Saturday, February 17, 2018

Clean Energy Jobs Bill Lobby and Rally Day

The sun shined brightly in Salem on February 12 for the Clean Energy Jobs Bill Lobby Day and Rally.  It is estimated that over 400 people from all over Oregon come to support legislation to cap greenhouse gas emissions and invest in clean energy jobs.  There was fantastic positive energy on the part of the crowd and the sponsoring  legislators who addressed us.  We all met with our Representatives and Senators urging them to pass legislation in this session.

We had a great North Coast contingent present.  About eight of us visited with Representative Debbie Boone, who strongly supports the concept of capping greenhouse gasses and investing in clean energy jobs.  About sixteen of us were to meet with Senator Betsy Johnson, but unfortunately she had a scheduling conflict.   We also delivered to both of them a signature page of 76 of their constituents who want them to support legislation.

I would urge everyone to write both of them asking for them to pass legislation during this session.  One argument against the measure being proffered is this session is too short to pass complex legislation.  But climate warming isn’t waiting, and neither can we.

Below is a sample letter; feel free to use any or all of it.  This is an excerpt from the letter I wrote to Senator Johnson.


I hope you are in support of the principle of a cap on greenhouse emissions and investment in clean energy jobs.   This has serious import on the local, state, national and global level.

With the federal government not only abdicating its leadership role, but going in the reverse direction to increase the use of fossil fuels, it is all the more important for states to take a leading role.  And Oregon, specifically, should be one of those leaders.

I know that time is short in this current session, but global climate warming is not  waiting.  Therefore, neither can we.

I hope you will use your skills to bring differing parties together to solve difficult problems, and move us forward in the right direction in this session.  Do not let others make perfect be the enemy of good.  Let’s get something underway now.

Eric Halperin