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 overhaul One of the bills would exempt bulk 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 modification the state s environmental regulations reported 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 instruction puts lives at hazard 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 circumstances 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 mentioned 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 feasible showdown ahead of the vote as the budget deadline rapidly approaches The California Conditions Quality Act is designed to provide transparency to the society about potentially harmful improvement in their communities and the Governor and other state leaders are literally dismantling the law in the least transparent way manageable Raquel Mason senior legislative manager with the California Environmental Justice Alliance explained in a message The bills come as particular Democrats have grown increasingly frustrated with CEQA in latest 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 latest book Abundance becoming a prominent voice making the matter 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 region groups say attacks on CEQA are unfounded maintaining the law is essential to preserving natural habitats and protecting general soundness It requires state and local agencies to assessment the impacts of large improvement proposals and ensure that plans address a range of foreseen 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 program because it would encourage multifamily growth which uses proportionally less strength than single-family homes and incentivize building apartments condos and townhomes in job centers and near transit in turn reducing commute times and truck emissions California is certainly aligning our environmental laws with our setting and housing goals Brian Hanlon chief executive of the pro-housing group California YIMBY stated in a announcement To get the bill over the finish line housing advocates will likely need to win the promotion of the construction unions which make enormous political contributions to lawmakers In latest 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 particular parts of the state exceed an hour before benefits The unions contend such requirements are necessary to advocacy 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 commented 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 commented the wage deal is workable That seems to be a fair compromise he revealed