March 19th Rally for NY Heat (Part 2)

Several hundred New Yorkers rallied at the state Capitol on Wednesday, March 19 as part of the Renewable Heat Now campaign. The lobbyists gathered for a lunch time rally on the Million Dollar Staircase to encourage state lawmakers and the Governor to include the NY Heat in the State Budget which is due April 1. NY Heat would require state agencies – especially the Public Service Commission – to align their actions and policies with the state’s climate law (CLCPA) and to cap utility bills for low-income New Yorkers at 6% of their income. The Assembly has not supported the bill while the Governor has balked at the 6% cap though that is already a PSC goal. We hear from Liz Moran of Earth Justice followed by the two main legislative sponsors of the bill” Senator Liz Krueger and Assemblymember JoAnn Simon, who replaced Pat Fahy as the lead Assembly sponsor when Fahy moved over to the Senate. We also hear from Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha, who is also with DSA. We finish up with a short statement from Assemblymemeber Tony Simone. By Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine. (Part 2)