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Gregoire Plans for Green-Collar Jobs

Washington State – Living green is more than a necessity. It’s more than a trend. It’s a job opportunity. On the home front, people are starting to buy Earth-friendly products, eat locally grown foods and ride public transportation. At the office, many business owners are initiating green business practices and bringing in consultants to implement their ideas. In the laboratory, scientists are seeking out new ways to make fuel, use solar and wind power, and preserve the environment. Each of these changes—every single one of them—opens up new jobs. In fact, Gov. Chris Gregoire plans to create 25,000 new green-collar jobs in Washington by 2020.
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CAMPAIGN NEWS

MO – Nixon Rallies Labor Community. During a labor union rally on the steps of the state Capitol, Attorney General Jay Nixon predicted union membership would go up if he’s elected governor. “In just a few short years, the number of brothers and sisters we have carrying union cards in the state of Missouri is going to be up, not going down,” Nixon told hundreds of members of the Missouri State Building and Construction Trades Council.
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ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT NEWS

CO – Ritter Enacts Measure to Tally Greenhouse Gases. Gov. Bill Ritter celebrated Earth Day by enacting several major pieces of his Climate Action Plan, including a statewide standard for the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions. The standard, which Ritter codified in three executive orders, establishes a goal of a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions statewide by 2020 and an 80 percent reduction by 2050. The order tells the state Department of Public Health and Environment to come up with requirements for the largest greenhouse-gas emitters, such as power plants and factories, to measure and report their emissions. “Climate change is arguably the greatest environmental challenge of our time,” Ritter said. “It also presents some of the greatest opportunity if we work together.”
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MD – O’Malley Promotes Environmental Literacy. At an Earth Day hearing of a House of Representatives subcommittee, Gov. Martin O’Malley and Rep. John Sarbanes promoted plans to improve the environmental literacy of schoolchildren. O’Malley announced that he signed an executive order to create a coalition of public, private and nonprofit groups to develop outdoor learning experiences, and Sarbanes pushed for his No Child Left Inside Act that would direct $500 million in federal funding over five years for environmental education. O’Malley also noted that his administration has dedicated funding to build state parks into “learning laboratories.”
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MA – Patrick Announces New Park, Pushes Green Energy.
Gov. Deval Patrick is celebrating Earth Day by announcing a new park in Boston and touting his green energy initiatives at a speech at MIT. Patrick highlighted a planned $5 million park along the Neponset River between Mattapan Square and Hyde Park in Boston. Patrick also said the state bought $1 million in new beach equipment and is posting park maintenance schedules on the Internet as it kicks off the 2008 recreation season.
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MT – Schweitzer Celebrates Earth Day with Students. Students at Castle Rock Middle School celebrated Earth day by kicking off a new recycling program. They plan to collect paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and aluminum cans from classrooms and the cafeteria. Gov. Brian Schweitzer spoke to the students about the importance of keeping our environment clean and how they can make a difference. “Every single person can make a difference by using less energy and recycling and all these children should study science and math because it will be the engineers that will change the world,” says Schweitzer.
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NJ – Corzine Plants Trees for Earth Day. Gov. Jon S. Corzine helped students plant trees on the grounds of the Ivy Hill Elementary School as part of an Earth Day celebration. The school has partnered with the NJ Tree Foundation to restore the tree canopy and enhance the school’s beauty through the Newark Renaissance Trees Program. “Fighting global warming doesn’t have to be as complicated as international carbon markets and cap and trade programs, it can be as easy as planting a tree,” Corzine said.
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NM – Richardson Seeks to Safeguard State Headwaters. Gov. Bill Richardson marked Earth Day by moving to protect all surface waters within national forest wilderness and inventoried roadless areas in New Mexico – amounting to more than 5,300 miles of headwaters streams that flow from mountain forests. Designation of these waters as Outstanding National Resource Waters under the Federal Clean Water Act will ensure these headwater streams remain pristine and protected far into the future, the governor said. “This initiative will provide the highest level of water quality protection possible for more than 5,000 miles of beautiful rivers and streams,” Governor Richardson said. “This ensures that these pristine waters – including world-class trout fishing areas and vital drinking water supplies – will remain clean for the next generation to enjoy.”
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NY – Paterson Announces Plans for State’s Largest Solar Energy Project. Gov. David Paterson announced a major alternative energy project that would create the state’s largest source of solar power to help meet the challenge of developing comprehensive renewable energy alternatives and address the growing demand for energy on Long Island and throughout the state. “As our need for energy continues to grow on Long Island and throughout the state, it is imperative that we find new ways to develop more renewable energy resources that will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels,” said Paterson.
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OH – Strickland: Energy Plan is Key to Job Growth. An energy regulation bill will spur economic development in Northeast Ohio and throughout the state, Gov. Ted Strickland said at the annual meeting for the Fund for Our Economic Future. The fund is a unique collaboration of dozens of philanthropic organizations. It makes grants to economic development organizations that are redesigning the region’s economy. ‘’I have no doubt the challenges we face will be overcome because we see the opportunities that exist and we know what to do with them,’’ Strickland told the gathering, ‘’and I’m happy and pleased and proud to be working with you to rebuild not only the northeast part of Ohio, but all of Ohio’s economy.’’
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OR – Freudenthal: Clean Coal Discussions Dominate China Visit. Just back from a tour of China’s coal country, Gov. Dave Freudenthal says that any effort to address global warming must include “clean coal” research designed to reduce air pollution worldwide. Freudenthal’s trip included a tour of a General Electric coal research plant in Shanghai. He said he was struck there and elsewhere in the country by the brisk pace of construction as well as China’s intense reliance on coal as an energy source. Freudenthal’s administration is hammering out the details of an agreement with General Electric to open a $100-million coal research facility at an as-yet undetermined place in Wyoming.
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GENERAL NEWS

