CLIMATE LEGISLATION
HoCo Climate Action members work hard to get climate-related legislation passed at the local, state and national level. We sign petitions, organize sign-on letters, testify at hearings, submit written testimony, attend rallies, and, when necessary, get arrested. #GoodTrouble
Resource - Navigating the MD General Assembly website
The Climate Partner's Platform - A Year of Climate Action
HoCo Climate Action's tracked Maryland Climate Bills 2021
Energy bills: PSC Climate Test, Community Choice Energy, end black liquor subsidies passed and became law without the governor's signature; end incineration subsidies failed in a House committee.
Transportation bills: Transit Safety and Investment Act passed but the governor vetoed it; Zero-emission Bus Transition Act passed became law without the governor's signature; electric school bus pilot program passed only in the House..
Zero waste bills: Plastic Bag Reduction Act passed only in the House; single-use plastics failed in a House committee; EPR packaging and chemical "recycling" failed.
Environmental justice bills: Reforms to the Environmental Justice Commission passed and became law without the governor's signature. Article about the Environmental Justice Commission
Session reviews:
2020 General Assembly session cut short
The Maryland General Assembly session ended on March 16, 2020 nearly three weeks early, because of the coronavirus pandemic. Regrettably, none of our top bills passed. CCAN's summary of the session is here, Maryland Sierra Club's summary is here and the Maryland Clean Energy Center comprehensive assessment is here.
This section is under construction.