(Originally published by The Mercury News on October 26, 2026.)

However well-intentioned, support for Proposition 45 is deeply misguided. It is true that California, like most states, needs to build more housing, renewable energy projects, and other 21st century infrastructure. But eviscerating the California Environmental Quality Act won’t do that.

At its core, CEQA is a “stop, look, and listen” law. It requires government officials to make informed decisions by considering the environmental impacts of projects, evaluating less impactful alternatives and other ways to mitigate adverse effects, and soliciting public input from affected communities. CEQA itself cannot prevent projects from going forward, but it can make developers and agencies think harder about designing them in the most sustainable way.

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