California governor announces major reforms: CEQA curbs eased; urban housing set to speed up
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday signed sweeping changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a move aimed at expediting housing construction across the state amid a deepening housing shortage and cost-of-living crisis.
The legislation, passed as part of the state's $321.1 billion budget, takes effect Tuesday. It exempts new housing in urban infill areas from CEQA, removing a major legal hurdle that opponents have used to delay or block development projects. The law also streamlines CEQA processes for infrastructure development.
'Today is a big deal,' said Governor Newsom at a news conference on Monday night. 'This is the most consequential housing reform in modern history in the state of California.
Long overdue? Absolutely.'
The new law prevents groups from filing environmental lawsuits to stall urban housing projects. Supporters argue that CEQA has been increasingly used to obstruct affordable housing developments and serve other interests, including labor negotiations and business competition.
Governor Newsom reiterated the state's goal of building 2.5 million homes by 2030 and called on local governments to take advantage of the new legislation to meet that target.
Lawmakers debated the proposal for hours on Monday. Some Democrats raised concerns about the process, noting the final version of the bill was introduced only days before the vote. 'To undertake massive policy changes in a budget trailer bill that most members have a matter of hours to review is undemocratic and inappropriate,' said State Senator Steve Padilla, D-Chula Vista.
Environmental organizations and tribal representatives also voiced opposition during a State Senate budget hearing earlier in the day.
'CEQA is essentially our environmental bill of rights,' said Nick Jensen of the California Native Plant Society. 'We do a great disservice to communities and biodiversity when you choose to silence their voices.'
Lawmakers and the governor have previously approved CEQA exemptions for select projects, including sports stadiums, climate-related developments, and the new state office complex near the Capitol. The latest reform represents a broader and more permanent shift in CEQA policy, focused specifically on housing and infrastructure.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
JD Vance: The voice who warned about Trump is now POTUS' increasingly trusted Man Friday
In a legislative cliffhanger that had Capitol Hill glued to its screens, the US Senate delivered high drama on July 1. After an 18-hour vote-a-rama, US President Donald Trump 's sweeping 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' a 940-page legislative colossus featuring vast tax cuts and spending reductions, scraped through by the thinnest of margins. As reported by the Associated Press, the final tally was 50–50. The deadlock was broken by Vice President JD Vance 's decisive 'yay' vote. Yes — that JD Vance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cara Membantu Orang Terkasih Menghadapi Limfoma Limfoma Pelajari Undo The man who, as Reuters noted in November 2024, once publicly branded Trump 'reprehensible' and 'an idiot,' and privately compared him to Adolf Hitler, has been a key ally for Trump. JD Vance, now the 50th Vice President of the United States, stands as arguably the most pivotal figure in pushing Trump's legislative priorities across the finish line. Live Events 'The big not-so-beautiful bill has passed,' Senator Rand Paul quipped after the vote, according to the Associated Press, still reeling from the overnight showdown. Paul, along with fellow Republicans Thom Tillis (North Carolina) and Susan Collins (Maine), joined all Democrats in opposing the bill. Also Read: Three Republican senators defy Trump, vote against his ambitious 'big, beautiful bill': Who are they? Inside Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' The Senate's version of the bill makes substantial changes to tax and spending policy. According to the latest Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis: It includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, largely aimed at making Trump's 2017 tax rates permanent, which are otherwise set to expire by year-end. It introduces new breaks, including eliminating taxes on tips, a key Trump campaign promise. It proposes rolling back billions in green energy tax credits, a move that Democrats warn will gut the renewable energy sector and stall investments in wind and solar nationwide. It mandates $1.2 trillion in spending reductions, tightening access to Medicaid and food stamps. Work requirements for able-bodied adults, including some parents and older Americans, would be introduced. Changes in how the federal government reimburses states could limit access to safety-net programmes. As per the CBO, these changes could leave an estimated 11.8 million more Americans uninsured by 2034 and raise the federal deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the decade. Additionally, the bill allocates $350 billion for border and national security, including deportation initiatives, partially funded by new fees levied on immigrants, as outlined by the Associated Press. The House is expected to clash with the Senate over changes to Medicaid. Speaker Mike Johnson has already warned the Senate not to stray too far from the version his chamber previously passed, but the clock is ticking to meet Trump's July 4 deadline. Also Read: Big Beautiful Bill: After narrow Senate passage, Trump's