With so much going on we got a little behind in our Newsletters. Sorry about that. But here is a little glimpse into all of the amazing progress being made by our Green Amendments For The Generations Movement in the past 2 months.
Cult+King Picks Green Amendments For The Generations Again
Cult+King has once again selected our Green Amendment movement to be a recipient of their annual 1% For The Planet donation.
We are able to provide essential support, education and services to all involved in our Green Amendment movement as the result of Cult+King’s generosity.
We hope you will consider supporting them – and caring for yourself – by checking out their line of hair, skin and beard care products at www.cultandking.com
| We need your support. As you read through the many exciting leaps in progress – and concerning challenges – we’ve made and faced over the past couple months in the ongoing fight to protect your Green Amendment rights, and those of all communities and generations, please consider donating today to allow us to continue and strengthen this work. Donate here. |
What Happened Earth Day?
Executive Orders & Green Amendments:
Earth Day came and went without an executive order that would target nonprofit environmental organizations working on issues of climate, environmental justice and that use litigation as a tool. We shall see if the threatened EO is forthcoming later.
But we have continued to see Executive Orders targeting environmental protections and seeking to roll them back. While we needed Green Amendments before, now as we see the floor of basic federal protections stripped away, the argument and need for higher state leadership – particularly in the form of constitutional Green Amendments – grows even stronger.
Thank you for your partnership and leadership in the Green Amendment For The Generations organization and movement.
But on a brighter note:
Green Amendments For The Generations Founder Maya van Rossum was honored to provide the Earth Day Keynote at the 2025 Climate Pro Bono Bootcamp organized by the Planetary Lawyer Project with lots of notable sponsors. The annual event is focused on what lawyers can do to help make positive change for our climate and environment.
New Green Amendments Come Forth
2025 is seeing a number of Green Amendments proposed for the first time.
The most recent proposals are in:
- Rhode Island – where there is a great grassroots leadership team building in partnership with the Green Team at Peace Dale Congregational Church in Wakefield, RI. Read the press release about the amendment here. And the amendment already got its first hearing – no vote yet but a great group turned out to testify in support with little opposition emerging.
- North Carolina – where Representative Kanika Brown, inspired by our movement and the progress in other states, took up the reigns of leadership and has proposed strong Green Amendment language that is already enjoying bi-partisan support.
- Kentucky – where Representatives Sarah Stalker and Kim Banta, on a bi-partisan basis, put forth a new Green Amendment proposal. Read the full press release here.
- Wisconsin – where Representative Darrin Madison and Senator Mark Spreitzer, in celebration of Earth Month, joined with community members to put forth their protective Wisconsin Green Amendment.
Oregon Rally and Hearing – A SUCCESS!
Our founder, Maya K. van Rossum, was honored to join the OCERA team—at Senator Jeff Golden’s request—to testify as an expert before the Senate Rules Committee. So many people showed up to testify in support of the Green Amendment, that the hearing room was FULL and people had to go into the overflow room to await their chance to comment. Turnouts like this are so important to show the elected officials that people care about this issue and will show up to make their voices and concerns heard. The hearing was followed by a fun and dynamic rally.
If you were at the rally and have photos to share, we would love it if you could email them to GAFTG@ForTheGenerations.org . Because Maya was engaged in the rally she was unable to capture as many pictures as we would have liked.
New Ways to Engage
Green Amendments Legal Advisory Board Starting to Form
With so much happening, the need for legal insights, support and research is on the rise. If you have legal expertise and would like to join a newly forming Green Amendments Legal Advisory Board, we’d love for you to submit an application. You can do so here: https://bit.ly/GA_Advisory_Bd_Application
Business Ambassador Program Launches
Our Green Amendment Ambassadors program has a new element: reaching out to businesses to secure their support for constitutional environmental rights, and perhaps even their help in spreading the word.
If you own a business and would like to learn what it means to be a Green Amendments Business Ambassador, you can learn more here. All business supporters – as long as they meet our pro-environment criteria – are listed on the Green Amendments website, receive a special certificate you can hang in your business window or on the wall, and can learn about opportunities to engage as a leader in the Green Amendment movement in their state.
If you want to help with outreach to businesses and be an Ambassador for Business outreach, you can learn more here.
Michigan Trip Helps Advance the Needle
Maya joined with our Michigan Green Amendments Coalition to spread the word about the values of constitutional protection for Michigan. The event – organized by the Rochford Sustainability Coalition – was a great success. In addition, meetings with key leaders in the state helped to build support for the Michigan Green Amendment, which is advancing under the leadership of Representative Donavan McKinney.
While there, members of the team toured the water treatment facility that conceived of a way to filter out PFAS on a large scale. It was very impressive and just the kind of effort a Green Amendment can help advance when needed.
A Story of Inspiration
Stories of what folks are doing help inspire and power this movement. You can see how others work in coalition to uplift the power of the Green Amendment message in their state. When we see this, we truly see the Power of The People, we know is behind the Green Amendment.
A story out of Washington like this is that a small group of folks met with a Washington Representative and while a range of issues were discussed – Rosemary brought up the Green Amendment. At the discussion of this the Representative showed interest and so did a local councilor in attendance. Rosemary’s takeaway from this positive conversation “we need to keep pushing, people are receptive – and what the federal government is doing may be the push that we need, to stop everyone kicking this can down the road.”
Connecticut Language Change – A Concern & Setback
The CT Amendment has passed through committee. Unfortunately the committee leadership amended the proposed language before this happened and now the amendment has been stripped of its essential strength, only requiring that government “seek” to carry out its essential mandates, and only to the degree the government thinks doing so is “reasonable”.
If you’ve heard our founder speak you’ve likely heard her say the phrase “Not just any language will do” and we mean it. While Green Amendments can take many forms, GAFTG pushes for good, strong, and enforceable language that we know will hold the power needed to truly make a difference if passed.
Working with our legal team and the CTERA leadership team, efforts are underway to either secure needed modifications in order to make additional progress this year, or to develop a strategy that will prevent forward movement on the current draft but ensure solid language for next year.
Donate Today!
None of this work would be possible without the generous support and dedication from YOU, our members and partners. As the only organization advancing the modern use of state constitutional protection to secure enforceable recognition of environmental rights for all communities regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomics, or tribal affiliation – while defending against well-funded attacks – we count on you to keep the lights on.
Whether you can give $5 or $500, every dollar counts and will be put to this work with gratitude. Donate TODAY: bit.ly/EARTHMONTH2025
