It’s been an active spring of community engagement, critical victories, and calls for progress.
Spotlight Stories
Connecticut’s Environmental Rights Amendment — PASSED!
After a robust public hearing and public comment process in which over 175 people and organizations submitted written testimony in support of the amendment, and compelling voices from across the state spoke up—including CT NOFA, Sierra Club CT, CT League of Conservation Voters, Sunrise New Haven, Third Act CT, CT Citizens Action Group and our very own Maya van Rossum representing Green Amendments For The Generations—the Government Administration and Elections Committee was ready to take a vote.
Check out highlights from the hearing here!
Then, on March 23, in a meeting that continued way into the night, the CTERA – CT’s version of a Green Amendment – passed out of committee by a vote of 13 to 6! Check out our press release abut the victory here.
We will keep you up to date on what comes next!
Michigan Gets a New Champion
Grassroots advocates have been working hard for the past two years to find a Senator who was willing to join with State Representative Donovan McKinney to propose a Michigan Green Amendment. We are thrilled to report that educational programming, meetings with government leaders, and weekly meetings have finally paid off! A Michigan State Senator—excited about the values a Green Amendment provides—is eager to join the effort.
Stay tuned for a fun video where you can watch the advocates hitting the pavement on the day that yielded this incredible success! Follow us on our socials for the news:
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…including an Earth Day press conference when Michigan’s Amendment will be formally announced.
Colorado Progress Rushes Forth
After 5 years of a small but mighty group of 4 – including Maya van Rossum – working away to spread the word about the power of a Green Amendment for Colorado, the amendment is seeing amazing progress and traction. The amendment is not yet official, but progress over recent months has been swift and powerful. A new website for the state is up and running where you can follow the progress and engage: www.COGreenAmendment.org .
New Jersey Green Amendment Advocates Joined Forces in a Rallying Call for Their Green Amendment
On March 5, New Jersey Green Amendment advocates pulled off a successful press conference that garnered overwhelming support and participation from legislative champions, long-time organizational allies, and even some new partners that just recently signed off with their full support for the movement.
As you may or may not know, New Jersey was the first state to pursue a modern Green Amendment in their state constitution’s Bill of Rights—modern meaning that they were the first state to advance such a measure after Maya K. van Rossum, her organization Delaware Riverkeeper Network, and 7 towns in Pennsylvania realized the full potential of the Pennsylvania Green Amendment in 2013. The New Jersey Green Amendment was first proposed nine years ago, in 2017.
But in the 9 years since it was proposed, the NJ Green Amendment has received only TWO legislative hearings. In each one, powerful testimony in support overwhelmed the feeble arguments of opposition put forth by industry lobbyists. And the amendment passed with a solid majority vote.
Thereafter, the amendment has languished in the legislature. But NOT in the hearts and minds of NJ communities, organizations and advocates.
2026 marked the start of a new legislative session for New Jersey, and another window of opportunity to advance the Green Amendment to the people.
Organization leaders from across the state took to the airwaves to deliver a rousing demand for attention, action and progress in securing their constitutional right to a clean, safe and healthy environment. And of course, Green Amendments For The Generations was right there with them.
Check out the press conference here. And see the accompanying press release here.
We share this story as inspiration – along with Colorado’s – for our other state Green Amendment movements that may be experiencing some lulls in participation or frustrating legislative barriers. Despite the challenges in front of you, never underestimate the power of the Green Amendment movement and the response it can elicit from others when they are given the opportunity. You never know who will say YES until you ask. And sometimes all it takes to get some momentum for your movement is setting a date and time for your next outreach event. 🙂
If you can, please support all this great work with a donation.
Action Opportunities
New York is Taking Action to Challenge Attorney General Misuse
In 2021, the people of New York voted overwhelmingly to provide constitutional recognition and protection to our inalienable human right to clean water and air, and a healthful environment. Passage of the New York Green Amendment was truly “a dream realized”.
Since that magical moment, when the people of New York exercised their democratic rights to amend our state constitution, government leaders have failed to embrace the amendment to advance needed environmental protection and environmental justice goals.
Rather than uplift, defend and embrace the New York Green Amendment, the NY State Attorney General has gone to court with legal arguments that seek to undermine and narrow it.
Now New Yorkers are pushing back.
Working alongside Green Amendments For The Generations, New York leaders are developing and advancing a collective strategy to secure the true power of their Green Amendment.
Step one is a letter to Attorney General Letitia James.
We need lots of New York voices for this important launch of an empowering campaign that seeks to invigorate true power into New York’s Green Amendment.
Please sign on to the letter directed to New York State Attorney General now and share it with any and all New Yorkers you know.
Pennsylvania Green Amendment Invoked to Strengthen the Spine of State Government Protection from ICE Data Centers
ICE is looking to come to Pennsylvania, buying up warehouses to be used for detention centers. Communities are stunned by the threatened intrusion.
While no applications have been filed with regulatory agencies or local government, Pennsylvanians are learning that ICE is proposing to incarcerate up to 9,000 individuals at two locations—despite the fact that neither location has the infrastructure or approvals in place to ensure those detained and working at the facility will have clean water to drink and bathe, nor do they have approved and appropriate sewage treatment operations.
While the state environmental agency appears to be standing strong in defense of the rule of law, ICE is pushing back.
Green Amendments For The Generations is helping communities advance their environmental rights with step one being a sign on letter urging the state to stand firm on their promise to protect communities and the environment, and to enforce applicable environmental laws.
From PA? You can sign on to the letter here: bit.ly/GAFTGNoICECenters
Upcoming Events
The Pennsylvania Green Amendment Webinar:
How it Works for Municipal Government, Agency Decision-making, and Legislative Action
Wednesday, April 8, 12pm and 6pm ET
Join Green Amendments For The Generations for an in-depth webinar to learn how the Pennsylvania Green Amendment is making a difference by creating enforceable obligations and opportunities for municipal government, state legislators and state regulatory agencies.
Wednesday, April 8 at 12PM and 6PM ET (session is ~90 minutes in length)
Taking on Pennsylvania Data Centers:
How the PA Green Amendment can help communities as they seek to take on the threat and harm of data centers
April 21, 6PM ET
Zoom. Register at bit.ly/datacenters3
This three-topic webinar will include presentations about effective data center municipal ordinances, the hard questions activists need to be asking when faced with a data center, as well as the discussion of how constitutional environmental rights can be put to work to help.
Not from PA? But facing a data center in your state? This webinar will be providing info that can be broadly applied, including helping you to understand how a well-crafted Green Amendment can make a difference.
