Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis: Case Studies of the Misguided Stampede to Build Gas Power Plants
LAKEWOOD, Ohio, April 17 (TNSbrep) -- The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis issued the following news release:
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Case studies of the misguided stampede to build gas power plants
Key Takeaways:
Consumers face significant risks from spikes in natural gas prices caused by weather and geopolitical events; these risks rise in relation to the amount of new gas-fired capacity added to the grid.
Significant progress can be made on the state level by moving away from fossil fuel generation and moving to more reliable and affordable renewables.
The price of new combined-cycle
... Show Full Article
LAKEWOOD, Ohio, April 17 (TNSbrep) -- The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis issued the following news release:
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Case studies of the misguided stampede to build gas power plants
Key Takeaways:
Consumers face significant risks from spikes in natural gas prices caused by weather and geopolitical events; these risks rise in relation to the amount of new gas-fired capacity added to the grid.
Significant progress can be made on the state level by moving away from fossil fuel generation and moving to more reliable and affordable renewables.
The price of new combined-cyclegas plants is roughly triple the cost of projects built in the early 2020s, and orders placed now likely will not be fulfilled until 2030, or later.
The costs of wind and solar, paired with dispatchable battery storage, are not tracking the rapid climb of gas prices; hardware is readily available; and they have no fuel costs.
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The push to build new U.S. gas-fired generation capacity is unmistakable, with utilities, developers, and even many regulators rushing to approve projects without fully considering the risks. Following up on the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)'s earlier report, The Misguided Stampede to Build Gas Power Plants, today's briefing note looks at three utilities as they seek to meet anticipated growth in electricity demand while transitioning away from fossil fuels. The findings show the importance of state policies and utilities' tendency to stick with what they know, even in the face of external pressure and new challenges.
The three case studies (https://ieefa.org/sites/default/files/2026-04/41235_BriefingNote_StampedeToGas%20%282%29.pdf) examine one large investor-owned utility (IOU), Entergy Corporation, which serves a four-state area along the Gulf Coast; one mid-sized IOU, Portland General Electric, the largest utility in Oregon; and a small cooperative, Holy Cross Energy, based in Colorado. IEEFA's findings are straightforward:
* Entergy earns an F on the transition test. It plans to build a substantial amount of new gas-fired generation capacity, which could carry significant costs for its consumers. The utility is also slowing the development of fuel-free renewables that can be built quickly and scaled as needed to support actual growth.
* Portland General Electric has made significant progress toward moving away from fossil fuels, having closed its only coal plant in Oregon and planning to exit its 20% stake in the Colstrip coal station in Montana. It is also building or contracting for substantial amounts of new wind, solar, and battery storage capacity, which will help it meet new demand without the threat of fuel price spikes. Still, it owns five gas-fired power plants that currently provide 40% of its generation needs and has not yet indicated when it will be able to close them. PGE's progress is promising, but its grade is an Incomplete.
* Holy Cross Energy, the smallest of the three utilities by far, has made the biggest progress. Its electricity mix in 2025 was 85% renewable, and its electricity costs were 33% lower than the national average. HCE has aced the test; its A grade is well-deserved.
"These case studies underscore two realities about the electric power sector," said Dennis Wamsted, IEEFA energy analyst and author of the briefing note. "First, it is possible to transition away from fossil fuels without massive consumer price increases. And second, it is easy for utilities to stick with what they know, even if that puts consumers at significant financial risk."
The work done by Holy Cross Energy clearly shows that utilities can provide reliable, cost-effective service to their customers while phasing out their reliance on fossil fuels. Critics may dismiss the utility's successes because of HCE's small size and question whether it can complete the remaining 15% of its transition. However, the first critique is misleading since a utility's size, by itself, doesn't help or hinder the transition but simply changes the magnitude of the investments and effort required. And concern about the feasibility of a 100% transition highlights how far utilities already can move toward a fossil-free future.
The takeaway: Move as far as you can and then figure out the rest. Do not stand still because you cannot see a path all the way to the end.
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Original text here: https://ieefa.org/articles/case-studies-misguided-stampede-build-gas-power-plants
[Category: Energy]
FFRF Action Fund: 'Theocrat' Texas Education Board Approves Reading List That Centers Christianity
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 17 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news:
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'Theocrat' Texas education board approves reading list that centers Christianity
The FFRF Action Fund names the Texas State Board of Education its "Theocrat of the Week" for its preliminary approval of a mandatory reading list for Texas public schools that centers heavily on Christian doctrine.
