At the site of a future solar farm in the San Joaquin Valley in Stanislaus County on May 19, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a legislative package and signed an executive order that would gut the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to expedite the construction of the Delta Tunnel, Sites Reservoir, and other controversial infrastructure projects, drawing condemnation from environmental groups.

CEQA is a landmark environmental law that the construction industry, Big Ag, Big Oil and other Big Money interests have been trying to eviscerate for years in order to shorten the contracting process for bridge and water projects, limit timelines for environmental litigation, and simplify permitting for complicated developments in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and elsewhere throughout California.

On May 25, the California Senate Budget Committee, in a 3-0 vote, temporarily blocked Gavin Newsom's legislative plan, ending the proposal for this legislative year.

California Senate Committee Blocks Governor's Plan to Gut Environmental Law | Governor guts landmark environmental law to expedite the salmon-killing Delta Tunnel | CalMatters analysis of proposal