abundance
What does BACA do? Part VII
Proposed CEQA ballot initiative would cover a wide range of projects, not just housing and clean energy.
This is the seventh in a series of blog posts on the California Chamber of Commerce’s proposed ballot initiative amending the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The first blog post is here. The second blog post is here. The third blog post is here. The fourth blog post is here. The fifth blog post is …
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CONTINUE READINGWhat does BACA do? Part VI
Proposed CEQA ballot initiative would allow project proponents to control the scope and alternatives for environmental review for covered projects.
This is the sixth in a series of blog posts on the California Chamber of Commerce’s proposed ballot initiative amending the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The first blog post is here. The second blog post is here. The third blog post is here. The fourth blog post is here. The fifth blog post is …
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CONTINUE READINGWhat does BACA do? Part V
Proposed ballot initiative to amend CEQA would sharply limit what environmental effects should be considered for mitigation for covered projects.
This is the fifth in a series of blog posts on the California Chamber of Commerce’s proposed ballot initiative amending the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The first blog post is here. The second blog post is here. The third blog post is here. The fourth blog post is here. The core of CEQA is …
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CONTINUE READINGWhat does BACA do? Part IV
Proposed CEQA ballot initiative changes permit approval procedures for all California laws, not just CEQA.
This is the fourth in a series of blog posts on the California Chamber of Commerce’s proposed ballot initiative amending the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The first blog post is here. The second blog post is here. The third blog post is here. The initiative also changes all permitting procedures for any state agency …
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CONTINUE READINGWhat does BACA do? Part III
Proposed CEQA ballot initiative would prevent changing environmental standards very early in the development process.
This is the third in a series of blog posts on the California Chamber of Commerce’s proposed ballot initiative amending the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The first blog post is here. The second blog post is here. The most sweeping change in the initiative is buried in the lead-in to an innocuously titled section, …
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CONTINUE READINGWhat does BACA do? Part II
Proposed CEQA ballot initiative would override all other state environmental law.
This is a second in a series of blog posts on the California Chamber of Commerce’s proposed ballot initiative amending the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The first blog post is here. The CEQA initiative proposed by the California Chamber of Commerce has some reassuring words about its nature and scope. First, proposed new Section …
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CONTINUE READINGWhat does the Building an Affordable California Act do?
Proposed ballot initiative from Cal Chamber of Commerce to change CEQA could have broad implications.
The California Chamber of Commerce is currently collecting signatures for an initiative that would substantially change the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Given the Chamber’s resources, I think it’s likely they will get enough signatures to qualify the initiative, which means either the legislature cuts a deal with the Chamber to enact legislation and take …
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CONTINUE READINGAbundance politics and climate politics
Recent issue polling shows the similar challenges facing both climate and abundance politics
This week a study of the popularity of a wide range of issues among the American public came out – and created quite a stir. Most of the attention focused on the unpopularity of various Democratic positions on race and gender identity issues. But here I want to highlight the results in two areas I’ve …
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CONTINUE READINGPermitting reform in the Trump Administration
It’s hard to do a deal when one side can’t be trusted to keep their side of the bargain
There’s more chatter about permitting reform again in Congress. I’m supportive of the concept, and thought the deal on the table at the end of the Biden Administration was probably worth doing. So there are now bipartisan efforts to amend NEPA, and also to do a broader permitting reform bill. I’ll leave specific analyses of …
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CONTINUE READINGThe perils of federal abundance legislation
Political polarization at the federal level is a steep obstacle to any major abundance reforms
I recently wrote an assessment of the ROAD Act, a bill in the US Senate that would do some (mild) changes to NEPA and develop some guidelines and incentives for state and local governments to amend their zoning to facilitate more housing production. While the ROAD Act may be fine policy, one question is whether …
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