Last week, the predominantly Republican
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 17 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news:
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'Theocrat' Texas education board approves reading list that centers Christianity
The FFRF Action Fund names the Texas State Board of Education its "Theocrat of the Week" for its preliminary approval of a mandatory reading list for Texas public schools that centers heavily on Christian doctrine.
Last week, the predominantly RepublicanTexas State Board of Education voted 9-5 to preliminarily approve a list of reading materials required for all Texas public schools starting in 2030. The board considered a revised list proposed by Republican board member Keven Ellis, following heavy scrutiny of the original list. All five Democrats on the board voted against the reading list, which will face a final vote in June.
In compliance with a 2023 state law, the Texas Education Agency compiled a list of reading materials for K-12 schools last year. The list originally spanned approximately 300 books, with the bible appearing as the only religious text. The list was criticized for its unnecessary length, lack of diversity and overt emphasis on Christianity. Underrepresentation of female, Hispanic and Black authors were also points of contention for the list's critics. The board ultimately delayed voting on the list in early January to allow further review of the proposal, leading to the list's revision.
Before the board delayed its vote, one of its members, Brandon Hall, posted on his Facebook page: "Today, the Texas State Board of Education will vote on a proposal to add bible passages to a required reading list for K-12 students across the state. This would bring the Word of God back into schools in a meaningful way for the first time in decades. We need prayer warriors to intercede for this vote."
The proposal incorporates biblical materials for early grades, requiring "The Golden Rule" to be taught in kindergarten, "The Parable of the Prodigal Son" in first grade and "The Road to Damascus" in third grade. More bible stories are also included for older students, requiring seventh graders to read "The Shepherd's Psalm" from the Book of Psalms Chapter 23 and "The Definition of Love" from 1 Corinthians 13. In high school, students would be required to study the Tower of Babel from Genesis 11:1-9, Lamentations 3 and the story of David and Goliath from 1 Samuel 17, among other biblical passages.
Beyond simply requiring biblical readings, state-sanctioned lessons are imbued with explicit religious messaging. For one example, the proposal's accompanying lesson on "The Golden Rule" for kindergarteners would require background information on the bible, Jesus and what a sermon is. The lesson delineates: "One of the books of the Bible describes Jesus giving a talk atop a small mountain. During this talk he wanted to share some very important lessons, so he climbed the mountain and spoke to a group of people who were gathered to hear him. The talks Jesus gave were called sermons. ... Beyond the Sermon on the Mount, there are many rules included throughout the Christian Bible. Jesus said that the Golden Rule sums up all of the important teachings from scripture. 'So in everything, do unto others as you would have done unto you.'"
The state's Golden Rule lesson is part of the Bluebonnet Learning curriculum, which also faces heavy scrutiny for its overreliance on Christianity and religious instruction. The lesson only notes at its tail end that versions of the Golden Rule, a mostly universal moral teaching, also appear in Hinduism and Islam.
While state law would allow parents to remove their children from the proposal's religious lessons, the reading list would also become part of Texas' English standards, thereby allowing standardized tests to draw from the religious texts. Students would be put at an academic disadvantage if they were excused from explicitly religious lessons.
The reading list can be further modified before it is put to a final vote scheduled for June, but as of now, the religious materials remain central to the Texas Education Agency's proposal. The list's blatant privileging of Christianity must be rectified before the board conducts its final vote. Christian narratives cannot guide Texas' public education, which serves students of all religions and nonreligion. The Texas State Board of Education deserves its Action Fund "Theocrat of the Week" moniker for its attempts at religious imposition.
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FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.
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Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/theocrat-texas-education-board-approves-reading-list-that-centers-christianity/
[Category: Sociological]
FFRF Action Fund: 'Secularist' Rep. Mike Quigley Supports State/church Separation
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 17 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news:
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'Secularist' Rep. Mike Quigley supports state/church separation
FFRF Action Fund's "Secularist of the Week" is U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley for his timely endorsement of the constitutional separation between state and church.
Quigley, representing Illinois' 5th Congressional District, took to X last week to criticize the Trump administration's
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 17 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news:
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'Secularist' Rep. Mike Quigley supports state/church separation
FFRF Action Fund's "Secularist of the Week" is U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley for his timely endorsement of the constitutional separation between state and church.
Quigley, representing Illinois' 5th Congressional District, took to X last week to criticize the Trump administration'sovert Christian nationalism amid war with Iran and to reaffirm his commitment to state/church separation.
