(L to R: James McCaffrey, Sierra Club-MA Director; Senator Robert Hedlund; Janet Domenitz, MASSPIRG Executive Director; Deirdre Cummings, MASSPIRG legislative director)
In the spirit of the upcoming Olympics, the Massachusetts Senate earned a gold medal tonight when they passed the Updated Bottle Bill. Senate President Therese Murray, longtime sponsor Senator Cynthia Creem, amendment author Senator Robert Hedlund, and the whole Senate is to be congratulated for passing the update, which is overwhelmingly popular with the public, small businesses, cities and towns, and a majority of state legislators. For 14 years, the bill has been stalled in various committees. Getting the Updated Bottle Bill through the Senate has now completely shifted the momentum toward victory.