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Beacon Hill Weekly Roundup - 3/27/09
Jack Clarke, Director of Public Policy & Government Relations
Jennifer Ryan, Assistant Director for Legislative Affairs
This Week:
Lights Out Boston!
Tomorrow marks the official start of Lights Out Boston! Beginning tomorrow night until May 31, forty-seven of Boston's most prominent tall buildings will dim or extinguish internal lighting between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. each night. Thanks to everyone participating this year in this conservation initiative that saves birds and energy!
Congress Approves Taunton Wild and Scenic!
Congress has passed legislation adding the Taunton River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system. Once President Obama signs the bill, this designation will protect the river's 40 miles of free-flowing waters -- the longest undammed coastal river in New England -- and will ensure it is managed to enhance its outstanding values. See the press release for more information.
Legislative Updates
Bills Assigned to Committees All legislative bills for this session have now been assigned to committees, and are available online. Listings are broken up into Senate and House filings, and include brief descriptions and sponsors. See our updated Mass Audubon Legislative Priorities for bill numbers. Ownership of DCR Bridges and Parkways In partnership with several other environmental groups, Mass Audubon appealed to members of the Senate to reject a transportation reform package that transfers ownership of all Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) bridges and parkways. Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston) filed an amendment, which did not pass, that would have stopped the transfer. Under the current Senate recommendation, the newly-formed organization MassTrans would take ownership of these DCR assets. Mass Audubon does not support this transfer as we believe that these parkways and bridges are part of our parks and should be managed as such. We are concerned that such a change would be detrimental to many of our naturally and historically valuable park systems. Look for an Action Alert targeted to the House of Representatives, which takes up the bill shortly, early next week. FY10 State Budget Recommendations Mass Audubon submitted budget recommendations for Fiscal Year 2010 to the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means. In light of the current fiscal situation, we recommend level funding from Fiscal Year 2009, pre-budget cuts. In his FY10 budget proposal, the Governor proposed that accounts be consolidated. We oppose this idea, as consolidation reduces program integrity and budgetary transparency.
Ocean Management for the Bay State
The Massachusetts Ocean Management Act was recently signed into law by Governor Patrick as a first-in-the-nation effort to manage state ocean waters. Mass Audubon was appointed by the Governor to the 17-member Ocean Advisory Commission to represent the Commonwealth's environmental interests and work with the administration to write the ocean plan. As a founding co-chair of the Massachusetts Ocean Coalition, we provide details on ocean management progress at our web site: www.massoceanaction.org. And, as partners to the Massachusetts Ocean Partnership, additional details are available at: www.massoceanpartnership.org.
Calendar
The Great Marsh Symposium: A Coastal Treasure in our Backyard
Saturday, April 11, 2009
8:30 a.m.-- 2:30 p.m.
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters
6 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport
$15, registration required
To register, please call 978-462-9998, or download a registration form. The Environmental League of Massachusetts will host a series of environmental and legislative briefings over the next few months, co-hosted by Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters and the Massachusetts Environmental Collaborative. All hearings will be in room 348 in the State House. Environmental Budget
Thursday, April 16, 2009
10:00 a.m. These are lean times for all agencies in the Commonwealth, but especially for environmental programs. The "Green Budget FY '10" will be discussed: what have we cut and what have we lost?
Presenters: Mass Audubon and Environmental League of Massachusetts
Safer Alternatives
Thursday, April 30, 2009
10:00 a.m.
A wide array of toxic chemicals we encounter in our everyday lives contribute to an epidemic of chronic diseases, including asthma, birth defects, and cancer. Yet many of the most toxic chemicals can safely and cost-effectively be replaced with alternatives. Join a discussion of the "Safer Alternatives" bill (SB442; Sen. Steven Tolman and Rep. Jay Kaufman).
Presenter: Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow Land Conservation
Thursday, May 14, 2009
10:00 a.m.
Massachusetts loses 40 acres of open space a day to development. Ironically, some of it is disposed of by municipal and state government. How do we respect municipal needs while preserving open space? Come learn about the Public Lands Preservation Act ("PLPA") (SB396; Sen. Jamie Eldridge and Rep. Ruth Balser). Other bills may be discussed and updates to the schedule will be posted in the Roundup.
Presenters: Mass Audubon and the Massachusetts Chapter of the Sierra Club
Please contact us if you have any questions at: action@massaudubon.org.
About The Beacon Hill Weekly Roundup
The Beacon Hill Weekly Roundup tracks the legislative priorities of Mass Audubon, focusing on the protection of the nature of Massachusetts. We encourage you to forward this newsletter to friends, family, and colleagues and to enlist their support.
If you are not already a member of Mass Audubon's Action Network, we encourage you to join by filling out our online form or by e-mailing us. Membership dues provide vital support for Mass Audubon's advocacy work on Beacon Hill and across the state. If you are not already a Mass Audubon member please join today.
Legislative Tool Kit
Stay In Touch
Senators and Representatives need to hear from their constituents! Contact your legislators and share with them the environmental issues that are important to you.
Find out who represents you in the Senate and House.
Senate and House Sessions Go Live
Consistent with the theme that decision-makers act differently when they know they are being watched, House and Senate sessions are now available on live webcast. Tune in to view live web stream broadcastings of the Senate and House and watch as the Massachusetts legislative process unfolds!
Current Legislation
Access the text of current legislation, bill histories and Massachusetts General Law by visiting one site. We encourage you to visit The General Court's website frequently as it is an important tool for conservation advocates like you!
How to Lobby
Discover effective ways to convey your environmental interests to your Senator or Representative.
View Mass Audubon’s How to Lobby document, and get started now!
How the Law is Made
Learn about the steps a bill takes before becoming law. You can also use our graphic charts to guide you through the life of a bill, from when it is first filed, to when it is signed into law.
 Mass Audubon Advocacy
6 Beacon Street, Suite 1025
Boston, MA 02108
617-523-8448 (phone)
617-523-4183 (fax)
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