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Politics and Elections
The state legislative season is heating up, and we are gearing up for a busy end-of-session at the State House. Our priorities were created by local volunteer leaders and we encourage you to get more involved in creating our policies. By working together as neighbors, motivated by common concerns and shared values, we will find legislative solutions and win real improvements in our lives. Please join us this year as we fight to protect Rhode Island’s environment.
2008 Legislative Priorities
The legislative priorities of the Rhode Island Chapter reflect our vision and the issues that we have chosen to work on. The legislation listed below will be create the policies that we are working towards to help RIde the Wave to Energy Independence.
Contact your state legislators and tell them to support this legislation. Click here to get your legislators' contact information.
Support the Global Warming Solutions Act (S2629 - Sosnowski, H7884 - Handy)
The State of Rhode Island needs to regulate the emissions of greenhouse gases from all sectors. This bill will cap global warming pollution by 20% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 and create a reporting mechanism for all sectors of the Rhode Island economy. Rhode Island's global warming bill is the only one in the country that addresses the need to significantly reduce automobile traffic to solve global warming. In this way, Little Rhody is pushing any federal legislation to seriously address vehicle-miles travelled.
Encourage Public Transit.
Speed up bus trips and make it easier for state employees to use public transit. The Act to Advance Bus Rapid Transit (S2077A - Connors, H7264 - Pacheco) will speed up bus trips by authorizing RIPTA buses to extend green lights at intersections. The State Employee Commuter Act (H7377 - Segal, S2881A - Gibbs) will allow state employees to opt out of free parking provided by the State in lieu of alternative modes of transportation. Likewise, the UPass Act (S2158 - Miller, H7857 - Handy) will ensure that all state colleges will allow students and faculty to use their campus ID as a bus pass.
Finance Public Transit.
In order to use the momentum of curbing global warming by increasing public transit ridership, the State must meet the growing demand for public transit by financing RIPTA’s operating budget. In a recent report requested by the Rhode Island Senate, RIPTA reported that it will need an extra $3.5 million in 2008. This investment keeps Rhode Island dollars at home by creating new Rhode Island jobs and reducing our imports of gasoline from oil-producing regions of the world.
Get involved and help make a change by talking to your decision maker about these issues. Contact Chris Wilhite at (401) 521-4734 or chris.wilhite@sierraclub.org if you would like to get involved with Sierra Club’s work at the Rhode Island State House or with the Rhode Island Chapter Political Committee.
Elections
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a summary of this serious and important effort
Contact Information
Rhode Island's Senators and Representatives in Congress
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