| It’s Maryland Day!Celebrate Maryland’s Heritage by Protecting its Future As we celebrate Maryland Day, we are taking the time to honor our state’s rich history and cultural heritage. Maryland LCV is working diligently to ensure that our priority bills are enacted and that crucial climate solutions funding remains in the state budget. This day reminds us of our responsibility to protect the air, water, and land that have sustained communities in Maryland for thousands of years, and we need your help to make this happen. Maryland LCV’s ongoing priority bills this session include:the Whole Watershed Act(HB 1165 / SB 0969), which aims to revolutionize Maryland’s watershed restoration efforts through coordinated, science-based strategies; the EmPOWER reform bill(HB 864), which seeks to transform Maryland’s energy efficiency landscape while prioritizing equity and sustainability; legislation to remove manufacturing exemptions from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act (GGRA) (HB990) to ensure all sectors contribute equitably to Maryland’s climate goals; and the “Brighter Tomorrow Act”(HB1435 / SB783), which aims to accelerate Maryland’s solar energy adoption through strategic incentives.You can take action to support these bills today! Our “Action Alert” section in this email allows you to take quick, decisive action to tell your representatives to pass these bills! As it’s currently written, Maryland LCV still stands in opposition to the Critical Infrastructure Streamlining Act of 2024 (SB 474 / HB 579), also known as the data center bill. Critical amendments must be added to support Maryland’s environmental justice and climate pollution reduction goals. We believe that the data industry should partner with Maryland in meeting our goals to reduce climate emissions, and we urge our legislators to vote unfavorably on this bill without the necessary amendments. Governor Moore’s allocation of $90 million in the state’s proposed 2025 budget to implement the landmark Climate Solutions Now Act and the Maryland Pollution Reduction Plan is a critical down payment to jumpstart pollution reduction practices and advance our state’s ambitious climate goals. We are grateful that the Senate has kept this funding intact and urge the House to do so as well. The Maryland General Assembly must approve the budget without redirecting this essential climate solutions funding. We have also made progress toward our goal of raising $25,000 to power our strategic advocacy campaign, thanks to the generous support of members. This support is fueling our efforts to support good legislation, stand up against bad legislation this session, and protect state funding for climate solutions. We need to keep the pressure on all the way through April 8 – the last day of the 2024 legislative session. And we still need your help! Your gift will immediately be put to work in our direct advocacy efforts, “patch-thru” calls to legislators, paid digital ads, legislator and press outreach, and amplified grassroots activity. Donate today and help us pass critical environmental legislation this year! On this Maryland Day, we invite you to join us in celebrating our state’s legacy of environmental stewardship by supporting our efforts to protect and preserve our natural resources for future generations. Time is tight, and the stakes are big. We need your help to protect climate funding in Maryland and push our priority environmental bills across the finish line. Please consider pitching in today to support climate solutions and help us continue our fight for a healthy environment for all Marylanders. |
| Maryland Day As we approach Maryland Day, a time to commemorate our state’s rich history and cultural heritage, Maryland LCV invites you to join us for a special Friday Digest webinar on March 22, 2024. We’ll be discussing how our work to promote climate action aligns with the spirit of Maryland Day and the importance of preserving our state’s natural resources for future generations. During this webinar, our Political Director, Kristen Harbeson, will provide updates on our priority legislation and explain how they contribute to Maryland’s ambitious climate goals. We will also have a special guest, Nell Ziehl, Chief for the Office of Planning, Education and Outreach of the Maryland Historical Trust, who will demonstrate the importance of preserving our Maryland heritage through climate action. Click here to join at noon via zoom. See all our Friday Digests here on our YouTube playlist. |
| Celebrating Women’s History Month |
| Maryland LCV Priority: Tell your Legislator: No pollution exemptions for Data Centers! Update: This bill has passed out of the Senate without critical amendments. Delegates need to hear from you. Data centers power our everyday lives, and the surging demand for data centers raises critical environmental and community concerns. The Maryland General Assembly is currently considering legislation, the Critical Infrastructure Streamlining Act of 2024 (SB 474/ HB 579) which just passed out of the Senate and is now in the House. While this is aimed at enhancing our tech infrastructure, it skirts essential community engagement and environmental oversight and does not support our climate goals. This bill needs a critical amendment to support Maryland’s environmental justice and climate pollution reductions goals. We are running out of time to make sure these essential protections are added. Take action today! Maryland LCV Priority: Tell your Legislator: Pass The Brighter Tomorrow Act Update: While this bill has not received a vote in either chamber yet, your legislators need to hear from you in order to get it across the finish line this session. The “Brighter Tomorrow” Act (HB1435/SB783) is crucial for Maryland to realign its solar energy incentives towards more sustainable and community-friendly development practices. By focusing on preferred siting and extending benefits to low-and-moderate-income households, this ensures Maryland’s solar energy expansion is equitable, economically viable, and aligns with the state’s climate goals. Take Action for the Brighter Tomorrow Act! |
| Maryland LCV Priority: Tell your Legislator: We need a whole watershed approach to restore the Chesapeake! Update: This bill was voted out of the senate (44-0) and is now in the House Environment and Transportation committee. The Whole Watershed Act (WWA) draws inspiration from successful models in neighboring states to prioritize best practices that refocus efforts on improving the health of our shallow waters and habitats with benefits for the surrounding communities in our Chesapeake Bay watershed. This innovative approach aims to overcome the fragmented efforts of the past, streamlining restoration in watersheds across Maryland’s varied landscapes. Tell your legislators to support the Whole Watershed Act! Transforming Maryland’s Energy Efficiency Program to Fulfill Maryland’s Climate Plan Update: This bill was passed out of the House (99-35) and is now in the Senate. Your Senator needs to hear from you to make sure this bill passes this session! The fastest and most affordable way to lower our energy usage is to make our homes, businesses, and communities more energy efficient. Maryland has a program in place, EmPOWER, that helps Marylanders increase the efficiency of buildings and decrease the amount of energy used. A bill introduced this session (HB864) expands EmPOWER’s successful discounts and rebates for energy audits, weatherization, and efficient appliances by adding new incentives for switching to efficient electric appliances and heating, along with setting pollution reduction targets. It also has a distinct environmental justice lens that allows more Marylanders, especially those that are underserved and underrepresented, to take advantage of these programs. Take Action to Expand the EmPOWER Program! |
| 2024 Hotlists |
| Each week during the legislative session, Maryland LCV presents the “Hot List” — a detailed list of environmental legislation moving through the Maryland General Assembly. We share this publication with all legislators in the Maryland General Assembly. We also make it publicly available on our website. |
| We’re Hiring!Check out our job description as we look to add to our team a Development Manager |
| Conservation BitesMaryland LCV in the News: Inside Climate News: Controversial Maryland Data Center Bill Tests Governor’s Climate Credentials, Environmentalists SayIn case you missed it: WATCH: Executive Director Kim Coble on WBAL-TV 11 NewsBiden’s regulators issue long-awaited rule meant to drive electric car sales, Politico reportsWant to know more about what “crossover” is? Check out our explainer video we made a few years ago and a bonus cake recipe! |
| Upcoming EventsEach Friday at noon during the January – April Maryland General Assembly session, we give members a legislative update, Friday Digest, via Zoom to talk through pressing legislative issues, our strategy for the General Assembly, and potential hurdles to achieving our legislative goals for the environment. Register now for the Senatorial Candidate Forum on the Environment at Goucher College on April 2. |
Maryland United for Peace and Justice 