GREEN, Volume 31 Issue 1

Happy New Year!

With the start of a new year comes the legislative session. It’s hard to believe we are less than a month away with the session starting February 10. We expect things to be much different this year. Access to the Capitol building will be limited and the process for posting agendas and confirming public hearings is unclear. 

The WVEC is in preparation mode reaching out to legislators and working with our coalition partners. Starting February 12 we will send out GREEN to you each Friday so you can stay informed. We also expect to send along more frequent action alerts as calling and emailing your legislators will be the best (only?) way to reach them this session.

All events in the rotunda are cancelled this year so our annual E-Day will be a virtual event on Wednesday evening, March 10. Please mark your calendar and look for more info in our next issue. If you are part of an organization that would like to be involved, please email me. Last year we had over 20 groups travel to Charleston and we hope you can join us virtually this year!

We have a lot to tackle this year. Topping the list of our member group and member survey taken last fall and presented at our annual meeting were water quality, climate change, and clean elections (changing the political rules that favor special interests and giving regular West Virginians an equal voice in our government). 

Specifically we will focus on the following priorities with our legislative allies:

• Water quality standards rule and the Safe Drinking Water bill
• Power Purchase Agreements legislation
• Expansion of recycling including styrofoam
• Protection of funding for DEP inspectors in the state budget
• Resolution to study energy use in state buildings
• Just Transition bill
• Disclosure of dark money political expenditures

We also expect to use a good deal of our resources to educate the large number of newly elected legislators, especially in the House of Delegates, and to provide fact sheets and grassroots outreach on any potentially harmful legislation as well as proactive bills.

We can’t do it without your support! Please consider a donation to support our lobby team. Please donate online or mail a check to; WVEC, PO Box 1007, Charleston, WV 25324.

Thank you!

Linda Frame
WVEC President

Click an article title or thumbnail image to read the full article (text below is only an excerpt).

2021 Legislative Session Just Around the Corner
WVEC
Happy New Year, everyone! We are glad to finally put 2020 in the past and hopefully the new administration will strengthen federal environmental protections & continue to put forth progressive and sustainable changes.
Tagged: Legislation

Lawsuit Aimed at Protecting National Forest Announced
Friends of Blackwater
A lawsuit filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) on January 8th seeks to reverse the Trump administration’s elimination of critical safeguards that have protected national forests from unneeded, ill-conceived and destructive logging, road building, and utility right-of-way projects.
Tagged: Logging, Water

A New Role for the New River
West Virginia Highlands Conservancy
The New River Gorge will have a new designation and a slightly different role thanks to Congressional action on the bill that included the Covid19 relief. It will change from being a National River, as it has been since 1978, to being a National Park and Preserve.
Tagged: State parks, Water

Fighting for Our Energy Freedom
WVEC
WV Environmental Council is a member of West Virginians for Energy Freedom, a coalition once again leading the charge to legalize on-site Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in our state. Legislation to allow PPAs was introduced with bipartisan support in 2019 and 2020.
Tagged: Renewable energy

Demand Democracy: Help Pass the For the People Act
WV Citizens for Clean Elections
As we begin a new year with a new president, we are at a critical juncture that presents both challenges and opportunities in regards to reforms that strengthen our democracy, and protect judicial independence.
Tagged: Clean elections

OVEC ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
OVEC
OVEC and our coalitions have been busy the last month, and, rather than regale you with our stories, we wanted to give you a chance to see them yourselves. So pop some popcorn and put on your cozies, it’s time to binge watch some environmental justice work!
Tagged: Clean elections, Climate change, Water

Climate Solutions in 2021
WV Center on Climate Change
The West Virginia Center on Climate Change will host a free webinar on Monday, January 25, 2021, from 7:00-8:30 PM called “What Now? — Climate Solutions in 2021, and Securing a Just Transition for West Virginia.”
Tagged: Climate change

Virtual Citizen Civic Engagement Training – February 4, 5-7PM
WV Citizen Action Group
Virtual Citizen Civic Engagement Training - February 4, 5-7PM. Talking to your representative might sound intimidating if you’ve never done it, but they’re just people who work for YOU. You can do this. You can help make important changes in our state.
Tagged: Health, Legislation