What is a Green Amendment?
Green Amendments are self executing provisions added to the bill of rights section of a constitution that recognize and protect the rights of all people. regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or income, including future generations, to pure water, clean air, a stable climate, and healthy environments.
What's Happening in Arizona?
Arizona is fortunate to have a proactive champion looking to advance a Green Amendment.
January 27, 2022, AZ Senator Juan Mendez proposed a constitutional Green Amendment be added to the state constitution. Joining Senator Mendez in support are Senator Quezada Marton, Senator Raquel Teran, Representatives Richard Andrade, Representative Andrea Dalessandro, Representative Melody Hernandez, Representative Sarah Liguori, Representative Athena Salman, and Representative Christian Solorio.
While the amendment is progressing slowly, it got some amazing press attention, demonstrating there is interest in constitutional environmental rights protection for the people of Arizona. If you are interested in being a part of the effort, or have any questions, please get in touch with us.
As proposed the Arizona Green Amendment reads:
Article II, Constitution of Arizona, is proposed to be amended by adding section 38:
Right to clean and healthy environment
- Each person, including a person in a future generation, has a right to a clean and healthy environment, including pure water, clean air, healthy ecosystems and a stable climate, and to the preservation of the natural, cultural, scenic and healthful qualities of the environment.
- This state’s public natural resources, including its waters, air, flora, fauna and climate, are the common property of all the people, including present and future generations. This state and its political subdivisions shall do all of the following:
- Serve as trustees of these resources.
- Conserve, protect and maintain these resources for the benefit of all the people.
- The rights prescribed in this section are inherent, inalienable and indefeasible and are among those rights reserved to all the people. The State may not infringe upon thse rights. This section and the prescribed in this section are self-executing.