"One thing I'm very passionate about is the separation of Church and State," Quigley wrote. "Pete Hegseth has said our service members are fighting #Iran 'in the name of Jesus Christ.' Religion is important to many Americans, but America was not founded on one religion." Quigley further asserted: "With this Secretary of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security posting Bible verses, the Trump administration is trying to make America look like the exclusionary extremists we claim to be against."
Over the weekend, Homeland Security's official Facebook page put up a bible verse, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people who he hath chosen for his own inheritance" from Psalm 33:12 and the additional supplication, "May God continue to shed his grace on our great nation." Accompanying the post was a graphic highlighting the phrase "One Homeland Under God."
As for Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary has continually centered his warrior brand of Christianity in his oversight of the U.S. military. Amid Trump's war of choice with Iran, Hegseth has framed military action as divinely sanctioned, invoking "God's almighty providence" and declaring that God is on the side of the U.S. military. Hegseth has also called on the American people to pray for U.S. victory in the "name of Jesus Christ."
In the first Pentagon worship service since the war in Iran began, Hegseth prayed for "overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy." Hegseth initiated worship services at the Pentagon in May of last year, an endeavor that the FFRF Action Fund is closely monitoring.
During a recent news conference covering the rescue of a crew member from a downed U.S. fighter jet in Iran, Hegseth again linked the needless warfare with his religion, professing, "Shot down on a Friday, Good Friday, hidden in a cave, a crevice, all of Saturday and rescued on Sunday. Flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday, a pilot reborn." Hegseth also repeated at this year's National Prayer Breakfast a made-up story about George Washington to corroborate the myth that the United States was founded as a Christian nation: "Just as George Washington knelt in the snow at Valley Forge, appealing to heaven for guidance and protection, so too our warriors do today."
Clearly, Christian nationalism and the erasure of constitutional state/church separation are central to the Trump administration and its war with Iran. FFRF Action Fund warmly thanks Quigley for his call-out.
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FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.
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Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/secularist-rep-mike-quigley-supports-state-church-separation/
[Category: Sociological]
CAIR-MN Welcomes Felony Charges for ICE Agent, Calls for Full Accountability
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on April 16, 2026:
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CAIR-MN Welcomes Felony Charges for ICE Agent, Calls for Full Accountability
The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) today welcomed the decision by the Hennepin County Attorney to charge an ICE agent with felony assault for conduct that endangered the public.
Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, was charged with felony assault for allegedly pointing a gun at a vehicle in Richfield, Minnesota.
CAIR-MN said it is an important step, and it
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on April 16, 2026:
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CAIR-MN Welcomes Felony Charges for ICE Agent, Calls for Full Accountability
The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) today welcomed the decision by the Hennepin County Attorney to charge an ICE agent with felony assault for conduct that endangered the public.
Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, was charged with felony assault for allegedly pointing a gun at a vehicle in Richfield, Minnesota.
CAIR-MN said it is an important step, and itmakes clear that federal agents operating in Minnesota are subject to the same laws as everyone else.
In a statement, Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR-MN, said:
"We welcome the bold decision by the Hennepin County Attorney to bring felony charges in this case. This is what accountability looks like, and it is long overdue. When federal agents violate the law, there must be consequences.
"This charge is a step forward, but it is not justice yet. We cannot accept a system in which one case moves while others remain unanswered. The killings of Alex and Renee still demand justice. Accountability must be consistent. No agency and no officer should be above the law."
He noted that the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good are still unresolved. The shooting of Julio Sosa Celis raised serious concerns about the use of force and conflicting accounts. These cases have shaken public trust and demand full transparency and accountability.
CAIR-MN calls for full and independent investigations into all incidents involving federal agents in Minnesota. Our communities deserve answers, transparency, and accountability in every case.
The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) is a civil rights and advocacy organization dedicated to enhancing understanding of Islam, protecting civil liberties, empowering American Muslims, and building coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-mn-welcomes-felony-charges-for-ice-agent-calls-for-full-accountability/
[Category: Sociological]
CAIR Says House Vote Falling One Vote Short of Ending Iran War Shows Congress Closing in on Reasserting War Powers
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on April 16, 2026:
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CAIR Says House Vote Falling One Vote Short of Ending Iran War Shows Congress Closing in on Reasserting War Powers
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said a narrowly-failed House vote to end U.S. involvement in the war on Iran demonstrates that Congress is on the verge of reasserting its constitutional war powers authority.