KS – Sebelius Establishes Military Service Scholarship Program. To help Kansas soldiers who have returned from military service pursue their educational goals, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has signed a bill enacting the Military Service Scholarship Program. “These scholarships honor the sacrifices that soldiers have made while protecting our country,” Sebelius said. “This program will ensure that our service men and women have the resources to succeed in college. This is an important investment in their future, and a great way for us to thank them for their service.”
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MI – Granholm Welcomes New Jobs. Michigan’s economy got a lift from a pair of announcements that are expected to produce more than 4,000 jobs across the state. Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced BAE Systems, a major defense contractor, is launching a $58.4-million expansion project for its Land & Armaments operating group in Sterling Heights. The project is expected to create 460 new engineering and high-tech jobs at the company and an additional 559 spin-off jobs over the next 14 years. “This expansion shows we have the talent and the tools needed for companies like BAE Systems to research, develop and manufacture the next generation of homeland security and defense applications and grow new high-paying, high-tech jobs in Michigan,” Granholm said.
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WI – Doyle: Covenant is A Path to Higher Education. In a column published yesterday, Gov. Jim Doyle discusses his commitment to higher education through the creation of the Wisconsin Covenant. He wrote, “As eighth graders across the state are busily preparing for the end of the school year, I hope each of you will take some time to stop and think about your future. Before you begin your summer job or your summer ball league, I encourage you to discuss with your families the upcoming school year and your plans for education after high school.” He continued, “As Governor, I want to help you reach your highest potential. That’s why we created the Wisconsin Covenant to help young people plan early for a successful high school career that will lead to higher education. The Wisconsin Covenant is a simple set of expectations and promises between eighth grade students and institutions of higher education in Wisconsin. By the fall of their freshman year of high school, students may sign the Covenant pledge and commit to reaching three goals: completing the classes they need to graduate and prepare for higher education, maintaining a ‘B’ average, and being a good citizen.”
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