Stop CEQA from being used as "ransom" in budget negotiations

Five Republican state Senators have announced that they will not vote for the proposed state budget unless the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is gutted. Their proposal would sharply limit the rights of California citizens and local government agencies to enforce critical environmental protections.

CEQA is one of the best tools available to Californians to protect their local environment. The law keeps major land use decisions at the local level where the impacts are the greatest. Governor Jerry Brown should reject any effort to use the closed-door budget process to extract major concessions to the public health, safety and environmental safeguards in CEQA.

Take action today: Urge the Governor to reject the Republican’s proposal to gut CEQA

Why the legislature must protect CEQA:

California’s flagship environmental law, the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, was voted into place over 40 years ago to give all citizens a voice in what happens to their communities. For decades, CEQA has helped to keep major decisions over how to use local land at the local level—where the impacts are the greatest.

If the Governor, members of the California legislature and state agencies want to change our environmental laws, they have a process in place to do so—and do so in a transparent way. Those serious about changing California’s environmental laws should use the democratic process—NOT the budget process— to debate these laws and make decisions they’ll be held accountable for.

Californians expect no less from their Governor and former Attorney General.

Read more about CEQA in CLCV's report Everyday Heroes Protect the Air We Breathe, the Water We Drink, and the Natural Areas We Prize.