Save The Bay at the State House: A 2023 Legislative Session Update
by Topher Hamblett, director of advocacy
The Rhode Island General Assembly is in full swing, and considering important legislation that will impact Narragansett Bay. Save The Bay has been hard at work meeting with legislators, testifying at Committee hearings, joining and building coalitions to support good policies, and monitoring for bills that might do harm to the environment and the Bay.
At this point in the session, progress is being made on each of our 2023 legislative priorities, as well as in areas that are of special interest to those looking to protect Narragansett Bay, including:
- Reforming the structure of CRMC by removing the politically-appointed Council, and adding a full-time attorney and hearing officer to the staff. Key bills include H 6034 (Rep. Tanzi) and S 772 (Sen. Gu).
- Restoring your constitutional right to enjoy the “privileges of the shore.” The House Judiciary has just passed H 5174 (Rep. Cortvriend), which sets in law a recognizable shoreline boundary that clarifies the exact location of the public shoreline. The full House unanimously passed H 5174 on April 6. (We anticipate that a second bill, S 417 (Sen. McKenney), will likely be heard in the Senate later this month.)
- Preventing the clear-cutting of forests. While the rapid development of renewable energy is a key strategy in combating climate change, protecting forests is essential for Rhode Island’s long-term environmental resiliency. H 5853 (Rep. Speakman) and S 684 (Sen. Dimario) both replace incentives for clear-cutting forests for solar with incentives that encourage developers to place solar infrastructure in already-developed areas of the state.
- Enacting a bottle deposit law to dramatically reduce the littering of single-use plastics and metal beverage containers that spoil our shoreline and pollute the Bay.
Remember: You can make your voice heard! Help win the passage of these important bills by signing up for our Action Alerts. We’ll keep you posted on opportunities—and easy-to-follow tips—on contacting your legislator during key points of the session.