Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses the media during a press conference announcing new gun legislation targeting the state’s public carry laws on Feb. 1, 2023. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters
Dealing a blow to Gov. Gavin Newsom, Democratic legislators on Thursday shot down his ambitious attempt to reform state environmental law and make it easier to build big infrastructure projects in California.
In a 3-0 vote, a Senate budget committee found Newsom’s package was too complex for last-minute consideration under legislative deadlines. The cutoff for bills to pass out of their house of origin is June 2, just two weeks after the governor rolled out his proposal to adjust the landmark California Environmental Quality Act.
But the committee members – two Democrats and one Republican – said no.
“The overwhelming agreement is that we need to build clean faster and cut green tape,” said Committee Chair Sen. Josh Becker, a Democrat from San Mateo. “That’s been a legislative priority for me and will continue to be a legislative priority. Although today we are rejecting the governor’s trailer bill proposals based on process, as seven days is insufficient to vet the hundreds of pages of policy nuance in these proposals, we look forward to working with the administration on all of these critical issues.”
That setback, served to Newsom by two Democratic allies, came just hours after the governor expressed confidence his package would prevail.
“I am proud of the Legislature on what we have achieved. I am confident that they will deliver on this,” he said, speaking during an event in Richmond on Thursday intended to highlight the state’s renewable energy achievements.
That vote doesn’t mean Newsom’s infrastructure proposal is dead. His bills could return to Senate or Assembly budget committees as trailer bills. Or Newsom could instead re-introduce them through the Legislature’s policy committees, where they would go through a lengthier process of public comments, discussion and votes.
“The governor is committed to getting this proposal passed so California can maximize its share of federal infrastructure dollars and fast-track clean energy, transportation and water projects that deliver results for all Californians,” Daniel Villaseñor, deputy press secretary for the governor’s office, said in an emailed statement.
Gavin Newsom’s pitch for building big things
But Newsom spoke plenty about his infrastructure legislation earlier in the day in Richmond, during an event that quickly morphed into an exhortation about the urgency of passing his proposal.
“Enough. We need to build, we need to get things done,” Newsom said. “This is not an ideological exercise. We don’t have time. We gotta go.”
Newsom said that streamlining legal review of clean energy projects is imperative if the state expects to reach its ambitious climate goals. Newsom cited a solar project that has taken 13 years to work its way through agency bureaucracy, a timeframe he called “absurd.”
His legislation proposed a fixed 270-day permitting process for some projects and 270 days for judicial reviews.
“If we don’t build, democracy is crushed,” Newsom said. “They say we can’t get things done anymore. We need to get moving and get ourselves out of the way.”
His package of bills would shorten the amount of time certain projects – namely water, transportation, clean energy and semiconductor or microelectronic projects – could spend in court. It also would have limited the amount of records parties involved in CEQA litigation would have to produce. Typically, preparing the required records for such lawsuits takes between four and 17 months, according to a document published with the bill.
Environmental groups against fast CEQA changes
But Newsom’s ideas to water down the state’s landmark environmental law immediately drew criticism from some environmental groups, including Sierra Club California and Restore the Delta.
Several groups also called into Thursday’s hearing to express their concerns.
“This is moving in the wrong direction for protections for the environment,” said Deirdre Des Jardins, director of California Water Research. “We urge the Senate to completely reject the governor’s proposed trailer bill language. Frankly, there was no reason to spring it on the legislature or the public so suddenly and at the end of the legislative session.”
In voting down Newsom’s infrastructure package, Becker made it clear that he was not against the governor’s goals. But he and the other committee members determined the bills should face additional review instead of speeding through the budget committee.
“I’ve been a long-time supporter of building clean faster, which not only means land siting and other permitting reform, but also supporting supply chains and costs for climate projects,” Becker said. “I agree with some of the proposals that have been outlined in the governor’s infrastructure package.”
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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
We are saddened to announce the passing of Richard Dennis McKenna on
the 23rd of May. He was born in Youngstown, Ohio on March 19, 1940 to
Dennis Francis McKenna III and Vera Lorraine Everstine. He came to
California as a young boy, living in San Francisco. Richard met
Florence Jean Brodeau in San Francisco and they were married in
Visalia, California on December 4, 1958.
Richard
and Jean lived in the San Diego Area and the Bay Area before moving
to Humboldt County in 1967. In addition to their three boys and a
girl, they took care of more than two hundred foster children.
Richard
was a Vietnam Navy veteran, serving from 1957 to1963. He served on
the USS Jason AR-8 and then on the USS Walton DE-361 during the early
years of the war. He earned the National Defense Medal and the Armed
Services Expeditionary Service Medal (Vietnam).
