FINAL SPRINT: END OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION HOURS AWAY

The legislative session ends at midnight on Friday. The halls of the state capitol are filled with advocates trying to shape the fate of legislation that affects nearly 38 million Californians.

We're in the middle of the fray, campaigning for sustainable water policy, clean energy, and sound land use decisions and fighting off last minute attacks from dam builders, oil industry lobbyists, and billionaire developers (see below).

Look for an in-depth analysis after the dust has settled next week!

BAD SPORTS: LEGISLATURE CONSIDERS LAST-MINUTE EXEMPTION OF CEQA FOR L.A. FOOTBALL STADIUM

Late Wednesday night a new bill emerged that would exempt a proposed football stadium in Los Angeles from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The project proposed by Los Angeles billionaire Ed Roski, owner of Majestic Realty, includes a 75,000 seat NFL stadium and 3 million square foot retail commercial complex in the City of Industry.

This past March, the City of Walnut and a local community group filed a challenge to the project, alleging violations of CEQA and general planning requirements. The case is scheduled for trial in March.

Now,  with only two days left in the legislative session, Majestic Realty and the City of Industry have gotten a bill introduced that would take the case out of the courts and eliminate any chance for the city or any local residents to have their day in court by giving this massive project a full exemption from CEQA. They're claiming that they need the project approved now and can't wait for the legal process to run its course, even though they chose not to take advantage of their right to an expedited hearing.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution urging legislators to oppose the exemption.

It would be unconscionable for the Legislature to interfere so brazenly in the judicial process, especially to benefit a single private project. If this bill becomes law, the heart of CEQA - the right of local residents to insist that the environmental review process is done right - will be lost. This isn't the first time someone with a mega-project has tried to jam legislation through at the last minute and it likely won't be the last. It's time for the Legislature to stop entertaining these sorts of last-minute special interest power plays.