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 proposed public land sell offs, attacks on democracy, and the fight to protect clean energy jobs and programs.
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“If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they’re doing to farmworkers, to cooks, and to day laborers throughout California and across the country.”
— Senator Alex Padilla (CA) on being forcibly removed from a Department of Homeland Security news conference after trying to question Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on the department’s deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles.
“Every project that is abandoned because of this bill is a good job cut short, a retirement delayed, and a future held back.”
— Dean Warsh, Director of Government Affairs for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, on Republicans’ Billionaire Tax Scam bill that seeks to cancel clean energy tax credits that are creating jobs and bringing clean, affordable energy online nationwide.
“Let me say it again for Senate Republicans: our public lands are not for sale.”
— Senator John Hickenlooper (CO) on Republicans’ tax bill, which opens public lands across 11 states up for drilling.
MIKIE SHERRILL WINS GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY IN NEW JERSEY: U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill secured the Democratic nomination for New Jersey governor on Tuesday. Sherrill has committed to fighting the climate crisis, protecting the environment, lowering energy costs, and standing up against dirty oil and gas CEOs. Sherrill is endorsed by New Jersey LCV.
NEW JERSEY LCV TAKE: New Jersey LCV Executive Director Ed Potosnak said, “Congratulations to Environmental Champion and New Jersey LCV endorsee Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill and her team on a hard-fought and well-deserved primary victory! New Jersey LCV endorsed Mikie because she’s committed to preserving our precious remaining open spaces, removing harmful pollution from our water, and rapidly expanding in state clean energy generation and tonight we are confident New Jersey feels that way, too. Mikie is the strongest candidate to take on Jack Ciattarelli and to fight for the values New Jerseyans care about: clean air and water, preserving open space, lower energy costs, and taking bold action on climate change. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Mikie to achieve a 100% clean energy future by 2035 and hold polluters accountable.”
BONUS: Representative Mikie Sherrill will be the keynote speaker at New Jersey LCV’s 11th annual gala on Monday night.
WISCONSIN COMMUNITY LEADERS URGE CONGRESS TO PROTECT CLEAN ENERGY TAX CREDITS: Wisconsin Conservation Voters hosted an event with Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich, Tribal leaders, business leaders, labor representatives, clean energy workers, and faith leaders to discuss proposed cuts to clean energy projects under Republican’s reconciliation bill. Community members highlighted the progress that has been made in Wisconsin with the help of clean energy tax credits that allow communities to create jobs, cut pollution, and meet energy demands.
WCV TAKE: Wisconsin Conservation Voters Federal Government Affairs Manager Casey Hicks said, “These incentives make solar panels, heat pumps, and battery storage financially viable for everyday Wisconsinites, nonprofits, and local governments. Without them, dozens of projects could be stalled or canceled.”
IBEW TAKE: Project Manager at Eland Electric and IBEW member Jesse Michalski said, “Skilled labor is not a commodity that can be purchased as needed. We’ve spent years building up the workforce to meet this moment. Pulling these investments now would force contractors and workers to look elsewhere.”
ILLINOIS DEFENDS CLEAN ENERGY TAX CREDITS SUPPORTING STATE SOLAR BOOM: Solar advocates in Illinois are voicing concerns over cuts to clean energy funding that are threatened by Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill. Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, Illinois has seen significant growth in solar generated energy and is expected to reach 100% carbon-free energy usage by 2050. As federal funding cuts loom, state organizations say the time is now for state action and support for clean energy programs.
IEC TAKE: Illinois Environmental Council Chief Communications Officer Tucker Barry said, “The [Trump] bill would cut all we accomplished with the Inflation Reduction Act. It’s an unfortunate reality that bolsters why we have to take the next bold steps to modernize our grid and make state-level investments for renewables. This is where we have the chance to make progress at this point.”
ABIGAIL SPANBERGER ANNOUNCES PLAN TO LOWER VIRGINIA ENERGY COSTS WHEN ELECTED GOVERNOR: Virginia gubernatorial candidate and former U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger unveiled her plan to reduce energy costs and advance low-cost renewable energy projects. Spanberger highlighted how clean energy projects can reduce American’s energy costs, drive economic growth, and create local jobs. Virginia League of Conservation Voters has endorsed Representative Spanberger.
SPANBERGER TAKE: Gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger said, “These [energy projects] should be points of pride, because not only are they new jobs and energy generation, but it is Virginia leading the way into the future to meet demand, ensure reliability, and ultimately, deliver on affordability for Virginians.”
NEVADA PASSES BIPARTISAN SOLAR BILL FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Nevada governor Joe Lombardo signed a bill allowing affordable housing developers to install rooftop solar panels on multifamily housing units. This bill will provide full refunds for customers who are wrongly billed and lays the groundwork for a fairer and responsible approach to volatile fuel costs.
CHISPA NV TAKE: Chispa Nevada Program Director Audrey Peral said, “Nevadans are tired of being abused by corporate monopoly utilities. AB452 is common-sense legislation that will ensure NV Energy can’t steal millions from its customers and get away with it. NV Energy isn’t just taking advantage of overcharging us — they are also fully passing onto customers the cost of fuels they choose, despite how expensive or polluting they might be. We’re now one step closer to establishing what fairness and accountability look like for utilities.”
NCL TAKE: Nevada Conservation League Executive Director Kristee Watson said, “We thank Assemblymember Tracy Brown-May for her leadership in championing this bill and the Legislature for coming together across party lines to protect Nevada families. We also applaud Gov. Lombardo for signing AB452 into law. This is a smart, fair policy that ensures utility customers are fully refunded when mistakes are made — and begins the important work of shifting responsibility for skyrocketing fuel costs away from hardworking Nevadans and back to the utility.”
CHISPA NEVADA HELPS TURN SIX PRIORITY BILLS INTO LAW: Chispa Nevada is also celebrating several additional legislative wins this session! Thanks to the advocacy of community members, 6 out of 7 priority bills were signed into law — including AB96, requiring extreme heat planning in Clark and Washoe counties, and SB132, which provides $500,000 to Nevada’s green bank to lower energy bills. Other wins include expanded solar access for renters and wildfire smoke protections for outdoor workers. While SB417, a harmful bill backed by Southwest Gas, also passed, this session marked strong progress for environmental justice in Nevada.
LCV HOSTS ANNUAL CAPITAL DINNER: LCV hosted its annual Capital Dinner in Washington, D.C. on Monday. The event recognized LCV state affiliates in the Conservation Voters Movement, honored the lasting legacy of LCV President Gene Karpinski, and formally introduced Pete Maysmith as the new LCV president. Speakers included Senator Rev. Raphael Warnick (GA), Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), and Representatives Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Derek Tran (CA-45), and Greg Casar (TX-35), who highlighted the importance of fighting for the environment and democracy amid Republican attacks.
OUR TAKE: LCV President Pete Maysmith said, “My message tonight is simple. As dark and daunting as this moment is, the only way out is to stand up, speak out, out-organize them, win elections, and never give up. That is how we protect and revitalize our democracy. That is how we meet the challenge of climate change. And that is how we advance environmental justice and secure a healthy environment for all people.”
LCV JOINS SENATORS AND LABOR TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST GOP’S BIG UGLY BILL: LCV joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (NY), Senate EPW Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Senator Ed Markey (MA), Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE) and leaders from the Montana Renewable Energy Association and IBEW to expose the harms of Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld said, “The House-passed abomination of a bill is lose, lose, lose for families, businesses, states across the country, and the planet. This Big Ugly Bill would kill jobs, raise energy costs for families and businesses already struggling to make ends meet, hurt the reliability of the grid, and threaten our air, water, and lands with increased pollution. Now more than ever, we need to protect the clean energy investments that are already creating good-paying jobs, saving people money, and ensuring that all communities have clean air and water. We applaud Senator Schumer and all the Democratic senators working tirelessly to stop this bill and are with them at every step.”
SCHUMER TAKE: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said, “We say we need more energy in America. The quickest and best way to get it, the cheapest way to get it, is clean energy, plain and simple. And yet what has happened is this: The House has sent us a bill that kills the tax credits. This is not just a haircut, this is not just a trim — this is death with a dagger through the heart.”
LCV, SENATOR SCHUMER HOST RECONCILIATION TELE-TOWNHALL: LCV hosted a tele-townhall with Democratic Leader Schumer to discuss Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill and its attacks on clean energy jobs, energy affordability, and the environment. Over 20 environmental organizations and clean energy business owners were represented and stressed to the over 8,000 people in attendance the importance of activism and organizing amid Republican attempts to slash clean energy jobs and projects across the country.
SENATE ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE RELEASES ITS BIG UGLY TEXT: In the latest attack against public lands and the environment, the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee released its piece of the Big Ugly Bill. The text includes the sale of public lands across 11 states, expanding oil and gas drilling, sweetheart deals for oil and gas executives, and billions of dollars of additional cuts to Inflation Reduction Act funding.
OUR TAKE: LCV Conservation Program Director America Fitzpatrick said, “Trump’s allies in Congress are doubling down on their dangerous attacks on our communities and our climate by promoting a pay to play scheme for polluters that reeks of corruption, and by selling off our public lands to Big Polluters to drill, log, and mine in our country’s most pristine landscapes without oversight or recourse. Extreme Republicans want to ban cheaper clean energy and energy efficiency, raise energy costs for families, and make our communities more unhealthy and unsafe. It’s clear the Big Ugly Bill is the most anti-environmental bill in history, and we strongly oppose the most recent text that ignores science and public input and shields Big Polluters from any accountability and legal challenges.”
Ahead of the release, LCV issued a memo detailing the environmental attacks we expected in the bill.
TAKE 2: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis said, “Senate Republican Chairs started unveiling their committees’ portions of the budget reconciliation bill last week, and it’s just as bad as the House-passed abomination. At every turn, the bill takes a swipe at working families with one hand, while tossing another tax break or giveaway to polluter billionaires and corporate CEOs with the other.
“And nowhere is that clearer than in the bill text released last week by the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) and Commerce, Science, & Transportation (CST) Committees. If you’re a fossil fuel CEO, you’re in luck. If you’re a kid hoping to breathe clean air while you’re in class? Not so much. The contrast couldn’t be more stark. From axing air pollution reduction grants for communities and schools to creating a new, corrupt, pay-to-play permitting scheme that lets fossil fuel companies skip the line and puts their projects above the law, the priorities are clear: protect polluter profits, not people.”
TRUMP EPA MOVES TO ROLL BACK POWER PLANT LIMITS FOR TOXIC MERCURY AND CARBON POLLUTION: The Trump EPA moved to roll back limits on greenhouse gas and toxic mercury emissions from fossil-fueled power plants. These rules protect communities from climate change impacts and reduce pollution that cause death and disease, especially for communities that have been historically harmed by industrial pollution.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy and former EPA scientist Matthew Davis said, “President Trump and EPA administrator Zeldin continue to bow to their Big Polluter and billionaire allies’ wishes to weaken critical safeguards, cutting short the lives of tens of thousands of people each year and endangering our children’s developing brains. It doesn’t have to be this way — technologies to reduce the health-harming mercury and toxic air pollution and climate-threatening carbon pollution from dirty coal and gas power plants already exist and are currently installed and running. The Trump-Vance administration is giving away our children’s future to deliver more sweetheart deals to Big Polluters and their billionaire buddies. We will fight back against these unpopular, dangerous schemes that do not follow the science or law and put polluters above people.”
TRUMP ATTEMPTS TO ELIMINATE CALIFORNIA CLEANER VEHICLE STANDARDS: President Trump signed illegitimate Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions to eliminate the EPA’s state preemption waivers for California’s tailpipe pollution limits. These types of waivers, which have been approved by both Republican and Democratic presidents over the decades, allow California, and other states that opt in, to set stricter car and truck emissions limits in order to reduce air pollution in their communities.
OUR TAKE: LCV Government Affairs Advocate for Climate and Clean Energy Darien Davis said, “Trump is taking away choices for people to have cleaner vehicles and cheaper clean energy — and by inviting the CEO of a major oil company to speak at this signing, it couldn’t be more clear this is all to benefit Big Oil. These rollbacks will make owning a car more expensive, undermine the ability of states to set clean air standards that make sense for their communities, and make our air dirtier — leading to health problems like asthma and worsening the climate crisis. This is all part of Trump’s larger efforts to ban clean energy, with his Big Ugly Bill the next major attempt to repeal incentives that lower energy costs, create jobs, and make our grid more reliable. We will continue to fight for clean air and water, our communities, and our future generations.”
CEV TAKE: California Environmental Voters Executive Director Mike Young said, “So much for states’ rights. The President is siding with polluters over people, making permanent a reckless decision that strips California and over a dozen other states of the power to do more to clean our air and protect our health. This is planned chaos, orchestrated by Big Oil and corporate polluters to keep us locked into a dangerous, polluting vehicle market when we need bold action the most. It’s a deliberate dismantling of clean air advancements that will cost lives and deepen our dependence on dirty energy. We will not accept this. Our communities deserve clean air and a livable future.”
TRUMP DEPLOYS MILITARY AGAINST PROTESTORS IN LOS ANGELES: In a continuation of attacks on our democracy and fundamental rights, and against the wishes of Governor Gavin Newsom, President Trump deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to respond to protests over immigration crackdowns in Los Angeles.
OUR TAKE: LCV President Pete Maysmith said, “Deploying military force against our own communities in LA is heartbreaking, terrifying, and wrong. It is also very clearly part of a broader assault on the foundations of our democracy that is dangerous and relentless. Fear and violence have no place in this democracy we love. We pray for the peace and safety of everyone in Los Angeles. This cannot continue.”
CHISPA TAKE: Chispa Senior Director Estefany Carrasco-González said, “Deploying the U.S. military against our own communities is an extreme overreach and wrong. It is also part of a broader assault on the foundations of our democracy that is dangerous and must stop. The continuous threats and attempts against our communities are intentional to instill terror and fear. Violence should have no place in our country. We stand in solidarity with immigrant communities and everyone in Los Angeles, and commit to continue this fight centering all our communities across our nation.”
SENATOR PADILLA FORCIBLY REMOVED FROM PRESS CONFERENCE WHILE ADVOCATING FOR CONSTITUENTS: Senator Alex Padilla (CA) attended a press conference hosted by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to ask her questions about the use of military force by the Trump administration against protestors in Los Angeles, and was quickly and violently removed.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld said, “This horrifying show of force against a sitting U.S. Senator in the state he represents is a shocking abuse of power by the Trump administration. These dangerous attacks on our democracy and the freedoms and rights of all people in this country are un-American and fly in the face of the very foundation of our country. We stand with Senator Padilla who was advocating for his constituents, and with those exercising their right to peacefully protest against this administration’s violent and unconstitutional actions.”
CEV TAKE: California Environmental Voters Executive Director Mike Young said, “California is under attack — not just our climate leadership, but our rights, our values, and even our voices. The role of the government is to protect people, our health, our rights, and our future, and right now we’re not seeing that from our president. Instead, we’re seeing chaos and cruelty, from stripping our clean air authority to denying disaster aid to the Angelenos who are still struggling to rebuild after January’s fires.”
CHISPA TAKE: Chispa Senior Director Estefany Carrasco-González said, “If our own California Senator Alex Padilla cannot exercise his constitutional right to free speech and to advocate for his constituents, what does that say for the many people in California and other states who are now peacefully protesting the violent and unchecked attacks against our immigrant and Latine communities? We must continue to stand up for our democracy and the future of our nation and its laws, for all of us.”
ROGER KIM NAMED NEW BOARD CHAIR OF LCV AND LCV EDUCATION FUND: The boards of the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (LCVEF) appointed current LCV Vice Chair Roger Kim as the new Chair of both boards. Roger Kim is the first person of color and first Asian-American chair of LCV and LCV Education Fund. Former EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner has chaired the boards for over a decade, and will remain on the board of LCV Education Fund.
OUR TAKE: LCV and LCVEF President Pete Maysmith said, “We are so incredibly grateful for Carol’s leadership and wisdom. Her time as chair has been a period of massive growth for our organizations and the broader state affiliate network, the Conservation Voter Movement, and saw some of our biggest accomplishments, including passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.
“We are thrilled to welcome Roger as our new Board Chair. His deep understanding of policy and movement politics, along with his lifelong commitment to tackling the climate crisis make him an ideal fit to guide our boards forward. I look forward to collaborating with Roger for years to come.”
TAKE 2: Former LCV and LCVEF Board Chair Carol M. Browner said, “It’s been a profound privilege to serve as Board Chair for LCV and LCVEF. As an organization and as a movement we have made significant strides in working to end environmental injustice, clean up our air and water, and tackle the climate crisis. The LCV team is among the best in the business in advancing strong and durable environmental policy and electing the leaders we need to meet the moment. I look forward to continuing my service on the board of LCVEF and working alongside Roger to drive to take back our democracy and keep making progress against the climate crisis.”
ON THE BLOG: Big things coming, check back next week on The Power Source Blog!
ON OUR SOCIALS: From the annual Capital Dinner to press conferences and visibility events, this week we showcased the strength of the movement to protect our environment and democracy in Washington D.C. and across the country. Join us tomorrow to continue fighting back against the Trump administration’s blatant abuses of power at over 2,000 rallies nationwide.
COMING UP:
JUNE 14: No Kings Mass Mobilization.
JUNE 15: Father’s Day.
JUNE 17: Virginia Primary Election.
JUNE 17: Tell the Senate No Handouts to Polluters + Billionaires.
JUNE 19: Juneteenth.
JUNE 26: Tell the Senate No Handouts to Polluters + Billionaires.
JULY 4: Independence Day.
JULY 17: John Lewis Day of Action.
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