California: Newsom suspends part of his woke environmental legislation to support L.A. reconstruction efforts

Gavin Newsom announced that he signed an executive order to rebuild areas devastated by the Southern California fires that include the suspension of several of his woke environmental regulations. 

On Sunday, the criticized Golden State governor announced that he will "temporarily" halt enforcement of the Environmental Quality Act and the California Coastal Act:

"When the fires are extinguished, victims who have lost their homes and businesses must be able to rebuild quickly and without roadblocks. The executive order I signed today will help cut permitting delays, an important first step in allowing our communities to recover faster and stronger. I have also directed our state agencies to identify additional ways to expedite the rebuilding and recovery process."

Protections against rising building material prices through 2026

The executive order also includes an extension through Jan. 7, 2026 on the protections against price gouging on building materials, storage services, construction and other essential goods and services in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

The new rule seeks to reduce permitting delays by suspending environmental reviews and Coastal Commission permitting requirements for restoring damaged or demolished homes that are in the same location and of the same dimensions as those existing before the disaster. However, this will not be given to everyone who requests it, since, for example, houses must not exceed 110% of the footprint and height of the structures they are meant to replace.

Worst natural catastrophe in U.S. history, according to Newsom

Newsom justified his measure by citing the severity of the damage, even though the flames from the three major fires currently ravaging Los Angeles and surrounding counties have yet to be fully extinguished. The California governor even went as far as to call these fires "the worst natural catastrophe in U.S. history" due to their enormous costs, scale, and impact.

So far, more than 12,300 homes and businesses have been destroyed and more than 200,000 people have been forced to leave everything behind to flee the fire per evacuation orders.