ICYMI: 11 Southern California Newspapers Endorse Prop 45 to Lower Costs and Fix California’s Broken Permitting Process
September 14, 2026
Editorial board calls Prop 45 is a “sensible and fair-minded” fix for California’s broken permitting process that’s driving up the cost of housing and infrastructure
Sacramento, CA — The Southern California News Group editorial board has endorsed Prop 45, the Building an Affordable California Act, calling on voters to approve what it calls a “sensible and fair-minded” reform to California’s broken permitting process that’s driving up costs for families.
The endorsement appears across all 11 Southern California News Group daily newspapers — including the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Riverside Press-Enterprise, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Bernardino Sun, Pasadena Star-News, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Whittier Daily News, and Redlands Daily Facts.
The endorsement adds to a growing chorus of support for Prop 45 from organizations and voters who recognize that California’s affordability crisis is tied directly to how long and how much it costs to build essential projects. Years of unnecessary delays drive up the cost of housing, energy, water, transportation and other essentials — costs ultimately passed on to families, ratepayers and taxpayers.
Prop 45 tackles those costs at the source by streamlining approvals for housing, water infrastructure, clean energy, transportation, hospitals and health care facilities, schools, broadband, and wildfire prevention. It sets clear, enforceable timelines and greater accountability so California can build faster and more affordably while maintaining strong environmental, labor and tribal cultural resource protections and preserving local decision-making.
Key Excerpts:
• “[Prop. 45] tweaks the law in sensible and fair-minded ways that provide quicker approval timelines, reduce meritless lawsuits and limit open-ended demands by local agencies.”
• “No-growth groups have mastered the art of delaying, stopping and adding costs to new projects. Nearly half of CEQA lawsuits are filed against public projects. The lawsuits often target environmentally friendly projects, infill housing and transit.”
• “We suspect most opponents of Prop. 45 and CEQA reform in general simply don’t want to give up any tools for obstructing projects they don’t like. But after decades of them abusing CEQA for their own ends, it’s time to streamline the CEQA process.”
[Read the Full Editorial Here]
BACKGROUND: Prop 45, the Building an Affordable California Act, modernizes California’s project approval and permitting process for essential projects — including housing, water infrastructure, clean energy, transportation infrastructure, hospitals and health care facilities, schools, broadband, and wildfire prevention projects — by establishing clear timelines, improving accountability, and reducing unnecessary delays, while preserving strong environmental, labor, and tribal cultural resource protections. Prop 45 is supported by a broad and growing coalition of 160+ organizations, including affordable housing advocates, civil rights leaders, clean energy builders, water providers, agricultural groups, and business organizations statewide.
Learn More: YESonProp45.com