Although the Legislature left formal session with much work undone on August 1st, the 193rd session of the Legislature is not over for a few more months.
Your legislators still need to hear from you about the bills still under negotiation. Read on for two actions to take over the next week.
Wanted: A Robust Climate Bill
When the Legislature left formal session two months ago, they left without consensus on climate legislation. Let’s be clear: it’s not acceptable for the Legislature to go this entire session without passing any new, robust legislation to address the climate crisis. We need legislation, and that legislation must meet the moment.
As 100+ climate organizations recently said in a letter, “We cannot accept a narrow siting and permitting bill that does not do enough for climate justice, reducing climate pollution, or protecting ratepayers as the outcome of 18 months of the legislative process.“
A robust climate bill MUST include the following:
- Siting reform that centers environmental justice. Environmental justice communities have suffered the historic burden of pollution from our energy system, and we need to ensure that new facilities do not compound these inequities. The definition of cumulative impact analysis (i.e., the calculation of that historic burden of pollution) in the Governor’s H.5049 is the most accurate and complete definition introduced this session and should be the one used in a final bill that includes siting and permitting reform.
- Measures to end large-scale gas pipeline expansion and increase the use of non-emitting thermal networks. The legislature must act immediately to ramp down the expansion of gas infrastructure and put gas companies on a path to provide clean, non-emitting renewable energy rather than fossil gas that leaks methane and air pollution into the atmosphere and into our homes and businesses, costing ratepayers significant sums of money.
Take a few minutes to write to your state legislators in support of coming back into formal session and passing a robust climate bill.
Call Your State Representative about Raise the Age
In July, the Senate voted, as part of their economic development bill, to increase the age of juvenile jurisdiction to include 18-year-olds—keeping high school seniors out of the adult prison system.
The House did not include this important language, and a Conference Committee of three state senators and three state representatives have been negotiating the differences between the two bills.
Let’s keep up the drumbeat for critical juvenile justice reforms.
Tell your Representative that: (1) Raise the Age is an economic development policy and (2) urge the Economic Development Bill conferees to include Raise the Age in the final bill:
Step 1: Find your State Representative
Step 2: Call your legislator with this sample script:
My name is _________, and I am a constituent of Representative _______. I ask that the Representative reach out to the Economic Development bill conferees, Chair Parisella, Chair Michlewitz, and Rep. Muradian expressing the Representative’s support for including Raise the Age as passed in S.2869 in the final Economic Development bill.
Subjecting 18-year-olds to adult prosecution, CORI records and adult incarceration causes significant harm not only to the teens themselves but to our economy which is desperate for more – not less – young people to participate in the workforce.
Follow up with an email: Find a template here.
