League of Woman Voters of Northampton Area

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Pioneer Valley Women’s March: 3rd annual

PIONEER VALLEY WOMEN’S MARCH

“The Pioneer Valley Women’s March is more than just a protest march, it’s an event that brings together women and allies for the betterment of us all,” wrote Jeannete Rivera of Chicopee, the regional outreach director of the march in a statement.  “We want to call attention to the needs of the marginalized, offer support, and to provide a space for collective action.”

The focus will call for climate action as well as justice and equality for women and gender-oppressed people.

EVENTS

11:00 a.m. Gather at Northgate Plaza, 1985 Main Street, Springfield

11:00 – noon Music and speakers

Noon. March begins.

March ends at Springfield City Hall, 38 Court Street with a rally, activist fair and yoga for activists.

100th Anniversary Book Group

Join us at the Lilly Library on January 12, from 3 – 5.  We will select a new book to read from our book list.

100th Anniversary BOOK GROUP

Find additional information, book lists, and events in the top menu bar under 100th Anniversary.

CANCELLED:Next meeting at Lilly Library, Florence: Thursday, March 26, 2020, 6:30 – 8:00 pm. We will discuss The Daring Ladies of Lowell, by Kate Alcott.Book List

Book selection for November/December, 2019

Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote, Susan Ware

Book selection for October/November, 2019

The LWV 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage Book Group met Thursday, November 7 at Lilly Library in Florence.  We had a lively 2nd discussion of The Woman’s Hour:  The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine Weiss.  Although this well-researched book centered around the approval of the 19th Amendment by the final state, Tennessee, the author wove in the history of the entire suffrage movement from the 1840s through the 1920s.  We found the book to be informative, interesting, and especially exciting in the final chapters.

Our group particularly noticed common threads between the experience in Tennessee and issues of today, for instance:

-factionalism

-competing groups who have the same goal but difficulty working together

-gerrymandering

-discrimination against people of color – particularly African Americans

-cultural restrictions for women in work and public life

-the intersection with history of the time, namely the Civil War, the Gold Rush, the Industrial Revolution, participation of women in World War I

We noted the dedication of those who joined the movement for women’s suffrage considering the difficulties of travel and communication at the time.  

We wondered:

-Where did their funding come from?

-How did they convince the men who had the vote to include them in voting rights?

-What was it about the Suffrage Leaders that gave them the inspiration and will to continue the fight over generations?E

An Act to Promote Green Infrastructure and Reduce Carbon Emissions

H2810 and S2018 are carbon pricing bills for MA have generated more than 100 cosponsors.

Representative Benson’s description of her bill, H2810:

In 2008, Massachusetts passed the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) and pledged to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. This bill puts a price on carbon emissions to incentivize a move toward renewable energy and help us meet or exceed the GWSA emissions target. 

70% of the collected price is rebated to consumers and businesses, and 30% is dedicated to a Green Infrastructure Fund for local investments in renewable energy projects that will further reduce emissions and stimulate the economy. 

There are built in protections for low and middle-income households, those who live in rural areas, and export-driven manufacturers.

What should I say?

Write to the chairs of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy. 

Michael Barrett, Senate Chair. Mike.Barrett@masenate.gov 24 Beacon St., Room 109-D, Boston, MA 02133

Thomas Golden, House Chair. Thomas.Golden@mahouse.gov 24 Beacon St., Room 473B, Boston, MA 02133    

 I urge you to hold a hearing on this important bill H2810/S2018, which would result in carbon emissions reductions at the scale large enough to reach our climate goals for 2050.  I urge you to move H2810/S2018 out of committee and to the floor for a vote this legislative session.  There is large support for passage of this bill in the Pioneer Valley, led by Representatives Blais, Sabadosa, Carey, and Domb, and Senators Comerford and Humason.

An Act Relative to GreenWorks

H.3997 is the latest number given to An Act Relative to Greenworks, a bill supported by Speaker DeLeo. Below is the testimony presented by LWVMA which describes the importance of the bill to fund resilience and adaptation measures at the municipal and regional level.  Note that in Launa’s testimony, she writes that the focus of the bill is on adaptation and improved resiliency against climate change. Very important, but not enough.  She goes on to emphasize the importance of mitigation – removing the root causes of climate change. She wrote, “Supporting the GreenWorks bill and the comprehensive climate change legislation that has been filed is a step the legislature must take this session.” (my emphasis).

Testimony submitted to the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy In support of
H.3846 An Act relative to GreenWorks
By Launa Zimmaro, LWVMA Climate Change and Energy Specialist
June 18, 2019

The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts supports H.3846 and welcomes this important bill from the House intended to address the impacts of climate change, already evident and expected to increase at an accelerated and exponential rate. 

It is particularly important that, in his February 2019 announcement of the GreenWorks proposal, Speaker DeLeo said this proposal is “not meant to supplant any other ideas that are out there.” This statement opens a door to bi-partisan, bi-camera and gubernatorial collaboration on the climate emergency that is the greatest threat facing our civilization. Knowing the vulnerability of coastal states, the Governor is working to fund adaptation measures. The Governor is also working to mitigate climate change through the Commonwealth’s engagement regionally with partner states in the Transportation and Climate Initiative, focused on curbing emissions from the transportation sector – the largest source of global warming greenhouse gas emissions in the state and region. Given the excellent climate change bills pending in the Legislature this session, as last, having this major GreenWorks bill from the House presents a welcome opportunity for a united and determined effort to address the climate emergency. 

