Dear CREDA SoCal Members & Partners,

Late this afternoon, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 954, which would have repealed California’s existing CEQA exemption for advanced manufacturing projects that was enacted last year. Attached is our veto request to Governor Newsom.  

Thank you to our members who engaged with us throughout this effort including traveling to Sacramento in August to lobby against SB 954. And thank you to our Sacramento Lobbyist, Adam Regele, for his advocacy throughout the legislative process.

The bill would have replaced the exemption with a substantially narrower framework while imposing numerous new siting, emissions, technology, and procedural requirements.

In his veto message, Governor Newsom stated:

“Protecting communities and strengthening California's advanced manufacturing economy are not mutually exclusive goals. The exemption was designed to advance both and should be given a meaningful opportunity to work. If implementation reveals problems, they should be addressed through targeted, evidence-based changes - not by preemptively rolling back our progress.”

NAIOP/CREDA SoCal took an early oppose position on SB 954 and joined coalition efforts throughout the legislative process to stop the bill. We are pleased that Governor Newsom ultimately vetoed the measure.

Best regards,