Media outlets are reporting that 14 individuals at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) were arrested today at a regents committee meeting debating student fee increases.
The meeting was closed to visitors after repeated outbursts by students and union members.
Protesters chanted outside the building as the university Board of Regents committee voted to boost fees over two years. The full board is scheduled to vote Thursday.
Despite the public outcry, the regents OK’d a 32 percent increase to fees at all university campuses.
The vote comes amid an escalating budget shortfall in the state, totaling $21 billion.
What time did you wake up yesterday morning? I woke up at 5:00 a.m. to go down to the Dirksen Senate Office Building and attend the first hearing for the new climate bill. The bill, co-sponsored by Senator Kerry (D-MA) and Senator Boxer (D-CA), is called the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act — aka CEJAPA and is similar in many ways to the recently passed American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) in the House.
Along with other 10 young people, dressed in Halloween garbs or green t-shirts , we tried to get into the hearing room to show that young people are paying attention and are ready to hold our elected officials accountable. Unfortunately, due to corporate hired linestanders, we weren’t able to get in. Linestanders you ask? Yup, here is how it works:
Hearing rooms are small, especially considering that most seats go to Senate staffers (from offices of Senators who aren’t on the committee) and press. Most hearings are held with barely any ordinary citizen in the room, but some contentious ones — like recent healthcare, defense and climate hearings – fill up pretty quick. The few spots left are open on a first-come, first-serve basis meaning that people need to make sure to get there early if they care to have a seat in clear view of the senators and the CSPAN cameras.
Just like young people desperately want legislators to see them (and we make sure they do by wearing bright green t-shirts, holding hard hats on our laps, and holding small 8.5 x 11 signs), so do the lobbyists that bring so much money to their election coffers. Thirteen line-standers for corporate lobbyists were in line ahead of us, but there were only nine seats were available in the room so we weren’t successful this time around. Young people waiting in line made a pretty big splash nonetheless by talking to Senators and press as they were making their way into the room.
After making sure that the young people who came from as far as Maryland were OK with going to the overflow room, I darted back to the office to listen to the hearing through the Committee website (more hearings are going on today and tomorrow, check them out here if you are interested).
The hearings were surprisingly interesting. For minute-to-minute summary, check out my live-blog about the opening remarks and about the testimonies. There were three things that came up during the hearing that every person concerned about the climate crisis should know:
On their first day back to work after an eventful summer, Senators were greeted by 40 climate activists eager to demonstrate what clean energy jobs look like. Smack in the middle of the Hart Senate Office building the 40 activists built miniature windmills and made mechanical noises until interrupted by the Capitol Police. At that point, a 50 ft banner dropped demanding that the Senators “Get to Work” for “Green Jobs Now”. This protest was organized by a coalition of climate organizations including the Energy Action Coalition, Avaaz.org, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Campus Progress.
“As the Senate reconvenes today, too many Americans are out of work and getting sick from our current dirty energy systems. We must act now,” said Pete Griffin, Campaign Director for Energy Action Coalition. “This historic youth movement fighting for jobs and clean energy is getting larger every day and the action, or inaction, of the Senators walking through those doors today will influence how young people mobilize next year as 36 of them make bids for reelection.”
Mirroring the upsurge in climate organizing happening throughout the nation, this action launched a new season of inside-the-beltway activity around climate legislation. The Senate is set to discuss a climate bill around the end of the month and they can be sure to be greeted by young people in hard hats demanding that they stick to the science and keep the world’s most vulnerable nations in mind.
“We can’t wait any longer,” said Kim Huynh with the Avaaz Climate Action Factory. “The world’s leading climate scientists have said we have only a few years to act, and meaningful action is going to require global participation. World leaders are meeting in Denmark in December to craft an international climate-change agreement, and the outcome hinges on whether the U.S. Senate will pass climate legislation this fall.”
