Support 8940?
William James Eden
I just spoke with Jackson from EANY, and he said A08940 has very little
chance of passing. He said it's a good bill, but that it was drafted to
make a statement, not with the intent of getting it passed, and without
Tonko around, it's really unlikely it will move anywhere.
He suggested we look into a few others, as they are more live and still
accomplish some of our goals. I've included his e-mail below.
I don't know how everyone else feels, but since we're already putting a
lot of emphasis into one "reach" bill, I'd hate to put more energy into
another bill that's not going to pass. I think we should strongly
consider endorsing one of these other bills.
Jackson also emphasized the importance of keeping in touch w/ Sweeney and
other sponsors of the 80 by 50 bill and working with them more closely.
They'll have the best idea of what we can do to pass the bill. Maybe he
could recomend specific key reps to target or offer other advice.
So, though I won't be able to join you on the next call, the two things I
would add if I were there:
1. Look into and choose one of these other bills, make a tentative
decission and contact Jackson to see what he thinks.
2. Contact Sweeney and his Senate counterpart immediately and ask for
recomendations on how we can best get the 80 by 50 bill out of committee
and passed.
Jakson's e-mail is jmo...@eany.org and his phone number is 518 462-5526
extension 233.
OK everyone, have a great rest of the break and good luck with the next call.
Peace,
Fil
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Fil-
Thanks for reaching out on climate change legislation. As I mentioned on
the phone,
A.8940 is a great, omnibus-type energy bill that has a lot of positive
aspects to
it. Unfortunately, since the sponsor (MOA Tonko) has since moved on to
NYSERDA and
the bill has not been picked up by another member of the Assembly, it
doesn't appear
to be a "live" bill at this time.
In addition to the 80 by 50 bill your group plans to lobby on, the following
additional pieces of legislation might be of interest for your committee's
consideration (and have a fairly good chance of moving this session):
Climate Change Solutions Act & Fund (2 bills but must pass together):
http://www.eany.org/capitolwatch/memos/2007/015.html
Green Building Construction Act:
http://www.eany.org/capitolwatch/memos/2007/008.html
Lighting Efficiency Standards:
http://www.eany.org/capitolwatch/memos/2007/058.html
Climate Change Task Force (passed both houses last year, but vetoed by
Governor
Spitzer):
http://www.eany.org/capitolwatch/memos/2007/016.html
In addition to these, there could be some very good carbon cap-type
legislation
coming down the pipe (but no bill #'s yet/not yet officially introduced),
so keep in
touch as your group moves forward.
And, as always, don't hesitate to reach out with any questions. Keep up
the good work!
Happy New Year
Jackson Morris
Government Affairs Associate
Environmental Advocates of New York
353 Hamilton St
Albany, NY 12210
(518) 462-5526 ext 233
(518) 427-0381 fax
jmo...@eany.org
www.eany.org
Stephanie
The Climate Change Act and Fund look solid. Thanks for getting that
figured out, Fil!