Are Federal Actions Actually Responsible for the Proposed MA Climate Rollback Bill?

Earlier this month, the Massachusetts House members of the Joint Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy Committee voted 7 to 0 (with 4 members refusing to vote) on a climate rollback bill championed by Braintree Representative Mark Cusack. This bill, if passed, would be a major step backwards in Massachusetts' climate progress. You can read our full article about it here.

We weren't the only writers who reported on the proposed bill, which has since stalled in the House Ways and Means Committee. On November 12, Sabrina Shankman published an article with the Boston Globe titled "Proposed bill takes aim at the state's climate goals and Mass Save". The article reported how the bill would provide our state government with a doorway to sidestepping them fast-approaching legally mandated climate goals for 2030. Shankman also reported how the bill's author is using federal actions to justify this egregious move:

"The bill’s author, Representative Mark Cusack, a Democrat and House chair of the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy, said it is a response to federal actions — including threats to offshore wind, withholding funds for solar and electric vehicle programs, and altering tax credits aimed at the transition to clean energy.

'Look, I voted for this stuff — I wish it was working,' said Cusack, referring to the state’s past climate and clean energy bills. 'But between the high energy prices and the new reality because of the feds, I think this is a responsible path to say, ‘How do we get money back to our constituents?’”

XR Boston members had responses to Cusack's claim, including longtime XRlington member Ruth Faas, who wrote:

I’m sure State Representative Cusack is glad that President Trump has worked to eliminate progress on stopping the climate crisis; it’s an easy excuse for regressive legislation. Massachusetts has legally mandated goals to reduce our climate crisis impact by 2030, a deadline we already won’t meet because of the lack of state action. Cusack caught a lucky break to be able to loudly, repeatedly, and disingenuously paint this failure as Trump’s doing.

I’m no fan of Trump, but he’s not why Massachusetts won’t meet our 2030 climate goals. Trump is not responsible for the huge rollbacks in Cusack’s bill. That’s Cusack’s doing. As the State Secretary of Energy & Environmental affairs, he should be committed to addressing the increasingly devastating effects of the climate crisis. His bill says he’s not.

Massachusetts won’t face immediate penalties for not achieving our 2030 climate goals, but there are legally mandated goals for 2040 too, and missing those will have consequences.

We need responsible, ethical legislators who don’t actively support steps that fuel more climate crisis events in Massachusetts. By pushing a climate rollback bill and blaming federal actions, Cusack has proven he doesn’t “fit the bill.”

What happens now?

Make no mistake, by pushing this bill forward in the House, Representative Cusack showed his hand. Although this particular bill is stalled for now, the Joint Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy Committee has openly proven that their priority is for capitalistic gain at the expense of the climate, environment, and a livable future for us all. They will try this kind of attack on climate again, and we need to be ready to speak up and act up.

Talk with your neighbors and members of your XR Affinity Group about how you can take action against the next version of this bill, which would likely emerge in the new year. If you aren't yet connected with an Affinity Group, reach out to outreach@xrboston.org. Could you peacefully gather outside the offices of the Committee members? Can you make large signs and hold them outside State House windows? If you prepare ahead of time, you'll be ready to act when the next incarnation of the bill is inevitably announced. And XR Boston is here to help.