Your weekly resource to learn what the environmental movement is saying about the news of the day and the political fight of our generation. This week, we’re covering the Supreme Court’s attack on checks and balances, exciting state-level progress on voting rights, and a huge step forward in reducing costs and emissions in Virginia.
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“Today, the Court…distorts the structure of Government to fit the majority’s theory of unitary, total executive control. The result is a President who emerges with far greater power than ever before. It is a power, however, that neither the People, nor Congress, nor the Constitution bestowed upon him.”
— Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in her dissenting opinion in Trump v. Slaughter, which gave the president power to seize control of most independent agencies in defiance of laws passed by Congress.
“Data centers can support innovation and economic growth, but if developers want to build in Massachusetts, they need to first demonstrate that they can do so without driving up costs or harming our communities.”
— Governor Maura Healey (MA) on pausing data center tax incentives and creating a new framework for data centers.
“We are using this program to lower the burden for those who need it most.”
— Josephus Allmond, Virginia’s Chief Energy Officer, on Virginia rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to offset consumer costs.
VIRGINIA REJOINS THE REGIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INITIATIVE: Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed legislation rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cooperative carbon market with 11 participating states along the East Coast. Rejoining the program, which aims to reduce carbon emissions and bolster clean energy, will save Virginians money on their energy bills by investing in energy efficiency and flood prevention programs. Investments by RGGI have been proven to not only save consumers money, but also decrease long-term costs and reduce environmental pollution.
MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR PAUSES APPLICATIONS DATA CENTER TAX INCENTIVES: Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced a hold on the state’s 20-year tax exemption for data centers, which will stay in place until stronger protections for residents against higher gas and electric bills are adopted. The administration also announced a new framework to evaluate existing data center regulations and bring them into alignment.
NEW JERSEY LEGISLATURE PASSES NEW DATA CENTER REFORMS: The New Jersey legislature passed data center reforms that protect ratepayers by ensuring data centers pay for their necessary grid infrastructure and incentivizing the industry to increase energy efficiency and bring their own new clean energy to meet their power needs. In addition, the newly passed laws end state tax credits for data centers and require data centers to report on their energy and water usage.
NEW JERSEY LCV TAKE: New Jersey LCV Interim Executive Director Allison McLeod said, “Today’s passage of these critical bills is a major victory for affordability and a vital step toward protecting New Jersey’s working families. For too long, surging demand for data centers has threatened to push our energy grid to its limits. This bill ensures that working families and local businesses aren’t left holding the bag when they pay their power bills each month. Big Tech must pay its fair share. Not only that, but this legislation incentivizes energy efficiency and clean energy use.
“At the same time, these bills will provide needed transparency by requiring data centers to disclose their water and energy usage to the state Board of Public Utilities.
“However, while these are necessary first steps, our work is far from over. This is only the beginning of holding Big Tech accountable and protecting our communities.”
CONSUMER ENERGY APPLIES TO DRILL NON-HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL WELLS: New wells proposed by Consumer Energy would dispose of non-hazardous waste generated from the J.H. Campbell Generating Station, the second dirtiest power plant in Michigan and the 37th dirtiest in the nation. Though the plant was supposed to be decommissioned in 2025, the Department of Energy has forced it to stay open, driving up emissions and energy costs for local residents.
NEW JERSEY BUDGET PRIORITIZES WATER FUNDING AND CONSERVATION EDUCATION: New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed a state budget that increases funding for water infrastructure, helping to modernize the state’s outdated water and stormwater systems to provide cleaner water. Additionally, in a bipartisan effort, the governor and legislature saved the New Jersey School of Conservation, an internationally-recognized educational center that equips future generations of climate leaders by expanding outdoor access for marginalized families and children.
NEW JERSEY LCV TAKE: New Jersey LCV Interim Executive Director Allison McLeod said, “This additional funding will unlock federal matching dollars to modernize our aging water and stormwater systems. Cleaner water means healthier families, but it also protects the vibrant lakes and streams that drive our state’s tourism and economic development and prevents flooding that threatens lives and endangers our homes and businesses. And by funding these critical upgrades in our state budget, we are directly saving money for working families and local businesses who won’t have to see these costs passed down onto their utility bills as rate increases.”
NEW JERSEY LAWMAKERS APPROVE STATE-LEVEL VOTING RIGHTS ACT: New Jersey lawmakers approved the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey, which aims to prevent voter discrimination that has affected voters of color, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s recent dismantling of the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais. The bill, which was included in the New Jersey LCV’s Common Agenda as a legislative priority, will expand language access requirements, provide state courts power to rewrite discriminatory election rules, and necessitate the state’s attorney general’s approval for changes to election rules.
NEW JERSEY LCV TAKE: New Jersey LCV Interim Director Allison McLeod said, “With the U.S. Supreme Court dismantling the federal Voting Rights Act and Donald Trump keeping up his relentless attacks on our democratic institutions, we cannot rely on Washington to safeguard our most fundamental right. This legislation is more important than ever. It draws a line in the sand against voter suppression and ensures that all New Jerseyans, regardless of their race, ZIP code or age, can make their voices heard without facing unnecessary barriers.”
MICHIGAN LCV FILES PETITION TO APPEAL COURT DECISION ABOUT FACTORY FARMS: After the 30th Judicial Circuit Court struck down multiple important regulations added to an environmental permit regulating factory farms and animal waste, Michigan LCV joined a coalition of groups to file a petition to appeal. The coalition puts forth that the pieces that were struck down are integral to protecting the state’s natural resources from runoff from animal waste.