marquee bill faces resistance in the House One tie. One guy. One big shift. That this bill passed at all is due, in no small part, to JD Vance. His journey from Trump antagonist to vice-presidential loyalist is one of the most remarkable transformations in recent political memory. According to CNN, during the 2016 election cycle, Vance texted a former Yale Law School roommate saying that he went back and forth between thinking Trump was a cynical figure like Nixon who wouldn't be that bad and might even prove useful, or that he was America's Hitler. He called Trump a 'total fraud' in public and even likened his influence on America to 'cultural heroin,' according to Time Magazine. Yet, by 2024, that same JD Vance was tapped to be Trump's running mate. As Reuters reported at the time, his selection reflected a full-circle moment, from vocal critic to loyalist lieutenant. Hillbilly to high office Born into an impoverished household in southern Ohio, Vance's backstory has always been central to his political narrative. Sky News noted how he often speaks about his upbringing in speeches to connect with blue-collar voters. His mother, according to The Times of India, struggled with opioid addiction, which escalated to heroin use, a personal trauma that shaped much of his public identity. That upbringing was the subject of his bestselling memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. The book topped The New York Times bestseller list and made Vance a breakout star, a voice for white working-class voters and Appalachian communities. As Times Now wrote in November 2024, Hillbilly Elegy 'evolved into a cultural phenomenon' that catapulted Vance into the political spotlight. As Reuters noted, Vance's Rust Belt roots, in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, made him a key figure in winning over working-class white voters, especially those without college degrees, a core MAGA demographic. The MAGA makeover Despite Vance's once-vocal criticisms, his shift wasn't sudden. In a New York Times interview (June 2025), he said there was no 'Eureka' moment, but rather a slow realisation that he had misunderstood Trump. 'I allowed myself to focus so much on the stylistic element of Trump that I completely ignored the way in which he substantively was offering something very different on foreign policy, on trade, on immigration,' Vance told the Times. By the time he launched his Senate bid in 2022, Vance was publicly downplaying the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and aligning with Trump's unfounded claims of a stolen election. That shift helped him win Trump's endorsement, and the Senate seat. Building Trumpworld cred Vance's rise in Trump's political orbit coincided with growing ties to Donald Trump Jr., according to Reuters. Trump reportedly admired Vance's 2022 stance against U.S. aid to Ukraine, a view that aligned with MAGA isolationism. At the same time, he increasingly aligned himself with Trump's unfounded claims of election fraud in 2020. Vance repeatedly stated that the election had 'serious problems,' carefully stopping short of directly saying Trump had won but leaving little doubt about where his sympathies lay. 'If I had been vice president, I would not have certified the results,' he told supporters, adding that he would have 'asked the states to send alternate electors,' as reported by Al Jazeera and The Times of India in October 2024. Vance also became instrumental in donor outreach. As Reuters revealed, he played a key role in organising a Bay Area fundraiser in June 2024 with venture capitalists David Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya, a crucial event for Trump's Silicon Valley fundraising. His early endorsement of Trump in January 2023, before any other potential vice-presidential contenders had stepped up, signalled full alignment. The cat-lady theorist grows up As Reuters reported, Vance's early public appearances were rocky. He drew backlash for controversial remarks, including calling childless women 'cat ladies' in 2021 and promoting a conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants were eating pets in Ohio, a claim Trump would later repeat during a debate with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. But Vance eventually displayed more polish. In a televised 2024 debate with Democrat Tim Walz, he adopted a measured tone and demonstrated more discipline than even Trump at times. 'Turned out to be a good choice,' Trump said afterward, as quoted by Reuters. Ride-or-die Republicanism As a sitting vice president, Vance has continued to echo Trump's key positions: He has vigorously defended Trump's tariff policies. In April 2025, on Fox & Friends, he praised the administration's 50% tariffs on the EU, saying 'we needed a big change.' His support was also reported by Sky News and The Wall Street Journal. He has publicly declared that, had he been vice president in 2020, he 'would not have certified the results,' according to Al Jazeera and The Times of India (October 2024). According to the White House's 'Trump–Vance Administration Priorities' document, Vance backs strong immigration restrictions, including ending asylum access for illegal border crossers, reinstating the 'Remain in Mexico' policy, and using the military for border security. He also supports designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations. In 2021, as reported by Time Magazine, Vance reportedly advised Trump to fire civil servants and replace them with loyal MAGA ideologues, laying the groundwork for what has become a defining goal of Project 2025 . The abortion pivot and the X-factor feud Vance's stance on abortion has also evolved. As per PolitiFact and in 2021 he suggested that even rape and incest victims should carry pregnancies to term, stating, 'Two wrongs don't make a right.' But by 2025, he had embraced a softer tone. America Magazine had earlier this year reported that Vance now supports access to the abortion pill mifepristone. This matches Trump's courtroom defence of the drug, despite pressure from anti-abortion conservatives. However, this position exists alongside Project 2025, a conservative blueprint that could still restrict mifepristone via administrative regulation, as per . Then came the Elon Musk feud. In June 2025, Musk attacked Trump's economic bill on X, calling it a 'disgusting abomination,' and made a now-deleted claim that Trump appeared in the Epstein files, as reported by The Times of India. While many initially described Vance's response as a 'calculated silence,' he later sided publicly with Trump. 'President Trump has done more than any person in my lifetime to earn the trust of the movement he leads. I'm proud to stand beside him,' he posted on X, according to TOI. On Theo Von's This Past Weekend podcast, Hindustan Times reported, Vance called Musk's actions 'a huge mistake,' but expressed hope that the Tesla CEO would 'come back into the fold.' Echo. Not voice? Vance's journey from Hillbilly Elegy to the Senate floor has drawn admiration, cynicism, and accusations of opportunism. 'What you see is some really profound opportunism,' said David Niven, a political science professor at the University of Cincinnati and former speechwriter for two Democratic governors, in comments to Reuters. Still, the result is undeniable: Vance is now one of the most powerful voices in Republican politics. Or, as Niven put it, not a voice, but 'an echo to Trump.'
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
Over $6 billion in US after-school literacy grants withheld by Trump administration
The Trump administration has placed a hold on more than $6 billion in federal education funding, leaving thousands of schools, day camps, and community organisations uncertain about the future of their programmes. The freeze affects grants designated for after-school and summer programmes, English language learning, adult education, teacher training, and to officials, the funding pause is part of a review process to ensure that the grants align with President Trump's policy priorities. However, the delay—announced just before the July 1 disbursement deadline—has alarmed educators, parents, and no timeline given for when or if the funds will be released, schools and nonprofits are scrambling to plan for the upcoming academic year and to keep ongoing summer activities afloat. Organisations like the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, which depend on these grants to serve low-income families, warn that programs may be forced to shut down mid-season. 'If these funds are blocked, the fallout will be swift and devastating,' said Jim Clark, the group's president. As many as 926 club sites could be at risk of closure, impacting more than 220,000 Alabama's Gadsden City Schools, officials say they will be forced to cancel their after-school programmes for over 1,200 students unless the funding resumes. 'We have no alternative to make up for the loss,' said Janie Browning, director of the programme. She emphasised that these programmes provide more than supervision—they keep children safe and offer critical academic and emotional support while parents funding freeze has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) urged the administration to release the money, stating that every day of delay puts school districts in a position where they must consider layoffs and cutbacks rather than student AT STAKE?The grants under review include:21st Century Community Learning Centres: The primary federal funding source for after-school and summer learning, supporting over 10,000 programs across the country.$2 billion for professional development and class-size reduction for teachers$1 billion for academic enrichment, such as science, math, and accelerated learning$890 million for English language learners$376 million to support education for children of migrant workers$715 million for adult literacy initiativesThese programmes represent more than 20% of federal K–12 education funding in the District of Columbia, according to the Learning Policy Institute. In large states like California and Texas, hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding are now in fear that this freeze is a precursor to eliminating the programs altogether, as Trump's proposed 2026 budget seeks to eliminate many of these grants like Jodi Grant of the Afterschool Alliance warn that the freeze could have long-lasting consequences, not only for families but also for the broader economy. 'Withholding these funds jeopardises learning, employment, and essential support systems for communities across the country,' she of now, the Department of Education maintains that no final decisions have been made, and questions have been referred to the Office of Management and Budget, which has yet to respond. Meanwhile, schools and families continue to wait, facing increasing uncertainty and the potential collapse of vital support services.(With AP inputs)- EndsMust Watch
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Elon Musk's dream of a third party could disrupt US politics
