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February 9, 2021Creation Care in Indiana: Upcoming State Legislation
Carley Haselhorst, Justice & Charity Council
Late winter and early spring is a dreary time of year in terms of weather, so if you need something to get excited about, just remember – it’s state legislature season! The Indiana state legislature meets each year from January to April. That makes February a great time to check in on what bills have been proposed and make your voice heard. As Catholics we have a rich body of social teaching that directs us in building a more just society: We can lean on this tradition and allow it to inform which issues we choose to speak out about.
One category of the Church’s social teaching is devoted to Care of Creation; in fact, Pope Francis has called Catholics to make Creation Care a top priority since the beginning of his papacy. This year I am hoping to advocate for better care of creation at the state level by writing letters to my representatives in support of bills that promote Creation Care. One particular piece of legislation I am excited about is Senate Bill No. 373. This bill would allow the President Benjamin Harrison Conservation Trust to receive money from investors of carbon sequestration. This means that Indiana businesses working towards carbon neutrality could purchase carbon offsets from the Conservation Trust, allowing the Trust to purchase more land for conservation that would in turn sequester more carbon from the atmosphere. Many Indiana businesses already purchase carbon offsets to improve their carbon footprint but do so out-of-state where carbon-offset markets are more available. This legislation would keep money in our state while improving Hoosiers’ soil, air, and water quality through land conservation. Expanding carbon markets is a concept that enjoys bipartisan support. Democratic Senator Mark Stoops authored a bill that studied this issue in 2020. Stoops has since retired, and Republican Senator Susan Glick is proposing the current bill.
All of us can make changes in our own lives that better consider and care for creation, and we should do so. But statewide solutions like the one this legislation proposes make an even greater impact on our environment. That’s why I think that as Catholics we need to encourage Senate Bill No. 373 by communicating with our state senators about it. You can look up your state legislators at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/find-legislators/ and let them know of your support via phone call or letter. You can track this bill and other state legislation at legiscan.com.