Join the Order of “Apocolyptic Naysayers!”

Okay, that’s a bit of a joke.* If you haven’t read it by now, Governor Abercrombie was recently quoted as saying people who objected to efforts to curb environmental regulations are apocalyptic naysayers.

Let’s not go overboard. No one objects to reasonable streamlining. But SB 755 would, among other things, (1) allow the Governor to exempt state projects from any environmental review; (2) immunize the Governor from any judicial challenge by the public; (3) allow the Department of Transportation and Department of Land and Natural Resources to exempt themselves from coastal regulations; and (4) exempt airport structures and improvements from coastal regulations.

While admittedly not exactly an apocalypse, this bill goes too far. Our environmental laws ensure residents have clean water and protect our natural resources for future generations. Our regulations cannot be set aside everytime the state experiences an economic downturn. Nor should the public be removed from the decision-making process on roads, bridges, and highways that fundamentally shape our communities.

Can you submit testimony on this bill today? Enter in SB 755 and write your testimony in the “additional comments” section. Tell the House Finance Committee that we can have both a strong economy and a strong environment — we do not have to make artificial choices between the two. Protecting our environment does help our economy.