With the passage of a state budget-related housing bill, the California Environmental Quality Act will be a non-issue for a decisive swath of urban residential development in California. In practice, that means most new apartment buildings will no longer face the open threat of environmental litigation.

Newsom described the bills as the “most consequential housing reform that we’ve seen in modern history in the state of California.” But the legislation has angered some environmental groups and labor unions. Here are the details: Q: What are the politics behind all this?

Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers scaled back a law that was vilified for its role in California’s housing shortage and homelessness crisis.