The House voted 213-214 to reject a resolution introduced
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on April 16, 2026:
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CAIR Says House Vote Falling One Vote Short of Ending Iran War Shows Congress Closing in on Reasserting War Powers
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said a narrowly-failed House vote to end U.S. involvement in the war on Iran demonstrates that Congress is on the verge of reasserting its constitutional war powers authority.
The House voted 213-214 to reject a resolution introducedby Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY) directing the removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran absent explicit congressional authorization. The near party-line outcome reflects continued resistance within the Republican majority to placing limits on the president Trump's unauthorized and illegal military campaign.
The vote comes one day after the Senate rejected a similar effort to reassert congressional war powers authority by a vote of 52-47, with nearly every Republican voting to allow the war to continue and all but one Democrat voting to end it. Together, these back-to-back votes show that while congressional efforts have not yet succeeded, the margins are narrowing and momentum is building.
SEE: CAIR Welcomes Historic Increased Senate Democratic Support to Block Israel Bomb Transfers, Reassert War Powers Authority (https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-welcomes-historic-increased-senate-democratic-support-to-block-israel-bomb-transfers-reassert-war-powers-authority/)
Every House Democrat but one voted to enforce Congress's constitutional role. Representative Jared Golden (D-ME) broke with his party to oppose the measure, siding with those allowing the war to continue without authorization.
Only one House Republican, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), voted in favor of the resolution, underscoring that recognition of Congress's constitutional duty is beginning to cross party lines.
Representative Warren Davidson (R-OH), who previously supported efforts to end the war, voted "present," highlighting continued inconsistency among some members who have acknowledged the need to enforce war powers but declined to act in this vote.
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert S. McCaw said:
"Congress came within one vote of reasserting its constitutional authority over war. That is not a defeat. It is a clear signal that support for unchecked, unauthorized war is eroding.
"We commend Representative Gregory Meeks for introducing this measure and Representative Thomas Massie for standing on principle in defense of the Constitution. Their leadership reflects a growing recognition that Congress must act to end unauthorized hostilities.
"At the same time, House Republicans who blocked this resolution are choosing to enable an unauthorized war rather than fulfill their constitutional responsibilities. This vote reflects a continued willingness to defer to executive overreach even as the legal and moral case for ending this conflict becomes undeniable.
"There is no justification for a Democrat to vote to prolong an unauthorized war. Representative Jared Golden's decision to oppose this resolution stands in direct contradiction to the Constitution, congressional authority, and the views of the American public.
"The trajectory is unmistakable. Congress is closing in on the votes needed to end this war and reassert its authority. That moment is coming. The only question is how much more damage will be done before it arrives."
These votes follow earlier congressional efforts to invoke the War Powers Resolution and terminate U.S. involvement in hostilities against Iran, including a failed House vote in March. Each successive vote has narrowed the margin, signaling growing momentum in Congress to end unauthorized war-making.
Recent public polling indicates that a majority of Americans oppose the war and believe the administration lacks a clear strategy, underscoring the widening gap between public opinion and continued congressional inaction.
As the statutory deadline under the War Powers Resolution approaches, Congress faces a clear obligation to either authorize continued military operations or mandate the withdrawal of U.S. forces. CAIR urged lawmakers to act without delay to end unauthorized hostilities and restore constitutional accountability.
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-says-house-vote-falling-one-vote-short-of-ending-iran-war-shows-congress-closing-in-on-reasserting-war-powers/
[Category: Sociological]
CAIR Md. Welcomes Passage of Key Immigrants' Rights Bills as 'Landmark Step' for Dignity and Public Safety
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on April 16, 2026:
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CAIR Md. Welcomes Passage of Key Immigrants' Rights Bills as 'Landmark Step' for Dignity and Public Safety
The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today welcomed the Maryland General Assembly's passage of several key immigrant's rights bills including the Community TRUST Act (SB791) and the Data Privacy Act (HB711), calling it a landmark victory in protecting civil rights, strengthening community trust, and safeguarding the dignity of immigrant
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on April 16, 2026:
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CAIR Md. Welcomes Passage of Key Immigrants' Rights Bills as 'Landmark Step' for Dignity and Public Safety
The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today welcomed the Maryland General Assembly's passage of several key immigrant's rights bills including the Community TRUST Act (SB791) and the Data Privacy Act (HB711), calling it a landmark victory in protecting civil rights, strengthening community trust, and safeguarding the dignity of immigrantfamilies across the state.
