“Enviro” Groups Push 5 Bills in NY Legislature, One Bans Fracking

| | | | |

A coalition of so-called "environmental" groups in New York—the Sierra Club, Environmental Advocates of New York, the New York League of Conservation Voters and the New York Public Interest Research Group among them—are attempting to push five bills through the New York legislature at the last minute/end-of-session that if passed, would rig the system and stack the deck in their favor. Among the bills is the ubiquitous "ban all fracking" bill that all NY lefties dream about…

A coalition of environmental groups have marked a series of five bills as major priorities for the rest of New York’s legislative session, including a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing and another that would invest more in solar energy.

Another bill, on its surface, is a bit of surprise. The environmental organizations are making a push for campaign-finance reform, a change they said would help their push for green issues that have faced pushback from corporations and major political players.

Roger Downs, conservation director of the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, said he believes changes to the state’s campaign finance system should be viewed as an environmental issue “now more than ever.”

“Year after year the environmental community has watched key legislative priorities die in Albany because of the millions of dollars in industry lobbying expenses and campaign contributions that insulate decision-makers from doing the right thing,” Downs said.

The five environmental bills are being backed by Environmental Advocates of New York, the New York League of Conservation Voters and the New York Public Interest Research Group, among others.

The other legislation? A two-year moratorium on hydrofracking, a long-term solar energy plan that would boost the state’s investment through 2023, tougher regulation on chemicals used in children’s products and a phase-out of products made with said chemicals, and a lower limit on greenhouse gas emissions.*

    *Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle (Apr 5, 2013) – Enviros backing 5 “Super Bills” for end-of-session push