Jennifer Ganata with Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) delivers powerful testimony about the importance of CEQA to Little Hoover Commission

Jennifer Ganata

The Little Hoover Commission, an independent California state oversight agency, met in 2023 to consider potential reforms to CEQA. Commissioners heard from numerous professionals who work on CEQA-related issues and who traveled to Sacramento to speak about the importance of maintaining a strong CEQA to protect California’s economy, public health, and communities. There was also an outpouring of public comments in support of keeping CEQA strong. The commission has extended its examination of CEQA into 2024.

On March 16, 2023, Jennifer Ganata, a senior staff attorney and former youth organizer at Communities for a Better Environment (CBE), testified before the Commission to express her concern about changes it might propose to weaken CEQA. CBE is a grassroots environmental justice organization working to address the needs of our most vulnerable communities and to hold polluters accountable. Jen presented this moving testimony that speaks to the critical importance of CEQA for “communities that live on the frontlines of poverty, divestment, and pollution.” In her testimony, she emphasized that CEQA allows people in these communities to participate in “deep democracy,” giving them a voice and some level of control over land use decisions that affect them and their families.

Jen concluded her testimony by saying, “CEQA exists so land use decisions happen through a democratic process where lead agencies of projects and plans can be held accountable by the most vulnerable communities.”

We hope the Little Hoover Commissioners will keep these points, and these communities, in mind as they continue to look at options for CEQA reform.

Read Jennifer Ganata’s full testimony to the Little Hoover Commission.