Senator Steinberg’s homage to basketball and infill development, SB 743, concluded its meteoric journey though the halls of California’s Capitol last night. It now goes to the Governor’s desk, where all signs point to a signature.

On Friday the Governor signed SB 743, a CEQA bill that blends home court politics (go Kings!) with game-changing reforms for the rest of California.  While some observers – including me – were exasperated with the process, the final product is an important step forward for sustainable communities in California.

What do the hoop dreams of a software mogul have to do with CEQA reform?  As of last night, everything.  In the waning days of session, strange things happen in Sacramento.

The ongoing debate over changes to the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, has been marked by polarization, exasperation and, more often than not, mutually-assured destruction. Overreaching efforts to gut CEQA’s core environmental protections are met by equally fierce crusades to prevent any significant changes to the law. Every year this political drama plays out in the theater of the Capitol, and every year we see little movement on CEQA in either direction.

Community members showed up in force to make their voices heard at FresnoCOG’s May workshops for their upcoming Regional Transportation Plan.