Elon Musk's dream of a third party could disrupt US politics (AP Image) It appears the world's wealthiest person has set his mind to a new startup: his own political party. As the ongoing public fracturing of the relationship between the US President Donald Trump and his top election financier continues to play out in public, Elon Musk has again vented his opposition to the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill," a tax and spending bill, which he believes undoes the efficiency mantra he sought to instill in Washington. Musk has gone as far to warn Republican lawmakers who pass the bill that he'll run candidates against them in next year's primaries. And he also threatened the broader US two-party system with the promise he'll form a faction of his own. "If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day," he wrote on X. "Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE." A genuinely competitive third party would upend more than a century of Democrats-Republicans dominance at all levels of government. Yet few have come close, despite dozens of minor parties operating across the US for decades. The Libertarian Party, established in 1971, is the third biggest in America. Campaigning for free markets, small government and personal freedoms, it had its best presidential election performance in 2016 with candidate Gary Johnson, who won 3.27 percent of the nationwide vote. But that's a long way from the tens of millions of votes needed to win the White House, a governorship or even a state legislature seat. The Green Party is another long-running party that has run candidates in state and federal races. Like the Libertarians, it too holds no seats in government. US politics: Money, grassroots movement essential The very nature of the American political system is the "winner takes all" principle through the widespread use of a "first past the post" voting system. This delivers victory to candidates with the most votes — almost always a Republican or Democrat. There are other factors hampering success, according to Bernard Tamas, a political scientist at Valdosta State University, US, who has written extensively on the subject. Tamas said it's fundamental for a third party to tap into popular unrest — a large number of people who are dissatisfied with the current political options — and build a groundswell grassroots movement. "One of the biggest problems with the parties that have emerged is that they're not really tapping into that anger," Tamas said. Upstart parties instead "tend to be more wishy-washy and [are] not really focusing in on that strong urge for change." If tapping into grassroots is essential, so is money. Parties spend billions of dollars to get their candidates elected. According to donations watchdog OpenSecrets, nearly $16 billion (about €13.58 billion) was spent across the 2024 presidential and congressional races. Musk himself was the biggest donor in the 2023-24 election cycle. He gave more than $291 million to Republicans across all races. Massive campaign war chests help parties "get out the vote" — buying the advertising and campaigning materials that expose candidates to the public and earn their vote. It doesn't guarantee a win — the Democrats spent more than the Republicans in 2024 — but it certainly helps. "You need money for things like ballot access and a number of other things, but no third party would ever have enough money to compete against the Republicans and Democrats on their own terms," said Tamas. Third party in US unlikely Could a genuine third party supplant the Democrats or Republicans? It's unlikely in Tamas's view. Instead of winning seats and building long-term success, Tamas said they instead "sting like a bee." "They emerge very quickly, they run a bunch of candidates all over the country and then they cause one or both major parties major pain," Tamas said. "They basically are pulling away votes." This is called the "spoiler effect", where protest candidates leech votes away from an often ideologically similar mainstream candidate. In some cases, they could pull away enough votes that a frontrunner loses the lead and falls to second place. It's the fear of a third party groundswell that causes the major parties to alter their policies to appease these voters. Once the change is achieved, like a bee that's stung its victim, "it dies." "The most successful third parties in America last about a decade. Once they become too much of a threat, the major parties start stealing their rhetoric, their ideology," said Tamas. Do Americans want a new party? Not all Americans are happy with their options. Donald Trump's net approval rating is in negative territory and YouGov's latest polls found almost 3 in 5 Americans view the Democratic Party unfavorably. In 2022, a Pew Research analysis found overall support for more parties in the political system. But it doesn't mean a new party would succeed. A study by two US political scientists in May 2024 found "disaffected partisans" — Republicans and Democrats unsatisfied with their own parties — were less likely to vote for a third, more centrist alternative. Tapping into popular anger and frustration with the status quo, Tamas said, is the fastest pathway to success. For a person like Musk, he might do well to look towards the "Fight Oligarchy" movement of left-wing opponents like Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders currently touring America, or the original MAGA movement, if he wants to start a party. "These are very good examples to follow… the tapping into people's grievances is really it," Tamas said. "They force the [major] parties to respond by threatening their careers and their livelihood."
