Standing around with our hands in our pockets is not an option, despite the pitiful example set by our Republican state senators. Their recent walkout was arrogant and irresponsible. I’m completely ashamed that elected representatives Sen. Cliff Bentz and Sen. Chuck Thomsen think so little of their responsibilities and their constituents that they fled the state with their colleagues to derail the HR 2020 vote.
Bentz, Thomsen and their colleagues should be ashamed! They ignored the pleas of the young activists in Salem, on behalf of their generation, to not be left with an untenable future—worsening wildfires and smoke, food scarcity and drought, dying forests, more violent storms, shortage of water for drinking and agriculture, fish die-offs, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and human morbidity and mortality related to weather extremes. The youth were pleading for help. Mr. Bentz and Mr. Thomsen and their colleagues had a reply for them: We Don’t Care.
Governor Kate Brown has vowed to use the powers available to her to address the unfinished business of achieving climate protection for us in 2019. She has the support of voters, and I hope she’ll stay strong and committed.
It’s time to hold large polluters in this state accountable for their emissions, and to invest in our communities to transition to a clean energy economy.
And it’s time for all of our legislators to take responsibility for helping solve our climate crisis or get out of the way.
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