Passed in the very final moments of the legislative session, these bills now head to Governor Wes Moore's desk for signature.
The Community TRUST Act establishes critical protections by requiring a judicial warrant for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) transfer requests, effectively ending unconstitutional detention practices based solely on administrative detainers. It also limits local law enforcement from acting as agents or informants for federal immigration authorities, helping ensure that public safety institutions serve all residents without fear or discrimination.
The Data Privacy Act closes dangerous loopholes that previously allowed ICE to access sensitive personal data through state systems, including Motor Vehicle Administration records, school data, and public benefits information. By restricting this access, the legislation helps prevent the misuse of personal data against vulnerable communities.
The immigrant justice bills were among CAIR's legislative priorities for the 2026 session.
In a statement, CAIR's Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry said:
"This hard-fought victory championed by We Are CASA and other community partners is rooted in courage, persistence, and the unwavering belief that immigrants are the backbone of our society and deserve equal protection. For too long, these communities have lived under the constant threat of separation and surveillance. The passage of these bills marks a turning point, affirming that Maryland will not be complicit in policies that erode trust and target our neighbors. We honor the children who testified about the pain of family separation, the mothers who stepped forward to demand justice, and the workers who spoke out despite real risks. Their voices transformed pain into policy and helped deliver this historic outcome. The moment reflects what is possible when communities unite to demand justice and hold institutions accountable."
Washington, D.C., based CAIR emphasized that the passage of these bills was made possible by years of grassroots organizing and the bravery of impacted individuals who shared their stories publicly.
CAIR's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-md-welcomes-passage-of-key-immigrants-rights-bills-as-landmark-step-for-dignity-and-public-safety/
[Category: Sociological]
73 Western Groups to Senate Leadership: No Deal With Devil on Permit Reform
SANTA FE, New Mexico, April 17 -- WildEarth Guardians posted the following news release on April 16, 2026:
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73 Western Groups to Senate Leadership: No Deal with Devil on Permit Reform
Fossil fuel dependence fuels conflict, economic shocks, and global instability
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WASHINGTON--Today, 73 western community, conservation, faith, and Indigenous groups representing 2.6 million members and supporters delivered a joint letter to Senate Minority Leader Schumer (NY), Sen. Heinrich (NM), Sen. Whitehouse (RI), and House Minority Leader Jeffries demanding they reconsider their pursuit of "permitting
... Show Full Article
SANTA FE, New Mexico, April 17 -- WildEarth Guardians posted the following news release on April 16, 2026:
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73 Western Groups to Senate Leadership: No Deal with Devil on Permit Reform
Fossil fuel dependence fuels conflict, economic shocks, and global instability
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WASHINGTON--Today, 73 western community, conservation, faith, and Indigenous groups representing 2.6 million members and supporters delivered a joint letter to Senate Minority Leader Schumer (NY), Sen. Heinrich (NM), Sen. Whitehouse (RI), and House Minority Leader Jeffries demanding they reconsider their pursuit of "permittingreform" that cedes ground to energy and technology industries by targeting the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other bedrock environmental laws in the 119th Congress.
Given Congress' extreme right-wing ideological composition and alignment with the Trump administration's deregulatory agenda, any permitting legislation that could conceivably emerge would unacceptably erode bedrock community and environmental safeguards, exclude the public from federal decision making, and diminish the transparency and accountability now required of government agencies by federal law. The primary beneficiaries of the proposed changes under discussion would be polluting industries aligned with the administration's agenda--many of which are building out a plague of fossil fuel-powered AI data centers that consume enormous volumes of fresh water.
"We're seeing in real time how fossil fuel dependence fuels conflict, economic shocks, and global instability. Instead of learning from that, permitting reform would lock us further into the same system that's driving these crises," said Rebecca Sobel, climate and health director at WildEarth Guardians.
"The first rule of negotiation is that it's impossible to reach workable solutions with bad-faith actors," said Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, executive director of the Western Environmental Law Center and author of today's letter. "Today's Republican Congress has shown unprecedented hostility to climate, environmental, and community protections. It is glaringly obvious that any changes to our bedrock environmental laws signed by President Trump would sacrifice far too much and compromise the imperative to foster a just and equitable transition to an economy powered by renewable energy. We urge Sen. Heinrich and Sen. Whitehouse to withdraw from negotiations and stand with us and the public lands, waters, and wildlife of the West to build momentum for a progressive permit reform effort with stronger bargaining power after the mid-term elections."
