In a saga that has been playing out since the close of 2020, this week, both chambers of the Massachusetts legislature passed the Next-Generation Roadmap Climate bill with its vital environmental justice reforms intact! Thank you to Clean Water's members and allies for all the calls, letters, emails, and tweets that helped push our legislative leaders to stand firm. A particular shout out to our youngest members for speaking up for their generation who will be most impacted by our actions today to fight the climate crisis -- we all need to act urgently with YOUR future in mind. We're grateful that Governor Baker's attempts to weaken this bill failed and want to thank the courageous youth leaders who so effectively framed the truth about what is at stake for their generation and those who will follow.
Among the most critical sections of this bill are environmental justice advances that will help protect Massachusetts' most vulnerable communities from further pollution burdens. With the reforms included in this bill, we will have more tools to block additional polluting facility clusters and begin to consider cumulative impacts in protecting black and brown communities and low-income communities from further harm. A big thank you to Representatives Michelle DuBois, Adrian Madaro, and Liz Miranda, and Senators Sal DiDomenico and Jamie Eldridge for their leadership in securing this victory.
Please join us in sending a huge thank you to your Senators and Representatives for pushing back on Governor Baker's pocket veto of this bill and persisting in passing a robust policy.
Governor Baker still has the choice to sign the bill or not, but he can't stop it from moving forward. With veto-proof majorities in both the House and the Senate, this bill will become law. Much work lies ahead, but today we can celebrate a significant step in pushing climate justice forward in Massachusetts!
