Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law an overhaul of California's landmark environmental protection rules that he says is essential to address the state’s critical housing shortage and long-running homeless crisis.

Gov. Gavin Newsom tied the state budget to the passage of policy to lessen environmental review standards to speed up the construction of housing in California.

After a decade of intense debating California overhauls CEQA, its landmark environmental law with hopes of making the state more affordable to live.