State Legislatures – The USA Potato

This story was originally published by Canary Media and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. It’s not just federal headwinds that threaten to constrain renewable energy development. State and local restrictions on solar and wind are spreading across the United States, too. Few states highlight this fact as well as Ohio does. The Buckeye State makes […]

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Climate Change, Climate Desk, Energy, Environment, Politics, Regulatory Affairs, State Legislatures

Ohio Lawmakers Consider Bill That Would Essentially Ban Solar and Wind Projects Read Post »

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Oregon Bill Would Tax Tourists to Protect Animals and Their Habitats

Amal Ahmed / 31/01/2026

This story was originally published by High Country News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. When Oregon’s short legislative session convenes in early February, conservation advocates will once again try to convince lawmakers to pass a major funding bill that could provide nearly $30 million annually to protect the state’s biodiversity. The 1% for […]

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Animals, Climate Change, Climate Desk, Environment, Politics, State Legislatures

Oregon Bill Would Tax Tourists to Protect Animals and Their Habitats Read Post »

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A Year Later, We’re All Paying for Trump’s Assault on the “Green New Scam”

Sophie Hurwitz / 26/01/2026

This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The Village of Sauget in St. Clair County, Illinois, was founded in order to be polluted. Incorporated in 1926 by a group of Monsanto Chemical Company executives (and initially named “Monsanto”) it was and is an industry town: with deliberately lax manufacturing and […]

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Climate Change, Climate Desk, Donald Trump, Energy, Environment, Natural Disasters, Politics, State Legislatures

A Year Later, We’re All Paying for Trump’s Assault on the “Green New Scam” Read Post »

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California Senate Bill Would Grease the Skids for Balcony Solar

Alison F. Takemura / 23/01/2026

This story was originally published by Canary Media and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. California lawmakers are considering two bills that would slash red tape for households looking to add certain types of clean tech. Earlier this month, Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener, whose district includes San Francisco, introduced legislation that would make it easier […]

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Climate Change, Climate Desk, Energy, Environment, Politics, State Legislatures, Tech

California Senate Bill Would Grease the Skids for Balcony Solar Read Post »

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Virginia’s GOP Went All In on Voter Suppression—And Still Got Wrecked

Arianna Coghill / 04/11/2025

Despite years of voter suppression efforts by the state’s Republican Party, Virginians have spoken: It’s time for GOP gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears to “go somewhere and sit down.” Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat who represented the state’s 7th District in Congress until this year, defeated Earle-Sears in a highly anticipated race to become the […]

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Democrats, Elections, Politics, State Legislatures, Women, Women in Politics

Virginia’s GOP Went All In on Voter Suppression—And Still Got Wrecked Read Post »

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Democratic Politicians Have Largely Abandoned Climate Talk

Kate Yoder / 23/10/2025

This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Nearly a year after the 2024 election, Democrats are still trying to figure out what went wrong. In the midst of this soul-searching, a new piece of advice has appeared: “Don’t say climate change.” That’s the takeaway from a recent poll by the […]

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Climate Change, Climate Desk, Congress, Elections, Environment, Politics, State Legislatures

Democratic Politicians Have Largely Abandoned Climate Talk Read Post »

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California Bans Police From Concealing Killings While Grilling Relatives For Dirt

Brian Howey / 14/10/2025

A new California law will effectively ban a deceptive policing tactic used for years against the families of people killed by police and popularized by the nation’s largest developer of law enforcement policy manuals. The legislation, signed Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, will require investigators for police agencies and prosecutors’ offices to tell the families […]

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California, Police, Police Violence, Politics, State Legislatures

California Bans Police From Concealing Killings While Grilling Relatives For Dirt Read Post »

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Local Governments Worked Hard to Hedge Against Climate Disaster. Florida Leaders Bigfooted Them.

Amy Green / 13/10/2025

This story was originally published by Inside Climate News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Manatee County’s commissioners didn’t expect to be threatened with removal from office for considering two measures meant to enhance disaster resilience in this fast-growing county on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The measures, both amendments to the county’s comprehensive plan, were […]

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Climate Change, Climate Desk, Environment, Politics, Ron DeSantis, State Legislatures

Local Governments Worked Hard to Hedge Against Climate Disaster. Florida Leaders Bigfooted Them. Read Post »

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Newsom Just Vetoed California Bills Meant to Make the Grid Reliable and Tackle High Costs

Jeff St. John / 11/10/2025

This story was originally published by Canary Media and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California has vetoed three bills that aimed to boost the use of virtual power plants, undermining an opportunity to decrease the state’s fast-rising electricity costs and increase its grid reliability. On Friday, Newsom vetoed AB 44, AB 740, and SB 541, […]

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Climate Change, Climate Desk, Energy, Environment, Politics, Regulatory Affairs, State Legislatures

Newsom Just Vetoed California Bills Meant to Make the Grid Reliable and Tackle High Costs Read Post »

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New Hampshire and Vermont Could be Next to Introduce “Balcony Solar”

Sarah Shemkus / 27/09/2025

This story was originally published by Canary Media and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Small solar-panel kits that can be assembled as easily as an Ikea bookcase and plugged into a regular residential outlet could be coming soon to New Hampshire and Vermont. Lawmakers and advocates in both states are preparing legislation that would […]

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Climate Change, Climate Desk, Economy, Energy, Environment, Politics, State Legislatures

New Hampshire and Vermont Could be Next to Introduce “Balcony Solar” Read Post »

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Justice Department Aims to Kill State Laws That Compel Major Polluters to Pay for Climate Harm

Dharna Noor / 18/09/2025

This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Donald Trump’s justice department has asked a judge to shut down a Vermont law which holds major polluters financially responsible for climate damages. In a brief filed on Monday in a federal court in Burlington, the administration said the policy was “unlawful on its […]

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Climate Change, Climate Desk, Courts, Energy, Environment, Politics, State Legislatures

Justice Department Aims to Kill State Laws That Compel Major Polluters to Pay for Climate Harm Read Post »

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Texas Flood Relief Took a Back Seat to Trump’s Redistricting Demands: “It’s a travesty.”

Naveena Sadasivam / 26/08/2025

This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. In early July, flash floods along the Guadalupe River killed 138 people and caused an estimated $1.1 billion in damage, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in Texas history. But just a week later, Texas found itself whiplashed into another crisis altogether: […]

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Climate Change, Climate Desk, Environment, Natural Disasters, Politics, State Legislatures

Texas Flood Relief Took a Back Seat to Trump’s Redistricting Demands: “It’s a travesty.” Read Post »