Professor Elmendorf Talks to N.Y. Times About CEQA Rollback

Professor Christopher Elmendorf spoke to the New York Times for a June 30 story on recent rollbacks of the California Environmental Quality Act, which in recent years had become closely associated with the state's housing crisis.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills that will allow many development projects to avoid rigorous environmental review and could slow lawsuits from parties who used the landmark environmental law to delay or prevent construction.

Elmendorf called the rollback “huge” and told the Times that he viewed the governor’s actions partly as a testament to how much housing has risen as a priority for California voters. Elmendorf said the rollback also reflects how Democrats nationwide are reassessing their relationship to the electorate after President Donald Trump’s re-election in November – a process that is opening doors to decisions once considered off limits.

Christopher S. Elmendorf's teaching and research interests include election law, administrative law, statutory interpretation, constitutional law, and property and natural resources law.