The primary target of "permit reform" legislation is NEPA. NEPA requires agencies to: (1) take a hard look at impacts to people, communities, and the environment and disclose those impacts to the public; (2) consider alternatives to avoid and mitigate harm; and (3) provide for public involvement. In December 2025, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act (H.R. 4776) passed the House and is now pending in the Senate. The SPEED Act would:
* Arbitrarily narrow the scope of environmental reviews, paving the way for unchecked resource extraction without proper consideration of environmental and community impacts;
* Permit agencies to ignore new scientific or technical research when preparing an environmental review and thereby risk decisions that harm the public interest, and
* Eviscerate the public's right to seek justice and accountability in federal court.
These changes would reduce environmental review to a paperwork exercise and limit judicial accountability to the point of meaninglessness. Importantly, proponents of permitting reform have also signaled strong interest in changing other bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Historical Preservation Act. These proposals effectively neutralize environmental and community protections to accelerate permit approvals for energy, technology, and other infrastructure--primarily climate-harming fossil fuels.
The Trump administration and its enablers in Congress have demonstrated their hostility to environmental safeguards as well as indifference or ignorance of the public health and ecological effects of these changes by fundamentally eroding, incapacitating, planning to repeal, removing protections for, or fundamentally undermining as agencies the:
* Endangered Species Act
* Roadless Rule
* Endangerment finding on climate emissions
* Clean Water Act
* Clean Air Act
* Methane Rule
* Public Lands Rule
* Chaco Culture National Historical Park protection zone
* Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness protections
* Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A)
* Powder River Basin coal leasing withdrawal
* U.S. Forest Service
* Environmental Protection Agency
This overwhelming attack on environmental, public health, and community protections shows beyond all doubt that this Congress and the Trump administration will never negotiate in good faith on changes to these laws.
The previous administration proved that improving permitting is possible without throwing the baby out with the bath water. The Inflation Reduction Act and other policies have expedited permitting without sacrificing protections. The Biden administration reduced permit timelines by eight months government-wide, demonstrating that infrastructure permitting can be accelerated without compromising public interest safeguards critical to the West's public lands, waters, wildlife, and communities.
"Our Congressional representatives must not help the Trump administration, Big Tech, and the fossil fuel industry steamroll our communities by making a bad deal on environmental rollbacks in the most extreme American Congress of our lifetimes," Schlenker-Goodrich emphasized. "Keep in mind that Westerners are fierce defenders of the landscapes they call home."
According to Colorado College's 2026 Conservation in the West survey, more than four in five western voters in the Intermountain West say conservation is an important factor in choosing whether to support an elected official. The importance of conservation cuts across party lines--78% of Republicans, 86% of Independents, and 93% of Democrats identify it as an important issue. Salient to the permitting reform debate, "vast majorities" (70%) agreed that the rollback of environmental laws is a "serious problem" and a similar majority (>66%) worried these rollbacks would have a negative impact on the West. Additionally, 76% of westerners--including 74% of New Mexicans--prefer that their elected members of Congress protect "public lands over maximizing energy production," with the percentage of Republicans holding this position rising from 48% in 2019 to 62% in 2026.
Quotes:
"Our national forests and other public lands are already threatened with arbitrary timber targets and rollbacks of longstanding safeguards," said John Persell, senior staff attorney at Oregon Wild. "Full exploitation is this administration's stated goal. We must strengthen our bedrock environmental laws in the face of these attacks, not weaken them."
"New Mexico's exceptional natural and cultural landscapes, including Chaco, the Upper Pecos Watershed, and our roadless forests, are under increasing threat," said Sally Paez, staff attorney at New Mexico Wild. "We urge Congress to reject any 'permitting reform' that would remove the few legal guardrails that safeguard New Mexico's wilderness, wildlife, and waters for current and future generations."
"We believe the Willamette River's clean waters and healthy habitat safe for fishing and recreation are basic public rights," said Michelle Emmons and Heather King, co-executive directors of Willamette Riverkeeper. "Rolling back fundamental environmental laws would degrade our river and infringe on those rights."
"In Montana, NEPA and other bedrock laws keep our residents safer than they otherwise would be from mining and other extractive industries," said Caryn Miske, director of the Sierra Club Montana Chapter. "Our rivers, our air, our forests, wildlife, and health all depend on the safeguards in these laws, and they should be strengthened if anything--not gutted to facilitate even more exploitation."
