California Chamber of Commerce

It promises to drive down the costs of building things in California.

Supporters, including the measure's sponsor, the California Chamber of Commerce, say it would lead to more housing and lower bills.

But opponents say it puts business interests ahead of environmental and civic protections.

KALW reporter Mary Catherine O'Connor joined me to tell us more about it.

So let's talk about who

is backing Prop 45.

The California Chamber of Commerce sponsored the measure, but who is supporting it?

The California Republican Party and some industry groups, those that represent hospitals, some water agencies, and affordable housing developers.

Prop 45, uh, would limit reviews under the state's landmark environmental law, the California Environmental Quality Act.

Placed on the ballot by the California Chamber of Commerce, the measure aims to help developers advance projects they designate as essential more quickly and easily, and it would impose a 365-day limit on environmental reviews for those projects, including infrastructure like roads and bridges, housing, schools, broadband, wildfire mitigation.

It would also require courts to rule within 270 days on lawsuits related to the environmental review law.

So for listeners just tuning in, Laura Neish, executive director of 350 Bay Area, 350 Bay Area Action, what would Prop 45 change about the California Environmental Quality Act, and why has its sponsor, the California Chamber of Commerce, made this measure a priority? What are they getting out of it?

Well, um, it is definitely in their best interest to be able to jam big projects through without the bureaucracy that, you know, currently is required.

So let me back up for one second.

Yeah

... and so folks are familiar with the type of people or type of groups, organizations that are supporting this particular proposition.

Jennifer wrote a piece.

She's president and chief executive officer of the California Chamber of Commerce.

And it's about Prop 45.

You know, there's a lot of propositions and we are going to highlight some of them, not all of them.

All we are saying, again, is that you have to make decisions on these projects in a reasonable timeframe, in 365 business days.

That gives them plenty of time to do the environmental review and make a decision, yes or no, as to whether or not the project moves forward.

Now, the piece you wrote for California Chamber of Commerce, and you talk about the three major lies, and you say the first lie is that Prop 45 is going to hurt the environment.

But the second lie you wrote about is that Prop 45 will be used to fast-track the construction of data centers, which a lot of people at the moment don't want.