For immediate release: Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Contact: press@groundgametexas.org

Ground Game Texas and Sunrise Movement El Paso applaud El Paso City Council's rejection of proposal to break up Climate Charter

EL PASO, TX (January 24, 2023) — On Tuesday, January 24, Ground Game Texas and Sunrise Movement El Paso issued the below statements after the El Paso City Council voted on Tuesday to reject the recommendation of city staff to present the El Paso Climate Charter as eight different ballot propositions, rather than as a single ballot proposition.

"The City Council ignored the fossil fuel lobbyists and refused the staff proposal to break up the Climate Charter into eight different items," said Mike Siegel, Co-Founder and Political Director of Ground Game Texas. "We thank the Council for its decision. The next step is to approve fair ballot language at the next meeting and ensure that voters receive accurate information about this important climate policy."

"We thank the people of El Paso for supporting climate action by placing the Climate Charter on the ballot, and we thank the City Council for ensuring that this comprehensive policy will go to the voters as a single proposition," said Ana Fuentes Zueck, Campaign Manager for Climate Campaign, Sunrise El Paso. "El Paso can be a national leader on building solar power, reducing pollution, conserving water, and creating climate jobs. We look forward to the election in May!"

In July, Ground Game Texas and Sunrise Movement El Paso submitted more than 39,000 signatures from El Paso residents to for the El Paso Climate Charter, a first-of-its-kind ballot initiative to create a citywide climate policy to create green jobs, promote solar power, conserve water, and reduce the City's contribution to climate change. In November, the El Paso city clerk certified the Charter initiative for placement on the May 2023 ballot. 

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About Ground Game Texas
Ground Game Texas is a voter engagement and mobilization organization founded by Julie Oliver and Mike Siegel in 2021. Based in Austin, Ground Game Texas seeks to organize voters community-by-community, collaborating with partners on the ground to meet voters at their doors and push for popular progressive policies across the state of Texas.