Rhode Island | May 11, 2021
RI SENATE PASSES ACT-ON CLIMATE BILL
Rhode Island | May 11, 2021
The Rhode Island Senate, on March 16, passed, by a vote of 33-4, the 2021 Act On Climate, the first major climate and environmental bill to see a floor vote since the Resilient Rhode Island Act 2014. The bill sets mandatory and enforceable targets for greenhouse-gas emissions.
The bill, according to climate activists and many lawmakers, is a long-overdue update to the 7-year-old Resilient Rhode Island Act. It revises emission-reduction targets according to the latest science, improves transparency, and adds accountability to ensure Rhode Island’s climate goals are met during the next 30 years. Proponents also note that the legislation centers equity and justice in the state’s plans for reducing emissions and building climate resilience.
On March 18, the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee, by a bipartisan vote of 13-2, approved its version of the Act On Climate bill. It’s expected to pass the full House when it comes to the floor March 23. There are no major differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. If one of the versions is approved by both chambers, the bill would move to the governor’s desk to be signed, vetoed, or ignored.
Pray about the impact of this bill on the state.