Why Prop 45 Is Dropping Like a Rock

SACRAMENTO – Why are Gov. Gavin Newsom, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, State Senator Scott Weiner, CA YIMBY, and other pro-housing leaders refusing to support Prop 45?

Let us count the reasons:

• CALIFORNIA LEADERS CONTINUE TO REFUSE TO SUPPORT – California’s leading pro-housing voice, State Sen. Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco) today became the latest elected official to say he could not support Prop 45. He told the San Francisco Chronicle that Prop 45 contains “problematic provisions like streamlining sprawl development.” State Treasurer Fiona Ma has also announced her opposition.

• BROAD EDITORIAL OPPOSITION – The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat today announced their opposition to Prop 45, saying “Prop. 45 strips away too much of what’s at the core of CEQA: thoughtful review and public input.” Earlier this week, the The San Francisco Chronicle noted in opposition: “Prop 45 is poll-tested political Swiss cheese, not a thoughtful effort to produce better outcomes.” The dean of the California political press corps, George Skelton of the Los Angeles Times, also urged a NO vote, writing “Proposition 45 rolls back CEQA protections too far — especially with a dangerous anti-environment California abuser in the Oval Office.”

• MORE LEGAL EXPERTS AGREE: PROP 45 HOLLOWS OUT PROTECTIONS – New land use and environmental law experts agree: Prop 45 is about much more than timelines. In an in-depth analysis in the legal publication the Daily Journal, Daniel P. Selmi of Loyola Law School and Julia E. Stein of UCLA School of Law write “Proposition 45 would go beyond streamlining environmental reviews by weakening protections for large development projects, restricting public participation and giving developers greater control over project approvals and legal challenges.”

• BIPARTISAN OPPOSITION – The California Democratic Party officially opposes Proposition 45. So do five Republican Party County Committees. The Marin County GOP chair pointed out “Let’s say some big data center developer comes in and takes care of some people in the Legislature with donations, and then all of a sudden they’re pushing for those guys to be qualified for this Proposition 45 benefit of not having to go through all the CEQA stuff, and then they get a fast-track deal.”

• CA YIMBY, PRO-HOUSING GROUPS WON’T SUPPORT – California YIMBY took a pass on Prop 45. Its analysis concluded: “we should not be building new homes in the fire-prone wildland urban interface because doing so puts people in harm’s way and exacerbates our insurance crisis. The fact that Prop 45 makes it easier to build freeways but not high speed rail also gives us pause.” It joined several other housing and transit groups opposing or staying neutral.

• KEY RESPECTED GROUPS ARE OPPOSING – The state’s most trusted groups – The League of Women Voters, ACLU Southern California, American Lung Association, California Professional Firefighters, and the California Nurses Association – all have announced their opposition. More than 500 groups now oppose Prop 45 – more than triple the number of groups in support.

• PROP 45 IS POLLING POORLY – The latest PPIC poll showed a massive drop in support for the California Chamber of Commerce’s ballot measure. It declined a record-setting 24 points week.

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