May 2 to 6 is a special week in the Massachusetts Legislature. The House will have concluded budget hearings and the following week the Senate takes the budget up. So this week is the best time this spring for constituents to be heard.
When the Northeast Direct (NED) Pipeline was still on the table, the Senate Committee on Global Warming & Climate Change scheduled a May 3 hearing to consider NED’s impacts on the Commonwealth’s ability to achieve its mandates to reduce global warming pollution. Hilltown activists led a statewide effort for a Statehouse rally to show the intensity of opposition to the pipeline and support for clean energy.
Last week when NED was suspended, activists quickly decided to continue plans for the rally. Why? One simple reason: There are still other fracked gas pipelines in the works and several pieces of legislation that will have huge impacts on our energy future depending on how they’re decided.
For example, the omnibus energy bill will contain provisions to procure hydro and off-shore wind power, but also could require electricity customers to pay for future gas pipelines. There is also an effort to amend the recently passed solar bill to restore fair net metering compensation to “community solar” to serve low-income people, renters and others. And there’s a bill to explore divestment of the state’s pension fund from fossil fuels; with an amendment to divest from coal right away. Two bills under review would set a fair price on carbon.
May 3 is the best time this spring for citizens who care about climate change to rally at the Statehouse. To join us, search online for “Climate Action Now MA” and click on the link to sign up for a discount bus ride (sliding scale $5-$35). Let’s show legislators we’re holding them accountable.
Dave Roitman
Florence