By Paul Shorb
If you are concerned about climate change, please call, email, and/or tweet at Gov. Baker ASAP, urging him to sign S.2995 into law. Click here to read a summary of the bill issued by State Sen. Mike Barrett, co-chair of the conference committee.
You can phrase your message any way you want; it’s enough to say that you care a lot about climate change and want him to sign this bill ASAP. Here are the key touchpoints:
Email Gov. Baker using this portal or call his office (617-725-4005) during business hours to leave a voicemail. If you use Twitter, tag him using his Twitter handle, @MassGovernor. Consider using some of these hashtags: #ClimateRoadMap #ClimateBillWithTeeth #NextGenerationRoadmap bill #ActOnClimate #MApoli. You could aim a similar message at his Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary, Kathleeen Theoharides, using @ClimateKatie and @EEASecretary.
Why do this:
- This is a good climate bill! It was reported out January 3 by the conference committee, and includes most of the best parts of the House and Senate bills. It’s not perfect, but it’s a great step forward for now. By enacting and implementing this bill, Massachusetts can help lead the nation where we need to go to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
-
Sen. Barrett and others are warning that there is substantial uncertainty about whether Gov. Baker will sign the climate bill. If Baker doesn’t sign it by Jan. 14, it dies. The most likely sticking point is the bill’s emissions reduction target for 2030, which is a bit more aggressive than the target chosen by the Baker administration in the plan it recently released (i.e., a 50% reduction from 1990 emission levels, rather than the 45% in the Baker plan). The administration has expressed concern that the 50% goal may adversely affect the state’s economy. However, Massachusetts’ biggest industry group (AIM) has come out in support of the bill, and climate advocates believe that moving away from fossil fuels will actually help the state’s economy.
-
There’s good reason to think that enough calls and emails to Baker will have an impact. As the happy results from the Georgia Senate races remind us, it’s all about turnout! Democracy is not a spectator sport — please do what you can today! Thank you.
”My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.
Leave a Reply