US EditionMovement launched to add environmental rights amendment to Oregon Constitution
- Oregon is considering Senate Joint Resolution 28, a ballot measure for Oregon voters in November that would amend the state constitution to guarantee the right to a clean, safe, and healthy environment, including clean air, clean water, thriving ecosystems, and a stable climate system.
- The proposed amendment aims to address the climate crisis and decades of unchecked pollution, which have led to devastating wildfires, prolonged droughts, and rising sea levels, impacting communities and displacing families.
- The bill, sponsored by Jeff Golden, intends to allow Oregonians to sue the state government if it fails to uphold its promise of a clean environment, potentially making Oregon one of the first states to constitutionally guarantee a healthy climate.
- While supporters like Gamba emphasize the existential threat of climate change and the need to empower voters against polluters, opponents such as Lauren Kuenzi from the Oregon Farm Bureau and Sharla Moffett from Oregon Business & Industry, express concerns about potential lawsuits against family farms and ranches and the undefined, subjective nature of terms like 'clean air' and 'thriving ecosystems'.
- Despite a recent Supreme Court decision declining a petition to hold the U.S. Government accountable for climate change, advocates believe the amendment would give Oregonians a chance to be heard and protected, similar to successful cases in Montana and Hawaii where constitutions explicitly protect environmental rights.
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Oregon ballot measure could let citizens sue state for environmental failures
Oregonians may soon have a right to a healthy environment. During a public hearing on March 26, large swaths of the public either voiced their support, or raised concerns, to the Senate Rules Committee in the Oregon Legislature regarding Senate Joint Resolution 28 (SJR 28), which could fundamentally change the state’s commitment to the environment. SJR 28 would refer a ballot measure to Oregon voters in November that would guarantee residents th…
·Tacoma, United States
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