The 2020 Maryland legislative session was cut short due to the coronavirus situation and ended on March 18. Here is a report on the status of Sierra Club priority bills.  You can also read a summary of testimonies that Sierra Club provided on various bills.

In the 2020 session of the Maryland General Assembly, the Sierra Club is prioritizing new important actions to fight the climate crisis, and the burgeoning problems of plastic pollution. The General Assembly’s 2020 session runs from January 8 to April 6.

Climate Action

In Maryland, the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases are the transportation and power generation sectors. In 2019, we helped pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act – for 50% renewable energy by 2030 – and legislation for Maryland to join the Transportation and Climate Initiative – whose goal is to establish aggressive, region-wide strategies to reduce transportation’s carbon footprint. These were significant victories, but much more needs to be done.

Priority bills for the 2020 session

• Just Transition Off of Coal. (House Bill 1545/Senate Bill 887) Maryland continues to burn coal at six electricity-generating plants, which massively pollute our climate, air, and waters. The coal plants emit the carbon equivalent of over two million cars each year!  This bill will establish a firm timetable for phasing these plants out, and provide financial assistance to impacted workers and communities. Coal Transition Fact Sheet |  Write your legislators that we need to move Beyond Coal

• Climate-Based Decisionmaking by the Public Service Commission (PSC) (House Bill 531 / Senate Bill 656). The PSC has significant authority over how electricity is generated in Maryland, including approving all new plants. Yet, the PSC does not consider our state climate goals in its decisionmaking. Under this bill, the PSC will now be required to do this.  PSC fact sheet   |   Write your legislators to support Climate-Based Decisionmaking

• Funding Public Transit and Opposing Huge Highway Expansions. Promoting public transit is one of the keys to transforming our transportation sector. This bill (House Bill 368/ Senate Bill 424). will remedy the funding gap for the Maryland Transit Agency. A second bill will tighten controls on the “public-private partnership” funding mechanism Governor Hogan is relying upon to expand the Capital Beltway and I-270.  (House Bill 1424) Transit Fact Sheet |  P3 Reform Fact Sheet  |  Write to your legislators in support of the Public Transit bill |  Write your legislators in support of P3 reform bill.  

• Ban almost all disposable plastic shopping bags, require payments for other disposable bags, and initiate a work group to study and make recommendations on additional actions to reduce plastic waste (House Bill 209 / Senate Bill 313).  Our world is being overwhelmed by plastic waste.  On our present course, for example, there likely will be more plastic in the oceans than fish by weight within 30 years. Maryland took an important step in 2019 by banning most disposable foam food containers. This legislation is the next step.  Plastic Bag Ban Fact Sheet   |   Write to your legislators to Ban Plastic Bags  Sierra Club Webinar on the bill  Slides from the webinar  Answers to questions from the webinar  Sierra Club written testimony on HB 209

• Other important climate bills we are supporting include: fixing problems with the state’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act; authorizing local governments to establish their own “community choice” energy plans; ending state financial support for energy generated from incinerators and the burning of black liquor (paper mill waste); expanding support for rooftop solar; and converting bus fleets to electric buses.

Lobby Night 2020 was a wonderful event!

275 activists attended 130 meetings to speak with our Maryland legislators in person. Thank you to everyone who attended. Read about how Lobby Night 2020 went from Legislative Intern Stephanie Wagner’s perspective

Want to Join our Legislative Team?

The Sierra Club needs people like YOU to help us achieve success in Annapolis. There are many opportunities to get involved, including:

• Write to your legislators using the Sierra Club’s Action Alerts (found on this website);

• Participate in events in Annapolis, such as our annual Lobby Night and our lobbying activity on Opening Day of the General Assembly;

• Plan events like house parties, movie nights, and more;

• Represent and help organize your legislative district to lobby your legislators; and

• Grow our advocacy base by telephoning, tabling, and doing other outreach.