From The Jersey Sierran, July - September 2022
Legislative Committee Update
By John Kashwick, john.kashwick@newjersey.sierraclub.org
The 2022-2023 session of the NJ Legislature began in January. The NJ Chapter of the Sierra Club has so far taken positions on 24 pending bills and resolutions.
Chapter members are encouraged to ask their assembly members and state senators to support the following legislation:
ACR72/SCR15—Would amend the NJ Constitution (aka The Green Amendment) to make the state trustee of public natural resources and guarantee the people certain environmental rights.
A1282/S759—Would require the NJ Department of Environmental Protection to implement an electric school bus program, supported by grant funding of $15 million in each of the first three years, subject to availability.
A2065/S2363—Would exempt food banks and food pantries from restrictions on providing plastic and paper carryout bags.
S336—Would establish the Office of Clean Energy Equity in the Board of Public Utilities (BPU).
A1733/S416—Would require state pension and annuity funds to divest from 200 largest publicly traded fossil fuel companies and prohibit further such investments.
S417—Would require environmental sustainability plan for State House Complex.
SR67—Would urge Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to continue prohibiting harvest of female horseshoe crabs.
A1438/S2196—Maximum penalty for certain asbestos hazard abatement violations would be increased and the extra money would be allocated to asbestos programs.
A1439—Would mandate that each solid waste management district develop a strategy to reduce food waste.
A1447/S429—Corporation business tax and gross income tax credits would be earmarked for purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging stations and for commercial zero emission vehicle fleet conversions.
A2235/S2187—Certain retailers would be prohibited from use of shipping boxes greater than two times volume of product being shipped.
A659/S1005—Would allow common law public nuisance suits regarding lead paint under state law and exempt attorney general from certain aspects of public nuisance claims when pursuing lead paint actions.
S199—DEP would establish a “private wildlife habitat certification program” and create an affirmative defense against municipal nuisance ordinances for properties certified under the program.
S431—Would direct BPU to update interconnection standards for Class I renewable energy sources and develop a fixed fee structure for interconnection costs.
S437—Sale and use of gas-powered leaf blowers in New Jersey would be prohibited.
A3149/S438—Would change entity responsible for management of NJ School of Conservation to nonprofit organization and direct state Department of Energy to request funding for center annually.
S1602—Regulation of greenhouse gas emissions would be authorized under Air Pollution Control Act (1954) and Global Warming Response Act.
A1957/S907—Liberty State Park Protection Act (See letter to editor in electronic supplement.)
S1530—Would require state and county hazard mitigation plans to include climate change-related threat assessments and hazard prevention and mitigation strategies.
A3677/S2186—Sale, distribution, or propagation of certain invasive plant species without permit from Department of Agriculture would be prohibited.
The NJ Chapter opposes the following bills and encourages members to ask their assembly members and state senators to vote down this legislation:
A642/S1369—Concerns use of steel slag as an aggregate.
A2234—Would allow business tax credits for certain deliveries of low carbon concrete and for costs of conducting environmental analyses of the low carbon concrete delivered.
S1683—The “Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act” would be suspended until the state establishes dedicated funding for land preservation, among other provisions.
S2371—This would allow certain large food waste generators to send food waste to sanitary landfill facilities for purpose of generating Class I renewable energy.
To find your legislator please visit https://bit.ly/3wq3Vvc. For Chapter updates on bills, please visit www.sierraclub.org/new-jersey/political-action
For questions on Chapter positions on various bills, please contact Legislative Committee Chair John Kashwick at john.kashwick@newjersey.sierraclub.org