Recent legislative efforts to streamline the far-reaching California Environmental Quality Act should lessen the environmental-review burden on infill and transit-oriented projects, proponents say. Detractors contend the reforms won't reduce the lawsuits that, they claim, abuse CEQA's original intent.
Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed S.B. 743 into law in September 2013. The bill amalgamated CEQA reform with specific provisions to foster speedy development of a new arena for the Sacramento Kings in order to meet a deadline imposed by the National Basketball Association.