Can the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Help Fight Climate Change?

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report is sobering. The scale of action we take over the next few years will have life-or-death consequences for many communities and workers both globally and here in the US. 

The Atlantic sums up the report's implications well: “If climate change is happening now, then its time scales—which once seemed distant—are suddenly ticking by at the speed of the political or business calendars.” 

Therefore, the federal recovery measures currently moving through Congress, specifically the infrastructure package, present a once-in-a generation opportunity for rapid investment in climate and jobs that we simply don't have time to pass up. 

The scale of the climate investments in the package, which will include rail and other public transit upgrades and electrification, electric vehicle infrastructure and climate resilience projects, are still in negotiation. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal recently passed the Senate, and the House reconvened from a break this week to consider a larger, multi-trillion proposed infrastructure package as part of the larger budget reconciliation process.

Check out these helpful breakdowns from the New York Times on what's in the infrastructure package so far and what it means for climate. 

Doug O'Malley, director of Environment New Jersey and Jersey Renews steering committee member, also writes in NJ Spotlight about why New Jersey specifically needs an infrastructure plan that centers climate:

We do not need to look at the data to see the impact of climate change -- we’re all living it. Inland communities such as Dunellen are overwhelmed with the costs of aging sewer lines and maintaining antiquated stormwater management systems, which result in increased flooding of our streets from more frequent storms. Infrastructure bill improvements would help lower flood insurance premiums for homes within a flood zone.

You can read the full piece, co-authored with Dunellen mayor Jason Cilento, here. And check out The Atlantic's analysis for a fuller understanding of the IPCC report and what it tells us about what needs to be done to avert the worst scenarios for climate catastrophe

Chronic School Underfunding: A Statewide Dilemma

Despite consistently being a top ranked state for education, NJ continues to struggle with funding issues. In fact, a recent report by Mark Weber, Ph.D., Special Analyst for Education Policy with NJ Policy Perspective (NJPP), shows that  New Jersey’s school funding law, the School Funding Reform Act of 2008 (SFRA), needs serious recalibration.

The School Funding Reform Act of 2008 (SFRA) sets funding targets for the state’s school districts based on their needs and capacity to raise local tax revenue. The SFRA was devised to address students in poverty, English language learners, and those with learning disabilities who require more funding to equalize their education opportunities. 

Unfortunately, the SFRA has never been fully funded by the state, leaving many districts in New Jersey to make do with revenues that are less than what the state’s law says they need. Evidence supports that funding targets set for SFRA are too low to even meet current state standards.

Underfunded districts deal with a lack of art, language, PE, and science programs as well as fewer teachers, especially those with advanced degrees. These schools often have more students per teacher, meaning larger class sizes and reduced instructional time.

Every child deserves the same access to experienced teachers and a thorough education. Recalibrating SFRA to address the disparities across the state is necessary to provide an equal opportunity for a quality education. 

You can read Mark Weber’s full report, The Consequences of School Underfunding here.

New York City Makes More Moves Towards a Public Bank

In New York City, economic justice advocates are demanding the city divest from Wall Street and into a public bank, owned by the people of NYC. 

This runs parallel to efforts being made at the state level in New York to establish a public bank. Public banking is a step towards democratizing our economy, managing state funds more efficiently for working people, and preventing Wall Street from extracting exorbitant amounts of interest from taxpayers.

TAKE ACTION: Let state leadership know: it’s time New Jersey caught up, and established a public bank that represents and invests in working people.

SIGN UP: To organize for a public bank in your community!