Statement on the First Day of the 2020 Legislative Session

January 8, 2020

Albany – “2019 demonstrated New York’s strong commitment to the environment—2020 needs to put that commitment into motion.”

For Immediate Release: January 8, 2020

Statement on the First Day of the 2020 Legislative Session

The following quote can be attributed to Peter Iwanowicz, executive director of Environmental Advocates NY:

“2019 demonstrated New York’s strong commitment to the environment—2020 needs to put that commitment into motion.

Last year, the Governor, Assembly, and new Senate Leadership came together on significant environmental measures—most prominently a promise in law to get to a fossil-fuel free New York by 2050. This year, the Legislature and Governor need to take the next step. We need action today that will provide transformational and systemic upgrades to our crumbling water infrastructure; we need action today that will lead to the immediate reduction of climate pollution; and we need action today to solve the solid waste crisis. To be an environmental leader means setting aggressive goals, but also taking the steps necessary to achieve them.

Governor Cuomo’s State of the State agenda kicked things off with some bold suggestions and we look forward to working with him, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and every member of the Legislature to make vital environmental progress happen.

In April, we will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. And while this past half-century has seen progress, the promises of clean water and air that motivated citizens to take to the streets then remain unfulfilled today. Let this be the year that New York realizes the promise of the original Earth Day.” 

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