After Governor Baker vetoed the Next Generation Roadmap climate bill earlier this month, Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano promised to re-file and re-pass the bill in the new session.

They held to that promise today, with both House and Senate overwhelmingly voting to send the bill back to the Governor's desk. The Senate passed it by voice vote, and the House voted 144 to 14.

This is worth celebrating, but it is also a great moment to reflect on why the bill doesn't go even further, why it took so long, and how can we better tackle the obstacles to comprehensive climate policy.

Over the past month, Governor Charlie Baker, who often gets an undeserved reputation as a moderate, has shown his conservative side on issue after issue.

Last month, he vetoed legislation to expand equitable access to abortion care (thankfully, the Legislature had the votes to override him). And he got the Legislature to weaken a facial surveillance ban and use of force standards in their police accountability bill with a veto threat.

Baker continued this pattern last week.

Last week was quite the week--to put it mildly.

Lost amidst the euphoria around exciting election wins in Georgia and the terrifying display of white supremacist violence in the attempted coup in the US Capitol was the news of the end of the legislative session here in Massachusetts -- and the start of the new one.

Back in July, the Legislature voted to extend the legislative session. That didn't mean votes that were more spread out over time--just another end-of-session crunch, but later.

Last night -- with barely any time left in the session -- the MA House and Senate released the conference committee report (i.e., consensus version) of the climate bills both chambers passed last year.

The bill (S.2995: An Act creating a next-generation roadmap for Massachusetts climate policy) was praised by environmental advocates as a significant step forward, although more work is still needed in accelerating the state's transition to 100% renewable energy and tackling the emissions from the transportation sector. (For one, recent cuts to the MBTA take us in the exact opposite direction we need to if we are going to decarbonize our transportation sector.)

The current legislative session in Massachusetts ends in just three short weeks, with a few holidays in between.

And there's a lot left to do.

In July, the MA House and MA Senate both passed police reform bills (of varying ambition). And the House passed a climate bill (the Senate had done so back in January).

In each case, there are six-member committees of state senators and state representatives ("conference committees") working to come up with a final bill.

So where are they?

The short answer: We don't know.

The long answer: Conference committees are incredibly secretive processes. But the more your legislators hear from you about the need for the strongest bills possible on both fronts, the better the odds are that we will see better final products -- or any final bills at all.

Can you contact your state legislators this weekend with four key asks for each bill?

In a mere eleven days -- on Friday, July 31st, at 11:59 pm -- the legislative session in the Massachusetts State House comes to an end.

The bills that didn't make it past the finish line this year will disappear into the ether or return like a phoenix from the ashes in January next year, only to face the same grueling process.

But there are many policies that can't wait until January. Indeed, passing them now is already far later than should have been done. And, frankly, the Legislature shouldn't get to leave session until they finish.

Last fall, Senate President Karen Spilka promised that the MA State Senate would take up a climate package by the end of January. And the Senate did, passing a trio of bills this past Thursday:

S.2476: An Act to accelerate the transition of cars, trucks and buses to carbon-free power

S.2477: An Act Setting Next Generation Climate Policy

S.2478: An Act relative to Energy Savings Efficiency (Energy SAVE)

In the lead-up to the vote, senators filed 155 amendments, the vast majority of them to the Next Generation climate bill. So let's save that one for last.

What did the three bills do?

This decade -- the 2020s -- will be the decade in which our collective actions determine whether or not we'll continue to have an inhabitable planet. And that means we need to start taking action--fast.

Tomorrow, the Massachusetts State Senate will be voting on omnibus climate legislation (for a good overview, read this).

The bill is strong in many ways, but it can be bolder and more equitable.

And that's where you come in.

Can you call your state senator today in support of the amendments below?

In Massachusetts, people shouldn't have to sue to make progressive change happen, but too often, that's been the case. Two and a half decades ago, parents sued the state for failing to guarantee a high-quality education for all children, and they're doing so again today. Similarly, lawsuits have been necessary to force the state to take the bold action on climate change that's required for a resilient and sustainable future. 

It shouldn't have to be this way. If our elected officials were bold enough, they would be proactively passing the bills to move us forward, not waiting until they're forced to.

That's where you come in.