After
the Navy, Richard went to work for PG&E as an auxiliary operator
and stayed with them until he retired as Supervisor of Operations at
Humboldt Bay Nuclear Power Plant.
Richard
was a Mason, a member of the AAHMES Redwood Shrine Club, and a
Shriner Clown.
He
loved spending his summers at Trinity Lake.
Richard
is survived by his sister Kathy Martin (Donald) Hamilton; sons Dennis
and Richard McKenna; daughter Connie McKenna; daughters-in-law Pamela
McKenna, Sherri McKenna, and Madeline McKenna; grandsons Ben (Amy)
McKenna and Darrel Neilson, granddaughters Heather (Jayme) Gonzales,
Marsha Silvey, Caren McKenna, Colleen Carroll, Courtney Carroll, and
Melina McKenna; great-grandsons Shane Jensen Jr, Justice
Heflin-Woods, Mason Silvey, and Sebastian Carroll; nieces Pam (Oscar)
Sarlandt, Tammy Holt, Angela (Danny) Nichols; nephews Jimmy (Corina)
McKenna, Scott (Renee) McKenna, Floyd Brodeau Jr, Scott Collins; and
their families.
He
was preceded in death by his wife Jean, by his son Norman McKenna, by
his brothers Donald (Waltraud) McKenna and Paul (Joanne) McKenna; by
his parents Dennis and Vera; and by his grandparents Dennis Francis
McKenna II, Ellen Shaffer McKenna, Olive McKenna, John Everstine, and
Florence Schisler Everstine Stombaugh.
The
Funeral will be at Goble’s Fortuna Mortuary, 560 12th Street,
Fortuna on June 10 at 11 a.m. A reception follows at the Eel River
Empire Lodge, 922 Main Street, Fortuna. A family-only internment will
take place at 12:30 p.m. at Sunrise Cemetery and then the family will
join fellow mourners at the Eel River Empire Lodge to celebrate
Richard’s life.
In
lieu of flowers, the family would prefer a donation to Hospice of
Humboldt in gratitude for their care of Richard during his
transition. Donations can be made online at hospiceofhumboldt.org or
mailed to Hospice of Humboldt, 3327 Timber Fall Court, Eureka, CA
95503. Their phone number is 707-445-8443.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Richard McKenna’sloved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Ray Smith passed away May 4, 2023 in Fortuna at age 70. He is survived by three older sisters and one younger brother. Ray was respected by his friends, coworkers, and neighbors.
He was the guardian of a succession of dogs throughout his life, the last few being Spunk, Yoda and Finn. His last dog, Finn, was adopted by a good friend after Ray’s death.
Ray had a fondness for cooking, riding motorcycles and playing the guitar. He had a passion for finding treasures at thrift stores, often giving the items to family and friends.
He worked for Humboldt County Environmental Health as a restaurant inspector for 16 years, retiring in 2018. Ray’s guiding principle in this job was educating restaurant owners in best practices, only suspending a restaurant’s operating permit to protect public health. He was respected and cherished by these restaurant owners.
Rest in peace, brother and friend.
A celebration of life and scattering of Ray’s ashes by family and friends is planned for June 2023.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Ray Smith’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Raymond Dean Miller was born October 22, 1945 to Paul and Adeline Miller in Lansing, Illinois. His family meant everything to him, so when he left them behind to move to California, he called them every Sunday and holiday. His oldest daughter Shelly was born in Eureka in 1968.
In 1970, he met Gaylene and her son Lorne. He and Gaylene married March 26, 1971. She was the love of his life. They soon had a daughter of their own, Kathy, born in 1972.
Growing up with his four siblings — Deb, Rose, Judy and brother Paul — mischief was sought on a regular basis, especially between the two brothers, and they always enjoyed the company of some very colorful characters they called friends. He also loved his nieces and nephews and their families very dearly, Richie, Dawn, Brian, Richie, Melissa, Lennie, Lisa Laura and Angie. Once his family in California was grown, he took the opportunity, with Gaylene, to move back east to Indiana to spend time with and care for his parents and Uncle Harry in their later years.
He thoroughly enjoyed connecting with others and was a man of monumental integrity, strength, love, humor and loyalty within every community he was a part of. He never said no to a person in need or avoided a job that need to be done, whether it entailed rebuilding an engine, working long hours at the Simpson Arcata Bottoms mill, or being an epic father and a more epic grandfather, which he always said he wished he had done first!! His adoring Grandchildren include Sophia, Sean, Raylene, Jeremy, Kayli, Branden, Caitlin, Kristin and Mike. He also cared endlessly for Gaylene as she was taken by cancer, passing in 2016.
