GOOGLCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at the opening of the country’s first federal and state operated community vaccination site during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Los Angeles, California, February 16, 2021.Mike Blake | Reuters
California Governor Gavin Newsom pointed to a recent flood of tech IPOs and Google’s forthcoming development project in San Jose as examples of a California comeback, as a recall campaign and complaints from departing residents draw attention to the state’s troubles.
Google chief legal officer and global affairs SVP Kent Walker joined local and state officials, including Newsom, as he signed California bill SB7 at an event in San Jose. The law changes zoning to allow denser housing and speeds up state’s environmental review process for construction projects, which would include Google’s proposed mega campus in San Jose.
Newsom and officials thanked Walker several times during the event. “Kent, thank you for highlighting this — this bill is about the investment in the state of California,” Newsom said in a press conference in San Jose Thursday. “This bill is about our comeback. This bill is about our renewal.”
“To be here with Google and the incredible private sector investment and the faith and devotion to