"This attack on public engagement in major project decisions is also an attack on Indigenous voices across New Mexico, across the West, and throughout the United States," said Ahtza Chavez, CEO of Naeva. "Far too often, project proposals disregard impacts to sacred sites and cultural resources, and the public process is the only way to ensure the safety of Indigenous history and communities. Silencing needed conversations is not 'reform'--it is oppression."
"Weakening environmental and cultural protections in the name of progress disrespects the people and lands that actually make this country great," said Carlos Matutes at GreenLatinos of New Mexico.
"If these federal permitting reforms happen, we stand to lose bedrock protections like the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Historical Preservation Act l, which have given generations the peace of mind that there will be clean water to drink and wonders of nature for our children to marvel at," said Jacob Vigil, chief legislative officer of New Mexico Voices for Children. "We strongly support community and environmental safeguards that center children's right to clean water and a thriving natural world."
"As the short-sighted interests of fossil-fuel based extraction and energy continue to dominate the hearts of so many in power, people of faith and conscience are calling for courage and true service of the common good," said Rev. Clara Sims, assistant executive director of New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light. "This is a critical time for our leaders to hold the line against permitting reform and all policies that seek to pillage this sacred earth and rob the future of life that is abundant and flourishing in New Mexico and everywhere."
"We've seen this playbook before: 'rapid clean energy deployment' is once again being used to justify sweeping permitting rollbacks, even as environmental justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and community health are pushed to the margins," said Mar Zepeda, legislative director of the Climate Justice Alliance. "If Congress advances a deregulatory framework, what guarantees that this administration will uphold the rule of law when protections, oversight, and community input are weakened? Speed without accountability is not progress, it's a pathway to harm. If we are serious about a just and sustainable future, ecological integrity and community governance must be non-negotiable, not collateral damage."
"Our public lands in the North Cascades are crown jewels of our remaining wilderness and must be protected from industrial exploitation," said Phillip Fenner, president of the North Cascades Conservation Council.
"We need to strengthen environmental protection and find ways to deal with the warming climate," said John R. Bridge, president of Olympic Park Advocates.
"We oppose this action knowing full well that it will cause great harm to all of us and the most important priority, the very source of our existence, living, biologically diverse, properly functioning ecosystems," said Cindy Haws, president of the Umpqua Natural Leadership Science Hub.
"In many cases, the only thing standing between our region's irreplaceable mature and old-growth forests and the chainsaw are these environmental laws," said Janice Reid, president of Umpqua Watersheds. "Older forests are too special to log, and we are concerned that rollbacks at this time will destroy our natural heritage."
"Sacrificing environmental health and auctioning-off public lands must stop," said Garry Brown, president and CEO of Orange County Coastkeeper. "This administration is causing irreparable harm to America."
"As the administration upends our longstanding procedures for public participation, we cannot let Congress take away our rights to meaningfully engage with agencies too," said Kyle Roerink, executive director of the Great Basin Water Network. "This is not reform in any legitimate sense. This is a rapid erosion of our norms and standards for stopping arbitrary and capricious decision making."
"The Shasta River is our area's lifeblood, for irrigation, recreation, and so much more," said Dave Webb, board member of Friends of the Shasta River. "Water quality and quantity in our basin is fragile, and requires at least the level of protection current environmental laws provide. Rolling back these protections would jeopardize our way of life."
"Mount Shasta is a natural sanctuary and sacred landscape to Indigenous people," said Nick Joslin, policy and advocacy director at the Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center. "Permit reform right now, with this Congress, would allow shortsighted resource extraction with extremely limited oversight that is incompatible with a thriving Mount Shasta and all it supports."
"NEPA isn't the cause of permitting challenges--bad ideas are," said Christine Canaly, director of the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council. "Good projects move forward, inappropriate ones are slowed down, restructured, or stopped; that's how decisions are supposed to work when managing America's public lands."
"Too many of Oregon's bird populations are already in decline or at risk of extinction. We cannot afford yet another effort to weaken land management regulations that maximizes extraction," said Joe Liebezeit, statewide conservation director at the Bird Alliance of Oregon. "Reducing wildlands protections throughout the West would have devastating impacts to migratory bird populations and to the habitats they depend on."
"The Trump administration's attacks on environmental reviews are already cutting the public out of public lands," said Erik Molvar of Western Watersheds Project. "We don't need permitting reform to enable more backroom deals with industry. What we need is NEPA restoration legislation to codify the regulations that have guided environmental reviews for decades, and which underpin the legal precedents that have always guided decisionmaking."
