SB 783

Did not advanceConstitutional amendmentCrossfile HB 596

Constitutional Amendment - Environmental Rights

Sponsor: William C. Smith, Jr. (District 20)Committee: Judicial ProceedingsSubject: EnvironmentStatus: Hearing 3/09 at 1:00 p.m. (Judicial Proceedings) (as of Nov 15, 2022)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Maryland to establish that every person has the fundamental and inalienable right to a healthful and sustainable environment; and requiring the State to serve as the trustee of the State's natural resources, including the air, land, water, wildlife, and ecosystems of the State, and to conserve, protect, and enhance the State's natural resources for the benefit of every person, including present and future generations.

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Testimony (87)

MGA witness list

FAV 64FavorableUNF 23Unfavorable

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Moore, Thomas Earle	3rd Rock Research	Written (PDF)
FAV	Guitarra, Denisselobbyist	Audubon Naturalist Society	Written (PDF)
FAV	Avins, Miriam	Baltimore City Commission on Sustainability	Written (PDF)
FAV	Beller, Joel	Baltimore County Government	Written (PDF)
FAV	Dismel, Antonio	Baltimore beyond plastic	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilkinson, nanci	Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church Environmental Justice Ministry	Written (PDF)
FAV	Schmitt, Katlyn	Center for Progressive Reform	Oral
FAV	Clark, Robin Jessicalobbyist	Chesapeake Bay Foundation	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Isaacson, Evan	Chesapeake Legal Alliance	Written (PDF)
FAV	Cheng, Joyce	Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility	Written (PDF)
FAV	DuBois, Gwen	Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility	Written (PDF)
FAV	Day, Jacob	City of Salisbury	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fox, Jamal	City of Takoma Park	Written (PDF)
FAV	McGilvray, Laurie	Climate Justice Wing of the Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jakuta, Joseph	Climate Parents of Prince George's	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hudson, Lee	Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCA	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bartlett, Olivia	DoTheMostGood	Written (PDF)
FAV	Gansler, Douglas	Former Attorney General of Maryland	Oral
FAV	Norton, Ruth Ann	Green & Healthy Homes Initiative	Written (PDF)
FAV	Miller, Elizabeth	Green Towson Alliance	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rose, Jodilobbyist	Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lacock-Nisly, Jonathan	Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Singer, Elizabeth	Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Howard County	Written (PDF)
FAV	Tulkin, Joshlobbyist	MD Sierra Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Miller, Claire	Maryland Campaign for Environmental Human Rights	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kraska, MJ	Maryland Catholic Conference	Written (PDF)
FAV	Cleghorn, J. Stephen	Maryland Catholics for Our Common Home	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Simon, Robert	Maryland Catholics for Our Common Home	Written (PDF)
FAV	Carella, Veronika	Maryland Children's Environmental Health Coalition (MD CEHC)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Boyd, Linda	Maryland Episcopal Public Policy Network	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Schwarz, Kurt	Maryland Ornithological Society	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hartwell, Staci	NAACP	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Hart, Kyle	National Parks Conservation Association	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kemerer, Hannibal	Office of Attorney General	Written (PDF)
FAV	Marguerite, Christianne	Progressive Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Goldstein, Mathew	Secular Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Raindrop, Bonnie	Smart on Pesticides	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kranz, Rhonda	Takoma Park Mobilization Environment Committee	Written (PDF)
FAV	McGilvray, Laurie	Takoma Park Mobilization Environment Committee	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hoefner, Ferd	Takoma Park Presbyterian Church	Written (PDF)
FAV	Egan, Ashleylobbyist	UULM-MD	Written (PDF)
FAV	McNair, Lee	Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice Ministry	Written (PDF)
FAV	University of Maryland, College Park, SGA Director of Sustainability	University of Maryland, Student Government Association	Written (PDF)
FAV	Arndt, Dave	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ashley-Williams, Wandralobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Benn, Sarahia	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Breen, John	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Cardin, Nina	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Chitalia, Suhani	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Chitalia, Suhani	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Gaut, Mary	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Gayle, Linda	Individual	Oral
FAV	Grifo-Hahn, Luca	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Grindrod, Jacky	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jarvis, Barbara	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jasen, Debi	Individual	Position only
FAV	Littleton, Matt	Individual	Oral
FAV	Matheson, Barbara	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rosenthal, Lore	Individual	Written (PDF)

