Citing Trump attacks on California’s environmental laws, state congressional leaders urge voters to reject Proposition 45
California congressional leaders Jared Huffman, Ro Khanna and Judy Chu urged voters to reject Proposition 45, arguing it would weaken state environmental protections and enable faster development of data centers and other major projects. They said the measure is backed by utilities, including Pacific Gas and Electric Company, corporate groups and data center developers.
Reps. Jared Huffman, Ro Khanna and Judy Chu announced opposition to Proposition 45, a California Chamber of Commerce-backed ballot initiative that they said would roll back environmental protections for air, water and endangered species. Huffman, the House Natural Resources Committee’s ranking member, warned that the measure would weaken California’s ability to resist federal environmental rollbacks under the Trump administration.
The lawmakers characterized Proposition 45 as a utility- and corporate-backed effort to accelerate large projects, including data centers, while limiting community protections and potentially increasing electricity costs. They joined a coalition of more than 550 organizations opposing the measure; polling cited in the article showed likely voters rejecting it by a 50% to 46% margin.