Empire Staters: Tell Albany to Combat Climate Change by March 31st

March is here and so is a major opportunity for New York state lawmakers to take bold action over the next several weeks to combat climate change.

March 31, 2008 is a hard deadline for two important decisions:

As usual, it is the deadline by which Albany must adopt its annual budget for the fiscal year that begins on April 1st. This is when critical matters such as the Environmental Protection Fund, the Bigger Better Bottle Bill and financial incentives such as a Bioheat Tax Credit are decided.

The other is the final deadline by which Albany can adopt a Congestion Pricing Plan that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, dramatically ease traffic congestion, provide desperately needed dollars for our mass transit system and further strengthen the economy of the entire downstate region. In order to be eligible for $354 million in federal funding, the Legislature must approve the program no later than March 31st.

Take action; these initiatives are critical components of a greener and greater New York.