Page 1 of 1

Dark Sky Bill in MA Needs Your Support

Posted: Thu Nov 07, 2019 6:30 pm
by Stargrrl
From Tim Brothers, VP of the Massachusetts Chapter of the International Dark-Sky Association:

"I wanted to let your members know the status of the critically important “dark sky” bill in the MA legislature: S.1937/H.2858, An Act improving outdoor lighting and increasing dark-sky visibility. (https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S1937). The bill is incredibly important to slowing down the rapid growth of light pollution in MA – our growth rate is way beyond the national average of 2.2% and we are running out of time as the state continues to fund lighting projects that are making the problem worse.

This bill would halt that trend, but we need to act now. Currently, it sits in the TUE committee and despite receiving 100% positive testimony, it will fail unless we show the committee that constituents are engaged. Even if you have already contacted your legislator, do it again. Even if your legislator has signed on as one of the now 25 co-sponsors, tell them to talk to the TUE committee and report the bill favorably so we can get to a vote.

The two chairs you need to email or call are:
Senator Barrett: https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/MJB0
Rep. Golden: https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/TAG1

Your legislator info can be found here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

If you happen to be a constituent of Rep. Golden in Lowell/Chelmsford – your voice is incredibly important."

I'll be emailing them first thing in the morning, I hope you'll consider also showing your support. Rebekah