Politicians are forsaking state’s environment
As a doctor serving the Bay Area’s safety-net patients, I see firsthand the health consequences of both the housing crisis and climate change. Recent debates over the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) have put these urgent public health priorities in tension.
My state Assemblywoman, Buffy Wicks, has long described herself as pro-housing and pro-environment. Last year she championed AB 130, which streamlined environmental review to accelerate housing development. But AB 130, and its companion SB 131, went too far. Exemptions for environmental protections were negotiated behind closed doors, including one for advanced manufacturing facilities with potentially devastating consequences for communities already burdened by pollution.
This year, SB 954 restores many essential CEQA safeguards. Yet to date, Assemblywoman Wicks appears not to have supported it. She’s backed the Building an Affordable California Act, a November ballot measure that could further weaken CEQA. California needs leaders willing to build more housing without sacrificing environmental protections.
– Katherine Brooks, Berkeley, 350 Bay Area Action
See full article: https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/07/20/letters-outlawing-algorithms-housing-crisis/?share=o2tw6mswrnhiri0slpny