Getting a climate bill passed before Copenhagen is possibly our last chance to prove to the international community that we are serious about tackling the climate crisis, but it can’t just be any bill. The proposal that passed the house this spring falls short of what scientists are saying is necessary and don’t do enough to invest in clean energy jobs and innovation. We still have time to improve on it in the Senate, but it will take many more voices from constituents throughout the nation demanding an end to the nigthmarish climate crisis and more investments in clean energy jobs.
Our two banner droppers were detained by the Capitol police. One of the banner droppers who was arrested could use your help to pay for he legal fees, would you help a fellow climate organizer out? Please donate to support this amazing volunteer
Yesterday I sent off a Tweet saying: “Tired of Waxman compromising. Admiring Peterson for standing up for his constituents (ag). Wish Markey would too. #ACES” just to receive a bunch of responses along the lines of: “I don’t understand what you’re talking about” and realized maybe it’s time for a non-wonky update on why our future (might) not be as rosy as it could be.
The Waxman Markey bill (aka American Clean Energy and Security Act, Clean Energy Jobs bill, Lightswitch Tax,Clean Coal Billetc) started out as an ambitious proposal in President Obama’s budget which called for the United States to once again find its greatness and power through an overhaul of the way we use electricity. It called for us to generate large amounts of renewable energy (i.e. energy that doesn’t run out and doesn’t harm the health of surrounding communities), to stop wasting electricity by modernizing our distribution networks and a plan to put a price on carbon and redirect revenue to help low-income Americans cope with increasing energy prices and help mitigate effects of the climate crisis throughout the world among others.
Congress is back in session and will now convene to hash out a final federal budget for 2010 in a process called Conference. And they must hear from you.
On Tuesday, April 21st thousands of young people across the country will call-in their Senators to support a progressive budget.
During the Congressional recess people just like you gathered all over the country to host events and lobby meetings, urging Members of Congress to support investments in health care reform, access to higher education, and green jobs. These bold priorities are strongly supported by President Obama, however the right-wing, conservative “Tea Party” Tax Protests, also held during recess, show how much opposition we face with a progressive agenda.
It is vital that the final budget includes reconciliation so Congress can vote up or down on the budget and avoid a block on progress. Conservatives are not holding back their opposition to spending in the budget and they are prepared to make significant budget cuts that will affect our future. So we won’t hold back either.
Congress may be on recess, but it’s time for us to work! Members of Congress are now home in their districts from April 6 – April 19. The final budget will be decided, once and for all, after Congress returns from recess. Conservatives in the House and Senate are claiming they want to cut vital investments in the budget to reduce the burden on our generation. We can’t let them speak for us.
The April Recess is your chance to speak up and tell Congress face-to-face that our generation wants – and needs – a progressive budget! Across the country, people just like you are hosting local events with Congress.Click here to find out more.
Funding our Future is a campaign to pass a progressive federal budget for 2010 and ensure that our nation.s key economic choices invest in our education, spark reform of our health care system, and address climate change through cap and trade and clean energy investments. Click here for more info.
On their first day back to work after an eventful summer, Senators were greeted by 40 climate activists eager to demonstrate what clean energy jobs look like. Smack in the middle of the Hart Senate Office building the 40 activists built miniature windmills and made mechanical noises until interrupted by the Capitol Police. At that point, a 50 ft banner dropped demanding that the Senators “Get to Work” for “Green Jobs Now”. This protest was organized by a coalition of climate organizations including the Energy Action Coalition, 
“We can’t wait any longer,” said Kim Huynh with the Avaaz Climate Action Factory. “The world’s leading climate scientists have said we have only a few years to act, and meaningful action is going to require global participation. World leaders are meeting in Denmark in December to craft an international climate-change agreement, and the outcome hinges on whether the U.S. Senate will pass climate legislation this fall.” 
Congress may be on recess, but it’s time for us to work! Members of Congress are now home in their districts from April 6 – April 19. The final budget will be decided, once and for all, after Congress returns from recess. Conservatives in the House and Senate are claiming they want to cut vital investments in the budget to reduce the burden on our generation. We can’t let them speak for us.