Gov. Newsom’s backroom CEQA deal is not a good look for democracy | Opinion

Bullying is antithetical to democracy

“Is California Gov. Gavin Newsom a bully that Democrats need to fight Trump? | Opinion,” (sacbee.com, July 8)

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s strong-arm tactics to advance two unpopular California Environmental Quality Act reform bills by tying them to the state budget were an affront to the democratic process any way you look at it.

Newsom’s backroom deals gave no time for legislators to understand the bills’ content or for the public to have meaningful input. Now, there will be no environmental review for “advanced manufacturing” projects, a poorly defined category that includes semiconductor facilities, mining, metal manufacturing, battery factories and other polluting facilities. Under the new bill, these projects can be built with no mitigation whatsoever.

Bullying might work in politics, but it’s a terrible practice for democracy.

Asha Sharma

Sacramento

Utilities boost costs, not ratepayers

“Why is your California electricity bill so high? It may be your neighbor | Opinion,” (sacbee.com, July 7)

Independent economists have proven that rooftop solar saves money for all ratepayers, even those without solar, because rooftop solar reduces stress on the grid and reduces the need for utilities to build more poles and wires. But this bogus “cost-shift” argument was invented by utility lobbyists to preserve their monopolies and increase their profits at ratepayers’ expense.

It is out-of-control utility spending on poles and wires that’s causing skyrocketing rates.

Susanna Porte

Berkeley

Importance of home hardening

“California thins its forests, then burns the wood. Is there a better idea? | Opinion,” (sacbee.com, July 8)

As the Los Angeles fires demonstrated, devastating fires occurring under extreme circumstances cannot be mitigated by wildland fuels management. Rather, the scientific consensus on community fire protection starts with structural home hardening techniques.

But this effective strategy receives the least funding and policy support when compared to fuel management strategies. Supporting the new home hardening sector is a major opportunity for California, both for saving lives and boosting the economy as a whole.

Rita Vaughan Frost

San Francisco

Polluting status quo

“California’s freight fantasies don’t belong on America’s roads,” (sacbee.com, July 1)

The American Trucking Association’s (ATA) op-ed praising Republicans’ illegal rollback of California’s Advanced Clean Fleets rules ignores a key fact: California has this authority because it suffers from some of the worst air quality in the nation. This pollution disproportionately harms Latino communities living near ports, warehouses and highways, making people sick and causing premature deaths.

Truckmakers like Volvo, Mack, Freightliner and Hino hide behind the ATA, claiming to defend small fleets and independent operators, while protecting their profits. Electric trucks offer lower operating costs, reduced maintenance and freedom from volatile fuel prices. Over a vehicle’s lifetime, an electric delivery truck can cost 34% less than a diesel one. Across the world, trucks are electrifying; the ATA is holding U.S. truckmakers back from the future of trucks.

If this fight were truly about helping truckers and communities, these companies wouldn’t be clinging so tightly to the polluting status quo.

Andrea Marpillero-Colomina

Boulder, Colo.

This story was originally published July 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.