Newsletters

11.18.24

Manatt Submits Comments to State Water Board on Streamlining Desalination Facility Permitting

Amid California’s water crisis, Manatt submitted a letter to the State Water Resources Control Board on opportunities for new desalination plants.


11.15.22

UPDATE: Local California Elected Officials Prohibited from Voting On Campaign Contributors’ Projects

The Levine Act prohibits “officers” of any state or local government agency who have received a contribution of $250 or more from an applicant or affiliated party from voting on the applicant’s matter—whether it be a contract, a permit or other entitlement—if the ...


06.01.20

Amended Court Rule Provides Certainty for CEQA Statutes of Limitations

On April 6, 2020, the Judicial Council of California (Council) adopted a court rule that tolled statutes of limitations for all civil causes of action until 90 days after the Governor declares that the state of emergency is lifted.


04.08.20

CEQA Deadlines: COVID-19’s Latest Victim

The Judicial Council of California has adopted emergency regulations giving would-be plaintiffs and petitioners significantly more time to file civil lawsuits, including those challenging public agency certifications and approvals made pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).


03.20.20

Governor’s Executive Orders Waive Public Meeting Procedures

On March 12, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-25-20, a broad, far-reaching order that authorized state and local authorities to impose social distancing measures, to waive the one-week waiting period for unemployment insurance, and to suspend work hour limitations for certain ...


12.02.19

California’s ‘Housing Crisis Act of 2019’

SB 330, signed into law on October 9, 2019, and effective January 1, 2020, substantially limits the ability of municipalities to disapprove housing projects, condition housing projects to reduce density, or levy excessive standards on housing projects that raise costs and extend the permitting ...


09.24.18

CEQA Reform—Relief on Aesthetics? ‘I just don’t see it’

Just as the Court of Appeal inked and agreed to publish what many fear is a new and potentially sweeping avenue to challenge and invalidate negative declarations under the guise of “aesthetic” impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).


12.18.17

Los Angeles Adopts Affordable Housing ‘Linkage Fee’

The newly adopted Affordable Housing Linkage Fee will be assessed against all commercial and residential developers in order to help pay for affordable housing in the city.


07.18.17

EIR Need Not Analyze Consistency With GHG Executive Order

The California Supreme Court upheld the San Diego Association of Governments’ (SANDAG) Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) and concluded that CEQA does not necessarily mandate that the environmental impact report (EIR) include an analysis of consistency ...


07.14.17

Referendum Rescinding Zoning That Resolved General Plan Inconsistency Upheld

In California, zoning must be consistent with the general plan. When a general plan amendment creates an inconsistency with the existing zoning, Government Code Section 65860(c) gives a local agency “a reasonable time” to bring the zoning into conformance with the general plan.