He raised his family to believe that they were capable of anything and broke his body daily to make their dream reality. He never lied unless it was about his own discomfort but he did tell wild stores with giggles in his eyes. He rarely yelled, unless he was cheering someone on and hurting another living creature was beyond his capacity. His giggle brought people and parties to life and even led his lost children back to him in Great America and his love changed the world for everyone who knew him.
He passed away on October 7, 2022, in the loving care of one of his truest friends, Jeff Shidler, who never left his side even through the hardest moments. His family will be holding a graveside service at Oceanview Cemetary in Eureka on June 16 at 2:30 p.m. to celebrate the life and passing of a hero and his granddaughters favorite man. Please join us.
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
Eligible Humboldt County homeowners in areas impacted by the Dec. 20, 2022 earthquake can now apply for grants of up to $3,000 to safeguard their homes against future earthquake damage.
These funds cannot be used to pay for repairs to damaged homes but can be used to protect eligible residences from experiencing the same kind of damage from future earthquakes. An EBB retrofit includes bracing the cripple walls of older houses, when present, and bolting houses to their foundation, making them less vulnerable to earthquake damage.
The registration period for this program closes on Monday, July 31.
“Older homes are particularly vulnerable to earthquake damage, so it’s important that homeowners in high seismic-hazard areas take proactive steps to reduce the risk of their home slipping off its foundation,” said Glenn Pomeroy, CEO of the California Earthquake Authority (CEA). “We recognize the enormous impact the recent earthquakes had on the local community, and it is our goal to strengthen as many homes as possible before the next big one strikes.”
Income-eligible homeowners may also qualify for supplemental grants. These grants are available for households with an income at or below $72,080 and may be able to provide up to 100% of the funds needed to cover a seismic retrofit.
Humboldt County homeowners can apply for retrofit funding at EarthquakeBraceBolt.com. At this website, homeowners can check if their house is in an EBB eligible ZIP Code, review detailed program information and begin searching for a FEMA-trained, California-licensed general contractor.
Once registration closes, participating homeowners will be selected through a random drawing and notified via email if they have been chosen or if they have been placed on the waitlist.
According to CEA, more than 1.2 million houses in high-hazard ZIP Codes are particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because of the way they were constructed. These homes are typically built before 1980, are wood framed with a raised foundation and may have a cripple wall in the crawl space under the house.
To date, EBB grants have helped nearly 20,000 homeowners retrofit their houses.
About Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB)
Established by the California Residential Mitigation Program, EBB offers grants to help California homeowners retrofit their houses to reduce potential damage from earthquakes. For more information, please visit EarthquakeBraceBolt.com.
About the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP)
CRMP was established in 2011 to help Californians strengthen their homes against damage from earthquakes. CRMP is a joint powers authority created by the California Earthquake Authority and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. For more information, please visit https://www.californiaresidentialmitigationprogram.com/About-CRMP.
To learn more about available resources regarding earthquake recovery, visit humboldtgov.org/earthquake.
Press release from the District Attorney’s Office:
Medeiros.
Today,
Judge Kaleb Cockrum sentenced 28-year-old Austin M. Medeiros of Rhode
Island to serve 25 years to life in prison for the first-degree
murder of 28-year-old Emily Lobba. Medeiros was ordered to serve an
additional 6 years, four months for felony evading, theft of a
vehicle, and assaultive crimes committed against other victims,
including a Humboldt County Corrections Officer.
On
April 3, 2022, Medeiros strangled Ms. Lobba to death while inside her
Kneeland home. He proceeded to steal most of her possessions. Ms.
Lobba’s caretaker encountered Medeiros at the crime scene and
notified law enforcement as Medeiros fled in Ms. Lobba’s van.
Despite a high-speed pursuit that followed, Medeiros reached the
Arcata Community Forest where he escaped on foot. Medeiros was
arrested seven days later after he stole a Santa Cruz Harbor Patrol’s
boat and was caught attempting to sail away.
Medeiros
was convicted of his crimes by a jury on April 27 of this year.
Deputy District Attorney Candace Myers prosecuted the case with the
assistance of District Attorney Investigator Martin Morris, as well
as Victim/Witness Advocates Caitlyn Lahaie and Morgan Polasek. Local
defense attorney Owen Tipps represented Medeiros. Humboldt County
Sheriff’s Investigators Brandon Head and Scott Hicks led the
investigation that ultimately brought Medeiros to justice.
District
Attorney Stacey Eads said: “I commend Ms. Lobba’s caretaker for
quickly alerting law enforcement of Medeiros’s crimes. Thank you
to the jury for their dedication and service. May this outcome help
provide Ms. Lobba’s loved ones with some sense of justice, and a
path towards healing.”