As written, H.3846 provides a mechanism for funding mitigation, resilience and adaptation measures at the municipal level, with a strong tilt toward funding for adaptation. While there is no doubt that adaptation measures are needed, they can be compared to an ambulance at an automobile race, necessary but not sufficient to deal with the climate crisis. We need mitigation. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and mitigation strategies are the closest we can come to prevention in the age of climate change. At this very late stage in the deadly warming of our earth—a process that cannot be reversed, only stemmed—what is desperately needed are the strongest possible preventative measures to bring down emissions, working in concert with efforts to strengthen infrastructure and resilience to reduce the severity of the impact. 

We must band together to address this crisis. If you care about clean air, clean water, and healthy soils, you are an environmentalist whether you claim that label or not. But this is not about environmentalism. This is a about a crisis that requires a large-scale, robust and rapid response to a circumstance that threatens every aspect of our lives – our health, our food system, our economy, our children, life itself. The kind of response government is designed for and meant to provide. We have the tools. We have the means. School children are taking to the streets because they care about this issue. We cannot and should not expect our children to clean up our mess. We need to join them in this fight as the only responsible and right thing to do. 

Supporting the GreenWorks bill and the comprehensive climate change legislation that has been filed is a step the legislature must take this session. The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, representing 47 local leagues from Cape Cod to the Berkshires, asks this committee and the entire legislature to take action now. 

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H.3997 unanimously passed the House in September, ’19 and was sent to the Senate Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets.

Write to the Chair of the Senate Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets.

Michael Moore is the Senate Chair: Michael.Moore@masenate.gov 24 Beacon St., Room 109-B, Boston, MA02133

Message: Urge the Chair to move the bill favorably out of this committee and to the Senate for continued refinement. We have the tools to address the climate crisis.  We have the means.  Speed is imperative.  Pass the GreenWorks bill this session.

An Act to create a 2050 roadmap to a clean and thriving Commonwealth

H.832 is a major, extremely important bill for creating a roadmap with verifiable goals that would be periodically assessed and adjusted to ensure that we meet our energy goals for 2050.  This excellent testimony by Launa Zimmaro explains the objectives of the bill and why it must be passed with record speed. 

 Testimony submitted to the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture In support of H.832, An Act to create a 2050 roadmap to a clean and thriving Commonwealth By Launa Zimmaro, LWVMA Climate Change and Energy Specialist
May 14, 2019 

The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts supports H.832 as an essential reboot of the 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act. As an implementation measure for the GWSA, H.832 establishes clear guidelines and requirements consistent with current science and the accelerating pace of climate change. The League of Women Voters has long championed protections and policies to ensure the well-being and health of the public and the environment, which are inextricably linked. Recent climate change reports make it clear that the ecosystem is already severely affected by climate change and that increasingly worse impacts lay ahead. The need to act is urgent. But urgent action must be thoughtful and systematic, as well as timely. 

Remodeling our current energy economy is critically overdue for any chance of a livable future. We need this roadmap to guide that remodeling. 

The League supports H.832 because it: 

  • Provides carbon emissions targets consistent with current science calling for net zero emissions by 2050; 
  • Offers a comprehensive framework, encompassing all sectors of the economy and sources of emissions; 
  • Incorporates time-limited periods of analysis, planning and reporting to ensure that objectives are met or adjusted; 
  • Incorporates clear expectations and consideration of the impact of actions on low- and moderate- income populations and jobs; 
  • Encourages evaluation of multiple, viable options for getting to net zero emissions by 2020; 
  • Requires development of a comprehensive package of regulations by 2022; 
  • Allows for a full range of market-based carbon pricing mechanisms; 
  • Generates income for implementation through assessment of fees on largest pollution emitters; 
  • Sends a clear market signal for action by eliminating the sunset clause. 

We have the technology and expertise to respond to the scope, scale, and pace of actions needed to mitigate the worst-case scenarios presented in climate reports. The only question is whether we have the will. Passage of H.832 would be a strong indication that Massachusetts is willing to take on this daunting challenge. 

Addressing climate change to protect the public’s health and well-being and the ecosystem that we all rely upon is a critical function of good government. The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, representing 47 local Leagues from Cape Cod to the Berkshires, urges this Committee to give its full support to passage of H.832. 

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H.832 was reported favorably out of the House Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee and sent to the House Ways and Means Committee.

Write to your Representative and ask him/her to urge the Ways and Means Committee to favorably move H832 out of committee and to the House for a vote.

There are many talking points in the testimony above, particularly in the last two paragraphs.

Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa Lindsay.sabadosa@mahouse.gov 24 Beacon St., Room 443, Boston, MA 02133

Rep. Dan Carey. Daniel.carey@mahouse.gov 24 Beacon St., Room 33, Boston, MA 02133

Rep. Mindy Domb. mindy.domb@mahouse.gov 24 Beacon St, Room 134, Boston, MA 02133

Rep. Natalie Blais. Natalie.Blais@mahouse.gov 24 Beacon St., Room 134, Boston, MA 02133

An Act to Transition Massachusetts to 100% Renewable Energy by 2050

S.1958/H2836 is a large, comprehensive bill that tackles the climate crisis with big, structural changes across all sectors of the state economy. At our November 2nd meeting Senator Jo Comerford explained why she liked this bill. Then she told us she is more excited about a big new Senate omnibus bill, still in the writing stage, that contains many of the action items in S1958, plus more.  Jo had hoped that the omnibus bill would be finished this year.  After the meeting, she told me that it will not be released until sometime next year.

However, I think it is very important to write in support of this bill and remind the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy that these big, structural changes must occur- with unprecedented speed.  When you read the highlights in the LWVMA testimony below, you’ll see why this bill is so important.  I especially like:                                                                       * The creation of a Clean Energy Workforce Development Fund for training, education and job placement.  Our next meeting will focus on building efficiency. Training a clean energy workforce to retrofit old buildings and to construct highly energy efficient buildings will require state resources.                                                                                                                                               * The last item in the list below is important because it will work to create some transparency in agencies like the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and the Department of Public Utilities.  It calls for the creation of an interagency working group to evaluate all state laws and regulations that affect energy consumption and propose changes to focus on and accelerate the transition to renewable energy. This interagency working group should include scientists who can ensure that all laws and regulations will be based on current climate science.  And, hopefully, all decisions will be made public and open for public comments.

Testimony submitted to the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy In support of
S.1958/H.2836 An Act transitioning Massachusetts to 100 per cent renewable energy By Launa Zimmaro, LWVMA Climate Change and Energy Specialist
July 23, 2019

The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts supports S.1958/H.2836 this session as we did its precursors in the last session, which were sent to study. 

This bill is back with even stronger support from advocacy groups and legislators in both the House and Senate, with more than double the number of co-sponsors for this session’s bill. Advocacy groups supporting 100% renewable energy goals include labor, business, health professionals, faith leaders, good government, environmental justice and environmental organizations. Twelve cities and towns in Massachusetts have already committed to 100% renewable energy goals, and many more are considering adoption. Six states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico have committed to 100% clean electricity; at least six other states are considering similar legislation (as of July 2019). The growing urgency of our situation in relation to accelerated climate change, species extinction and the enormous costs of dealing with the aftermath of monster storms and drought are driving this exponential increase in support.

Establishing 100% renewable energy by 2045 is a crucial driver of change and transition away from fossil fuels. The proposed legislation is a strong, comprehensive bill that exemplifies a holistic, systems’ view approach. Key features include: 

  • Updates targets for reaching 100% based on current science, i.e., reality-based; 
  • Incorporates a system of checks and balances through ongoing and public-facing monitoring and reporting to ensure transparency and that we are on the right track; 
  • Incorporates strong consideration of environmental justice issues; 
  • Prioritizes displaced workers, low-income and communities of color so they benefit from a transition; 
  • Creates a Clean Energy Workforce Development Fund for training, education and job placement, funded by savings from clean energy projects installed on state properties; 
  • Establishes enforceable requirements for accountability and to ensure progress; 
  • Promotes an “all hands on deck” culture through creation of an interagency working group to evaluate all state laws and regulations that affect energy consumption and propose changes to focus on and accelerate the transition to renewable energy. 

Massachusetts is proud of its history and record as a state that embraces innovation, tough challenges and landmark environmental legislation, but we are losing our lead position. As a former member of this legislature has said regarding our first-place status in energy efficiency, “Being better than ‘bad’ is not much of an accomplishment.” The science leaves no doubt: we can and must do better. Our future depends on it. Delaying and deferring serious action only makes our situation more precarious as climate change continues, unabated, on its relentless path. 

The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, representing 47 local leagues from Cape Cod to the Berkshires, asks this committee and the entire legislature to support this legislation this session and move us in the right direction as quickly and thoughtfully as possible. Please do not delay.
Thank you for your consideration.

What should I do?

Write to the chairs of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.   

Michael Barrett, Senate Chair Mike.Barrett@masenate.gov                                                           24 Beacon St., Room 109-D, Boston, MA 02133                                                                                                                              
Thomas Golden, House Chair  Thomas.Golden@mahouse.gov                                                      24 Beacon St., Room 473B, Boston, MA 02133                                                                                                                                

As a member of the League of Women Voters, I urge you to report S1958/H2836 favorably out of committee and work to ensure passage in this session. This comprehensive bill will drive action in all sectors of our economy on a scale large enough to meet the goal of 100% renewable energy by 2045. “The science leaves no doubt: we can and must do better. Our future depends on it. Delaying and deferring serious action only makes our situation more precarious as climate change continues, unabated, on its relentless path.” This comment was part of the testimony at the hearing for this bill by Launa Zimmaro, the climate change and energy specialist for the Massachusetts League of Women Voters.