350 Mass Action launches Clean Money for Climate Pledge
Cambridge — Today (Wednesday, Aug. 31) the climate advocacy organization 350 Mass Action formally launched the Clean Money for Climate Pledge, which calls on candidates running for office in Massachusetts to refuse campaign contributions from executives, lobbyists, and others employed by 10 major fossil fuel and utility companies through the duration of the 2016 election cycle.
As of this morning, 30 candidates for the state Legislature had signed the pledge, including Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Pacheco.
Last legislative session, 97 out of 160 state representatives signed a letter opposing the pipeline tax, and the State Senate voted unanimously to ban the pipeline tax in the recent energy bill. Yet, in the final hours before the bill was passed, the Legislature dropped the pipeline tax language from the bill. Additionally, the Legislature failed to increase the percentage of renewable energy that utilities are required to purchase and provided weaker-than-proposed support for offshore wind. Climate advocates blame the unfair influence of utility and fossil fuel companies for the bill’s limitations.
The pledge requires candidates to refuse donations of $200 or more from employees of BP, Chevron, Eversource, ExxonMobil, Global Partners, Global Petroleum, Kinder Morgan, National Grid, Shell and Spectra Energy. Pledge organizers selected companies for their history of making significant campaign contributions in the state and their financial interest in influencing energy policy that affects Massachusetts.
In addition to Senator Pacheco, a number of other senior incumbents have signed the pledge, along with new challengers seeking their first elections to the legislature. Candidates from across the state have signed on, from the Berkshires to the Cape and Islands. Numerous candidates in high-profile contested primary races have also signed, including Senator Pat Jehlen and challenger Leland Cheung; Representative Tim Toomey and challenger Mike Connolly; and all candidates in the open races for both the state senate seat in the Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden district, and the state representative seat in the Third Hampshire District.
Post-launch, the 350 Mass Action volunteer network will work with partnering groups to make sure every candidate running for office in the state of Massachusetts has the chance to sign the pledge. Constituents will be able to use the Clean Money for Climate Candidate Tracker to submit real-time updates on which candidates have been asked to sign.
The current full list of signers follows.
Race | District | Name | Party |
Senate | Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden | Andrea Harrington | D |
Senate | Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden | Rinaldo del Gallo | D |
Senate | Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden | Adam Hinds | D |
Senate | Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden | Christine Canning | R |
Senate | Second Middlesex | Pat Jehlen | D |
Senate | Second Middlesex | Leland Cheung | D |
Senate | Second Suffolk and Middlesex | Will Brownsberger | D |
Senate | Cape and Islands | Julian Cyr | D |
Senate | Cape and Islands | Sheila Lyons | D |
Senate | First Plymouth and Bristol | Marc Pacheco | D |
House | Fourth Berkshire | Smitty Pignatelli | D |
House | 23rd Middlesex | Sean Garballey | D |
House | 27th Middlesex | Denise Provost | D |
House | 25th Middlesex | Marjorie Decker | D |
House | 26th Middlesex | Mike Connolly | D |
House | 26th Middlesex | Tim Toomey | D |
House | 18th Middlesex | Dave Ouellete | D |
House | Fourth Bristol | Paul Jacques | D |
House | Third Barnstable | Matt Patrick | D |
House | Third Hampshire | Solomon Goldstein-Rose | D |
House | Third Hampshire | Eric Nakajima | D |
House | Third Hampshire | Viraphanh (Vira) Douangmany Cage | D |
House | Third Hampshire | Bonnie MacCracken | D |
House | Third Hampshire | Lawrence O’Brien | D |
House | Third Hampshire | Sarah La Cour | D |
House | First Essex | Brianna Sullivan | D |
House | Third Plymouth | Joan Meschino | D |
House | Third Plymouth | Keri Thompson | United Independent Party |
House | Seventh Middlesex | Phil Jack | D |
House | Second Bristol | Paul Heroux | D |