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MEIC is a Voice for the Environment at the State Legislature.
One of MEIC’s most important activities is lobbying the State legislature on environmental issues and policy. It is the reason MEIC was founded, and since the 1974 legislative session MEIC has been the leading voice for the environment. Because of MEIC’s participation, the environment is guaranteed to receive attention at the Capitol.
MEIC's four full-time lobbyists not only provide a voice for Montana citizens concerned about the environment, they provide government leaders with information — information that is well-researched, based on science and hard facts. MEIC helps draft legislation to offer practical solutions to often complicated problems. That is why MEIC staff are well-respected among legislators and other government leaders.
The 2007 Legislature passed a number of MEIC’s priority energy bills, including bills that:
- remedied some of the damage done ten years ago when the legislature passed the electric utility deregulation bill
- increased funding of the natural gas universal system benefits (USB) program and for low-income bill assistance and weatherization programs
- endorsed the “25 x 25” initiative that seeks to meet 25% of the nation’s energy requirements with clean, renewable energy produced by America’s farms and ranches by the year 2025
- makes the State more energy-efficient by requiring that additions to the vehicle fleet meet federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards
