©2024 League of Conservation Voters
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Your weekly resource to learn what the environmental movement is saying about the news of the day and the political fight of our generation. Be sure to follow LCV on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
“We’re going to fight to restore the Supreme Court’s integrity, and fight to recapture public confidence in the Supreme Court — but right now, it’s a serious threat to the continuing work of constitutional democracy.”
— Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) on the current state of the U.S. Supreme Court.
“EPA is taking action today to help ensure that the American public has improved access to information about the drinking water in their communities by strengthening requirements for annual drinking water quality reports.”
– Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Water Bruno Pigott on their final rule to increase access to annual water quality reports.
“Floridians are on the frontlines of rising sea levels, rising extreme heat, rising property insurance prices, more frequent flooding, and more severe storms. This purposeful act of cognitive dissonance is proof that the Governor and the State Legislature are not acting in the best interests of Floridians, but rather to protect profits for the fossil fuel industry.”
— Yoca Arditi-Rocha, executive director at the CLEO Institute, on Governor Ron DeSantis’ decision to remove nearly all references to climate change in Florida state laws.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION CELEBRATES INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK: Throughout the week, members of President Biden’s Cabinet have been traveling across the country to highlight historic investments in infrastructure from the President’s Investing in America Agenda. So far, the Biden-Harris administration has invested more than $450 billion in over 56,000 infrastructure projects in all 50 states across sectors including transportation, clean water, rail, high-speed internet, and clean energy. LCV looks forward to continuing to work with the administration as they invest federal funds to make our communities healthier and safer.
EPA PASSES NEW RULE TO SIMPLIFY WATER QUALITY REPORTS: The EPA has finalized a new rule on water quality reports aimed at making them more accessible for the general public. The new reports, which will provide information about lead and other contaminants in drinking water, will also be easier to make available in additional languages. The new rule will go into effect in 2027.
FERC FINALIZES TRANSMISSION RULES: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finalized the transmission planning and cost allocation rule on Monday, paving the way for improved energy transmission and bringing more clean energy projects online.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy and former EPA scientist Matthew Davis said, “With today’s historic rule, FERC is helping to secure a clean, reliable, and affordable energy future for families and businesses across the country. Thank you to Chairman Phillips and Commissioner Clements for your hard work on the actions necessary to build a more reliable electricity infrastructure, including advancing long-term planning, more affordable and fair cost sharing, and consideration of new grid enhancing technologies. We look forward to working together on future rules to further advance innovative solutions, interregional transmission planning, and capacity solutions. We applaud FERC and the Biden-Harris administration’s recent actions, which collectively add up to a grand slam for improving and expanding our electric grids.”
LCVAF ENDORSED CANDIDATES TAKE PRIMARY ELECTIONS: In Tuesday’s primary elections in Maryland, LCV Action Fund endorsed candidates Representative Steny Hoyer (MD-05) and candidates John Olszewski (MD-02) and Sarah Elfreth (MD-03) won their respective primary elections.
OUR TAKE: LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld said, “LCV Action Fund is thrilled to congratulate Representative Steny Hoyer, John Olszewski, and Sarah Elfreth on their victories in Maryland. Our planet is continuing to experience the hottest month on record for eleven consecutive months. The climate crisis is already impacting communities across Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay, and we know that Jonny O and Sarah Elfreth will be champions in Congress for a clean energy future, clean air and water, and our public lands, which is why LCV Action Fund is all-in to help them win this November.”
Additionally, LCV Action Fund endorsed candidate State Senator Tony Vargas (NE-02) will be advancing to the general election in Nebraska.
TAKE 2: LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld said, “Senator Tony Vargas is committed to tackling the climate crisis while building a clean energy future. LCV Action Fund congratulates Senator Vargas on his win tonight and is excited to continue to support his campaign for Congress so that he can continue his fight for clean energy, air, and water for all Nebraska’s communities.”
HOUSE DEMOCRATS ANNOUNCE COURT REFORM NOW TASK FORCE: U.S. Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA-04) led his colleagues in the House in announcing the Court Reform Now Task Force to reduce the influence of far-right special interests and reform the Supreme Court. Watch the full video of the introduction on X/Twitter.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Director of Judiciary & Democracy Doug Lindner said, “Our environmental laws need judges who will enforce them, but the Supreme Court’s extreme MAGA supermajority has repeatedly shown that it will twist the law to limit climate action, roll back protections for clean water and air, gut voting rights, and open the floodgates to Big Polluter money in politics. LCV stands with Representatives Hank Johnson, Adam Schiff, Jamie Raskin, Madeleine Dean, Jasmine Crockett, and all the members of the Court Reform Now Task Force as they fight to expand and rebalance the Supreme Court, require a binding code of ethics, and advance other reforms to ensure the nation’s highest court serves the people, not Big Polluters.”
LCV RELEASES 2024 STATE CLEAN ENERGY REPORT: LCV has released a report detailing clean energy wins in the states from the past several months and looking ahead to future state climate action. Check out the full report for more information!
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of State Policy and Advocacy Bill Holland said, “Across the country, state legislatures have spent 2024 building on the tremendous clean energy success of the last four years. Historic levels of federal clean energy funding have begun to roll out in communities across the country. State and local leaders have met this with policies of their own to best utilize these dollars and fill in the gaps where federal policy might not reach.
State action will determine whether the country reaches the full promise of president Biden’s Affordable Clean Energy Plan led by policies like the Inflation Reduction Act. This year, state legislatures and governors secured innovative policies to protect communities of color from pollution, tackle transportation emissions, and hold big oil accountable. They also built on bread and butter policies like 100% clean electricity and new clean fuel standards.”
NEW YORK OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT GETS GREEN LIGHT: Governor Kathy Hochul announced that Empire Wind 1, an offshore wind project that will generate enough clean energy to power 388,000 New York homes, has received final approval and may begin construction.
NYLCV TAKE: New York LCV President Julie Tighe said, “The final approval for Empire Wind 1 is a key milestone for the offshore wind industry. This will allow Equinor to commence the construction phase, helping to deliver on the promise of union jobs, clean energy and clean air. While this industry has faced challenges over the last few months, we are thankful to have Governor Hochul’s leadership to continue advancing the industry, and keeping climate action moving and congratulate Equinor on this major accomplishment.”
CHISPA AZ DISCUSSES LATINA ISSUES ON TELEMUNDO PANEL WITH EVA LONGORIA: Yesterday, Chispa Ariozona’s Democracy Director Nicole Morales joined a Telemundo panel with Eva Longoria to discuss issues that Latinas care about, especially during an election year. Check out these pictures on Instagram!
PROTEGETE COLORADO UNITES WITH LATINO LEADERS AT THE GREEN LATINOS SUMMIT: Beatriz Soto, Director of Protégete, and Rebeca Medrano, Manager of Strategic Alliances, participated in a panel at the National GreenLatinos Summit in El Yunque, Puerto Rico. This dynamic event united the vibrant Latino environmental community, passionate climate justice champions, influential community leaders, and dedicated policy advocates, all striving towards a future of environmental justice. Check out photos from the panel and summit!
ON THE BLOG: As a part of Black Girl Environmentalist’s Reclaiming Our Time Campaign, LCV Education Fund partnered with Cameron Oglesby, project lead for the Environmental Justice Oral History Project, to produce a blog on the power of storytelling. Read the blog on the LCV Education Fund site, and check out the newest article on the Chispa blog about the importance of including the Latine community in growing the green economy.
ON OUR SOCIALS: This week, LCV teamed up with @blackgirlenvironmentalist and the EJ Oral History Project to discuss the connections between environmental justice, history, and storytelling in a new video and slideshow on Instagram. We also shared a thread outlining state level clean energy wins so far in 2024, as well as a cautionary tale depicting one politician’s deal with the devil.
THIS MONTH: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
THIS MONTH: Jewish American Heritage Month.
MAY 21: Primary elections in Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, and Oregon.
May 23: U.S. House Committee on Agriculture will mark-up Chair Thompson’s farm bill, the “Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024.”
MAY 27: Memorial Day.
©2024 League of Conservation Voters