Faster building or thorough environmental permitting? California’s Prop. 45 explained

Proposition 45 expedites the environmental review process under the California Environmental Quality Act to build new projects more quickly. Below is a transcript of the video above. Read our voter guide story on Prop. 45 here, along with the editorial board’s take on the issue.

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Why is California — the state that basically invented environmental review — about to vote on overhauling part of it? Let’s talk Prop. 45.

Here’s the deal. Proposition 45 would speed up approvals under CEQA — a big environmental law in California — for eight kinds of projects. Think housing, hospitals, schools, clean energy, water, transportation, wildfire prevention and broadband.

How? Deadlines. Agencies would get 365 business days to approve or reject a project. Courts would get 270 days to settle lawsuits. That’s it.

Supporters — business groups and affordable housing advocates — say CEQA lawsuits drag projects out for years, jacking up your rent and mortgage.

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Opponents — environmental groups and state Democrats — say it tilts the scales toward developers and weakens local control. They also warn it could sneak in data centers. Supporters have pushed back hard and legislative attorneys recently said the legal definition closest to the one used by the measure likely doesn’t open it to them.

And Gov. Gavin Newsom? He’s blasted the “weaponization” of CEQA — but hasn’t taken a side on Prop. 45. It’s only one of two he hasn’t.

So on Nov. 3, it’s your call: faster building, or thorough review?

This story was originally published October 26, 2026 at 3:02 PM.