COMPANY PULLS OUT OF MAINE DATA CENTER PROJECT: The developers of the Jay Data Center in Maine have pulled out of the project. Earlier this year, Governor Janet Mills cited the project as the reason for vetoing the state’s data center moratorium, claiming that the data center would bring jobs to Maine.
MCV TAKE: Maine Conservation Voters said, “Earlier this year, Governor Mills vetoed a temporary, targeted pause on large-scale data center development in Maine, specifically to allow this proposed data center in Jay to proceed. But, now it seems this very proposal is dead, and Maine communities and the environment are left vulnerable. We’ve seen what happens when data centers move into communities – skyrocketing electricity prices, rampant noise pollution, local water supplies depleted or polluted – and we can’t let that happen here.”
MASSACHUSETTS SENATE PASSES ENERGY AFFORDABILITY BILL: The Massachusetts Senate approved legislation that would set goals to deploy 10 GW of solar and 10 GW of offshore wind, create new incentives for energy storage, improve solar permitting, establish data center guardrails to protect ratepayers and the environment, protect funding for the Mass Save statewide energy efficiency program, phase out costly fossil fuel investments, and develop mechanisms for utilities to lower costs. The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed their own version of the bill at the beginning of the year which notably included a massive $1 billion cut to Mass Save. Now, the two chambers will have to reconcile the separate versions in conference committee to determine the final legislation.
ELM TAKE: Environmental League of Massachusetts Executive Vice President for Government Relations Casey Bowers said, “Clean energy is affordable energy, and the Senate’s affordability package recognizes we do not have to choose between lowering costs and advancing our climate goals. By protecting funding for Mass Save, reining in utility overspending, and increasing ambition for clean energy deployment, this proposal would deliver real relief for residents while moving Massachusetts toward an affordable clean energy future.”
LCV ACTION FUND ANNOUNCES NEXT ROUND OF CONGRESSIONAL ENDORSEMENTS: LCV Action Fund has announced the next set of Congressional candidate endorsements. The newest round of endorsements includes Representatives Linda Sánchez (D-CA-41), Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-07), Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), and Becca Balint (D-VT-AL), candidate for U.S. Senate Josh Turek (D-IA), and candidates for U.S. House of Representatives Marlene Galán-Woods (D-AZ-01), Dr. Richard Pan (D-CA-06), Jacqui Irwin (D-CA-26), Marni von Wilpert (D-CA-48), Sam Forstag (D-MT-01), Rebecca Bennett (D-NJ-07), and former Representative Colin Allred (D-TX-33).
LCVAF TAKE: LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “As we enter the heat of summer, people across the country are being forced to pay too much at the pump and too much for their utility bills because of the reckless policies of Trump and his Republican allies in Congress. It has never been more clear that we need to invest in clean energy to bring down costs and secure a free and fair democracy for all. LCV Action Fund is proud to endorse these candidates who will fight to make life more affordable for all, protect our elections and take on the big fossil fuel and utility companies that are driving up energy costs.”
MAGA JUSTICES GRANT TRUMP AUTHORITY OVER INDEPENDENT AGENCIES: In Trump v. Slaughter, by a party-line vote of 6-3, the Supreme Court’s Republican justices overruled a 91-year-old precedent and struck down a federal law barring the president from firing members of the Federal Trade Commissions without good cause. This ruling threatens the system of checks and balances by handing the president power to seize control of most independent agencies in defiance of laws passed by Congress. An exception was made for the Federal Reserve by the court’s simultaneous 5-4 decision in Trump v. Cook.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Director of Judiciary and Democracy Doug Lindner said, “In a dangerous attack on our constitutional checks and balances, the MAGA justices on the Supreme Court are letting Trump purge independent agency commissioners in defiance of laws passed by Congress. Trump v. Slaughter emboldens Trump to escalate attacks on our democracy and protections for the people while helping powerful, big corporations avoid accountability. In making an unprincipled exception for the Federal Reserve in Trump v. Cook, the far-right justices showed they care more about their stock portfolios than the Constitution.
“Protecting our freedoms from corporate abuses is even more critical as Trump and Republicans in Congress prioritize Big Polluters and their corporate billionaire friends, and today’s decision from Trump’s MAGA Supreme Court only helps their agenda. At the next opportunity, Congress must expand and rebalance this captured Supreme Court with four new seats for pro-democracy, pro-environment justices.”
HOUSE REPUBLICANS PUSH TO PASS SAVE AMERICA ACT: This week, the House was set to vote on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (NDAA). The bill didn’t make it to the floor due to opposition toHouse Republicans’ attempt to attach the so-called SAVE America Act, a massive voter suppression bill, to the unrelated NDAA.
OUR TAKE: In a letter to Congress, LCV Senior Director of Judiciary and Democracy Doug Lindner said, “We oppose the SAVE America Act in any form, including being merged with the NDAA in this rule or any other action that would attach the SAVE America Act to the passage of the NDAA. The SAVE America Act would not make our elections more secure. Instead, it would weaken our democracy by denying eligible Americans their rights, create significant barriers to voting for massive numbers of eligible American voters, and cause the biggest federal voting rights rollback in the history of the United States.”
ON THE BLOG: This Pride month, take a moment to learn about how we can protect our LGBTQ+ communities from attacks on their voting rights. Check out this blog!
ON OUR SOCIALS: In light of the Supreme Court ending its term this past week, we’re breaking down recent Supreme Court decisions, highlighting ways to defend our country’s history, and showcasing Trump’s energy crisis by the numbers.
JULY 4: 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. (And one year since Republicans passed and enacted the Big Ugly Bill, driving up families’ costs.)
JULY 17-19: John Lewis Good Trouble Lives On Weekend of Action.
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