"Environmental laws exist because pollution harms people. Rolling them back under the banner of permitting reform would undermine protections that New Mexico families rely on for clean air, safe water, and healthy communities," said Ashley Proud, executive director of Healthy Climate New Mexico.
"Our community, which surrounds a federal nuclear weapons research and design laboratory, has depended on the National Environmental Policy Act's public participation requirements to provide the only opportunity for those who are directly affected to speak directly to federal agency decision makers planning new programs and infrastructure for dangerous nuclear weapons activities," said Scott Yundt, executive director of Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment (CAREs). "It is also the only opportunity for state regulators, local government officials, tribes, and community organizations to have input. This permitting reform push is sweeping up opportunities for public comment that are essential in a well-functioning democracy."
"Keep the environmental safeguards in place on our public lands that help to protect our water, wildlife, and the varied communities around the West," said Thomas Hollender, board member of the White Mountain Conservation League.
"Mining companies have staked claims to nearly 20,000 acres in the Gila National Forest over the last year," said Allyson Siwik, executive director of the Gila Resources Information Project. "We believe regulatory rollbacks are at least part of the incentive for the huge increase in exploration-related activities in southwest New Mexico."
"Deregulatory permitting reform right now only means the fossil fuel industry will be forever dominant in this nation, which is why they are the biggest cheerleader for making a deal now," said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center For Biological Diversity. "Democrats must focus on fighting the lawless Trump administration and the fossil fuel industry, not cut deals with people that only seek to destroy clean energy and a livable future."
"As a frontline family ranch impacted daily by the oil & gas industry--our health, our land, our air and water--we urge Sen. Heinrich and all members of Congress to defend families like ours, and frontline communities everywhere from any rollback of the already lax and permissive oil and gas regulations that affect our lives so deeply every day," said Don Schreiber, owner of Devil's Spring Ranch.
"On behalf of the children, the thousands of past and present Global Warming Expressers of the past 15 years in New Mexico, who continue to inform the grownups of the necessity for gratitude for, connection to and protection of all beings, sentient and non sentient, in this beautiful and fragile world, we strongly request that the members of Congress go for a long walk in an abundance of nature, and not return until such time that they realize the irreparable harm this choice for permitting reform will inflict upon all species, including all humans, including themselves and their own children and grandchildren, now, and for decades and decades to come," said Genie Stevens, executive director of Global Warming Express.
"Regulatory reform should be strengthening our laws that protect clean water, fish, wildlife and people, not weakening them," said Arlene Montgomery, program director of Friends of the Wild Swan.
"America will celebrate our 250th anniversary July 4th, 2026, and North Dakota is opening the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library," said Shannon Straight, executive director of the Badlands Conservation Alliance. "Ironically, Theodore Roosevelt's conservation legacy is being unraveled by former North Dakota Governor and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and the Trump administration. The administration views our public lands, landscape, and waters as 'assets' to be sold to the wealthy. Once gone, public lands will never return to the people. Theodore Roosevelt supported responsible resource development alongside conservation. It's incumbent on all of us to stand up for not only America's best idea, the National Park System, but for the generations to come that deserve fresh water, clean air and public lands to enjoy as we all have for the past generations."
"The sheer size of many of the projects these changes would seek to force through would irreparably harm Montana's wildlife and their needed migration corridors," said Clinton Nagel, president of the Gallatin Wildlife Association. "Greater Yellowstone needs healthy wildlife to thrive, and these changes would severely impair both."
"Southeastern Alaska's economy depends on healthy salmon, and healthy salmon require strong environmental protections," said Maggie Rabb, executive director of the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council. "Salmon are a sensitive species, as are so many other important fish and wildlife in our region. We oppose any changes to bedrock environmental laws that if anything should be strengthened."
"Wyoming's wildlands are rugged and beautiful, but also fragile," said Aaron Bannon, executive director of the Wyoming Wilderness Association. "With so many areas in our state still in need of added protections, rolling back such a fundamental law as the National Environmental Policy Act would be a move in the wrong direction."
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INFODOC: https://westernlaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/WELCetal_PermittingReformSignOn_April2026.pdf
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Original text here: https://wildearthguardians.org/press-releases/73-western-groups-to-senate-leadership-no-deal-with-devil-on-permit-reform/
[Category: Environment]
