Assembly Spikes Biggest Climate Proposal in New York Budget
State Assembly leadership this week rejected efforts to include a landmark gas transition proposal in the state budget — despite the fact that the chamber has a supermajority of Democrats sponsoring the legislation and few outspoken critics of it.
The plan, known as the ny heat Act, is a top priority of environmental advocates this year, who say it is essential for giving regulators the power to wean the state off fossil fuels so it can meet its climate targets. Both the Senate and Governor Kathy Hochul, who proposed a version of the legislation in January, wanted to include the measure in this year’s budget. Still, sources say the Assembly gave it little consideration during negotiations.
“The Assembly, by my understanding, basically refused to negotiate this in the budget,” said Patrick McClellan, policy director of the New York League of Conservation Voters, which has spent the last several months lobbying for the heat Act along with dozens of other climate and environmental groups. “My understanding is they never put a counteroffer on the table, they never got into the weeds on negotiating ny heat in budget negotiations.”