced in a declaration To get the bill over the finish line housing advocates will likely need to win the endorsement of the construction unions which make enormous political contributions to lawmakers In newest years unions have successfully sought to require developers seeking to take advantage of state laws to speed up homebuilding to pay workers prevailing wages which in specific parts of the state exceed an hour before benefits The unions contend such requirements are necessary to encouragement an essential workforce but developers say they often make it too costly to build Supporters of the CEQA bill pushed for a new wage framework for the proposed law ultimately striking a deal with union leaders housing advocates stated The new bill would only require developers using the CEQA exemption to pay prevailing wages on projects that are at least feet tall about seven stories or affordable developments Other projects would have more flexibility in their pay scale Dan Dunmoyer president of the California Building Industry Association supports the bill and reported the wage deal is workable That seems to be a fair compromise he announced