Environmental Justice bill advances

The Assembly today passed the "Environmental Access to Justice Act," a bill endorsed by groups that want to make it easier for people to sue by alleging violations of state environmental law. It has passed the Assembly before, but was blocked in the Senate when Republicans controlled that chamber. A Republican assemblyman, Peter Lopez of Schoharie, who spoke in the floor debate, told me one of his concerns about the bill (A3423) is that it could empower opponents of windmills, and wind up hurting the environment in the name of helping it.