The basic rights to drink pure water and breathe clean air seem pretty basic right? Wrong. Our legal system currently has no protections for these basic environmental rights. But you would think that if a bill proposed these fundamental rights, it would be very popular and breezy through the legislature? Wrong again. The New Jersey Green Amendment (ACR72/SCR15) would amend the New Jersey Constitution in the Bill of Rights section, ensuring that the rights to pure water, clean air, a stable climate, and a healthy environment are protected for all state residents. The Green Amendment, despite having bipartisan support—including from our Republican Assemblywoman Aura Dunn—in both the State Senate and Assembly, has failed to gain a single legislative hearing in 4 years.
This bill has support, just not from the right people. Nearly half of the Assembly and Senate co-sponsor or have signed on in support of the bill. I run a student campaign for the amendment, and we have been fighting for this legislation since the winter of 2020. Other adult advocates and organizations have been hosting events and pushing for legislative movement for years. What’s even more staggering is the rapid progression of the national Green Amendment during this time. Since New Jersey’s Green Amendment proposal has been introduced, New York has passed its own Green Amendment, and states such as Maine, New Mexico, Delaware, and Hawaii are making real legislative progress. New Jersey is falling behind. Our legislators need to take action and give the Green Amendment a chance with a legislative hearing.
Truly, a legislative hearing is not a huge ask. State bills are nearly always referred to specific, smaller committees based on subject matter where they must be voted on and passed before they can be discussed and potentially passed by the whole legislature. A hearing in the first committee is merely the first of countless steps before a bill is actually enacted. A hearing poses no risk to legislators if they have concerns about clean air and water in the constitution; it is simply a time for debate and listening. Currently, the Green Amendment is in the Senate and Assembly Environment Committees. If we want a chance of getting a legislative hearing before the legislative “budget break”—when the state legislature goes on hiatus for the summer—this needs to happen now, in early June.
At the end of the day, the Green Amendment is an amendment for the people: for their health, well-being, and future security. You, as a reader, and us, as the Mountain Lakes community, have the power to get involved in the democratic process and evoke change. We all do. For the students who are too young to vote, you can educate yourself on this bill and the legislative process. You can tweet at your legislators on social media calling for a hearing. You can simply tell your friends and family about this cause, our campaign, and share our posts on social media. For the seniors and juniors who will be able to vote during this upcoming election, be sure to, first of all, register, and make informed choices on election day for the candidates you truly believe in. For the teachers, please watch our presentation for the Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education on how the Green Amendment benefits and can benefit from usage in the classroom. For all the ambitious readers, we will be meeting in Trenton for a press conference calling on our legislators next Thursday, June 16th.
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