Showing 60 of 87

Organizations on record

3rd Rock ResearchFAV 1

Audubon Naturalist SocietyFAV 1

Baltimore beyond plasticFAV 1

Baltimore City Commission on SustainabilityFAV 1

Baltimore County GovernmentFAV 1

Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1

Center for Progressive ReformFAV 1

Chesapeake Bay FoundationFAV 1

Chesapeake Legal AllianceFAV 1

Chesapeake Physicians for Social ResponsibilityFAV 2

City of SalisburyFAV 1

City of Takoma ParkFAV 1

Climate Justice Wing of the Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Climate Parents of Prince George'sFAV 1

Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCAFAV 1

DoTheMostGoodFAV 1

Evans & Associates, LLCUNF 1

Former Attorney General of MarylandFAV 1

Gordon Feinblatt, LLCUNF 1

Green & Healthy Homes InitiativeFAV 1

Green Towson AllianceFAV 1

Interfaith Partners for the ChesapeakeFAV 1

Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA)FAV 1

Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Howard CountyFAV 1

Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)UNF 1

Maryland Building Industry AssociationUNF 1

Maryland Campaign for Environmental Human RightsFAV 1

Maryland Catholic ConferenceFAV 1

Maryland Catholics for Our Common HomeFAV 2

Maryland Children's Environmental Health Coalition (MD CEHC)FAV 1

Maryland Episcopal Public Policy NetworkFAV 1

Maryland Farm BureauUNF 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland Municipal LeagueUNF 1

Maryland Ornithological SocietyFAV 1

Maryland RealtorsUNF 1

MD Chamber of CommerceUNF 1

MD Sierra ClubFAV 1

MTBMAUNF 1

NAACPFAV 1

National Parks Conservation AssociationFAV 1

Office of Attorney GeneralFAV 1

Progressive MarylandFAV 1

Secular MarylandFAV 1

Smart on PesticidesFAV 1

Takoma Park Mobilization Environment CommitteeFAV 2

Takoma Park Presbyterian ChurchFAV 1

Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1

University of Maryland, Student Government AssociationFAV 1

UULM-MDFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVGuitarra, DenisseAudubon Naturalist SocietyRegistered for: Nature Forward

FAVClark, Robin JessicaChesapeake Bay FoundationRegistered for: Chesapeake Bay Foundation; American Heart Association; Indivior, Inc.

FAVRose, JodiInterfaith Partners for the ChesapeakeRegistered for: Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake

FAVTulkin, JoshMD Sierra ClubRegistered for: Sierra Club Maryland Chapter

FAVEgan, AshleyUULM-MDRegistered for: UULM-MD

FAVAshley-Williams, WandraRegistered for: Climate XChange

UNFClark, RachelEvans & Associates, LLCRegistered for: Accenture LLP; Arundel Amusements/Bingo World; Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence; CALSTART; Carvana; Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 89…

UNFPowell, MichaelGordon Feinblatt, LLCRegistered for: Aligned Data Centers; COPT Defense Properties; Constellation Energy Generation, LLC; Honeywell International, Inc.; Maryland Building Industry Association; National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, Maryland…

UNFGraf, LoriMaryland Building Industry AssociationRegistered for: Maryland Building Industry Association

UNFPorter, HollyRegistered for: Delmarva Chicken Association

UNFThompson, LindsayRegistered for: Alliance to Prevent Legionnaire's Disease; American Farmland Trust; CropLife America; Delaware-Maryland Agribusiness Association; Denali Water Solutions; Horizon Farm Credit…