What is a Green Amendment?
Green Amendments are self executing provisions added to the Bill of Rights section of a constitution that recognize and protect the rights of all people -regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or income, including future generations – to pure water, clean air, a stable climate, and healthy environments.
What’s Happening in Kentucky?
February 12, 2025, Legislators Propose a State Constitutional Amendment to Protect Environmental Rights in Kentucky
Representatives Sarah Stalker and Representative Kim Banta have, on a bi-partisan basis, proposed an amendment to the Kentucky state constitution that will recognize and protect the rights of all the people in the state to clean water and air, and ecologically healthy habitats. The amendment will also recognize a trustee obligation on government within the state to protect the state’s natural resources for both present and future generations. If passed, the amendment would place environmental rights in the state legally on par with other well-recognized fundamental rights such as the rights to free speech, private property and freedom of religion.
The amendment would be added to the state constitution’s bill of rights, and would recognize, as inherent, inalienable and constitutionally enforceable:
“The right to a healthy environment, including a right to clean air, pure water, and ecologically healthy habitats. The Commonwealth’s natural resources, among them its air, water, fauna, climate, and public lands, are the common property of all people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of the environment and its natural resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all people.”
Read the full press release here.
To learn more about the value of a Green Amendment For Kentucky check out our resources page.
And check back to this page regularly as we prepare information that speaks specifically to the Kentucky language just filed.
Here’s a bit of Kentucky Green Amendment History
A Kentucky Green Amendment was first proposed by Rep Josie Raymond in 2024. When she left the legislature Representatives Sarah Stalker and Representative Kim Banta took the lead.
Rep Raymond first learned about the Green Amendment Concept when she heard GAFTG Founder Maya van Rossum present at NCEL’s 2019 annual conference to over 150 legislators, educating them on the value and power of a Green Amendment. This presentation inspired Representative Josie Raymond (31st LD) to consider such provision for the people of Kentucky.
Learn about the process to amend the Kentucky Constitution here. More Kentucky specific resources and petition coming soon.
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