Momentum Gathering for Modernizing CEQA

Momentum is gathering for modernizing the California Environmental Quality Act. The state’s landmark environmental protection law hasn’t been updated in 40 years and increasingly is being used as tool for costly litigation to block responsible community improvements that benefit the economy and environment. Governor Jerry Brown and state Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg have repeatedly called for CEQA modernization in 2013. The Bay Area Council is partnering with dozens of business, community and economic development groups from around the state to seek a legislative solution this year that will preserve this important law while updating it to better reflect the current and future priorities and needs of our state. This week, the CEQA Working Group launched a website that offers numerous and surprising real-world examples of the many ways in which CEQA has been abused over the years. Visit the website to add your name to the growing list of supporters and follow the CEQA Working Group on Twitter @FixCEQA. And on Monday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m., Bay Area Council Vice President Matt Regan will join a discussion on radio station KALW’s City Visions program on CEQA modernization. We encourage you to call in with your questions and comments. To engage with us on CEQA modernization, contact Matt Regan.