By Kathryn Burton
Proposition 45, on the ballot for the November 3 general election, would weaken critical environmental and public health protections currently in place by fast tracking development projects.
It would severely limit public participation in the process while making it easier for high polluting, corporate backed developers to poison our environment with no mechanism to fund cleanup. That would be left to the taxpayers. The nonpartisan California Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates that fast tracking polluting projects could cost taxpayers $100 million or more annually due to environmental harm and cleanup.
The California Environmental Quality Act currently requires state and local public agencies to identify, disclose, and minimize the potential negative environmental damage from proposed projects before approving them. It encourages public input on projects effecting the local community by exposing negative impacts. (For example, increased pollution, increased traffic, destruction of wildlife habitat.)
Limiting project review will prevent thorough vetting and lead to more industrial and highway projects near residential areas, increasing local air and water pollution. Environmental groups warn that there will be a disproportionate impact on low income communities and communities of color. Healthcare organizations caution that more pollution near homes and schools will lead to more adverse health impacts such as asthma and cancer.
One of the first question voters should ask when analyzing a ballot proposition is “Who supports this and who doesn’t?” Here, the difference in support is glaringly apparent.
Opponents of Prop 45 are:
- the Sierra Club California,
- the League of Women Voters,
- People Over Polluters,
- California Nurses Association and
- the American Lung Association, among others.
More telling are the organizations and individuals backing Prop 45.
In support are:
- The California Chamber of Commerce,
- the California Republican Party,
- the California Builders Association, among others.
More hidden financiers include
- Prologis, a mega data center developer,
- PG&E, a company collaborating with a Canadian developer to construct data centers in San Jose and
- Building a Better California, funded by billionaires and venture capitalists many of whom are involved in data center projects.
Prologis and PG&E are actively pursuing data center development in California. Millions of dollars are being spent by these heavyweight players to pass Prop 45. As of October 2026, Prop 45 supporters have raised $31million – and the final tally is not yet in.
Prop 45 is not in the best interests of the public. It’s a disingenuous “Trojan Horse” proposition funded by polluters that will take California back 50 years leaving us with little environmental protection but lots of health impacts and cleanup.
Kathryn Burton is a resident of San Diego
