Township Council Meeting — Packet

WHEREAS, the Act would not preclude municipalities from filing and paying for their own lawsuits in order to obtain payment for damages caused by climate change emissions; and WHEREAS, the Act will make New Jersey more affordable by not saddling New Jersey taxpayers with the large and rapidly increasing costs of paying for climate damages; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the administration and council of the Township of West Orange, in the interest of protecting its residents, businesses and institutions, as of March 24, 2026, strongly express their support for passage of the Polluters Pay to Make New Jersey More Affordable Act. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Township of West Orange categorically opposes any legislation, whether in Congress or state legislatures, that attempts to limit or eliminate access to court by preempting existing laws or giving fossil fuel companies immunity from any laws or lawsuits seeking to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for deceptive conduct and the costs of climate change; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Township of West Orange affirmatively supports the rights of cities, counties, tribes and states to bring litigation and legislation seeking to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for the climate change-driven harms they and their communities are suffering. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Township Clerk shall forward this Resolution to: ● New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill ● Commissioner of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection ● NJ Senate President Nicholas Scutari ● NJ Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin ● Polluters Pay to Make New Jersey More Affordable Act, Senate sponsor John McKeon ● Polluters Pay to Make New Jersey More Affordable Act Assembly sponsor Alixon Collazos-Gill ● NJ State Senate legislator representing the Township of West Orange ● NJ State Assembly legislators representing the Township of West Orange ● NJ member of Congress representing the Township of West Orange ● Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim ● Food & Water Watch, msmith@fwwatch.org ● New Jersey State League of Municipalities ● County Commissioners and Administration of Essex County Karen J. Carnevale, R.M.C., Municipal Clerk Adopted: March 24, 2026 Susan Scarpa, Council President