Thread by @ae53

The incredible thing about #BuildPublicRenewables is it was never a given. Everyone from the Governor to NYPA was against it at first. So why is everyone supportive now? Because organizers changed the conditions. Here’s how we won the biggest Green New Deal policy in the US🧵

Our strategy was guided by seeing the real political conditions, seeking out points of leverage, and changing the conditions to make them more favorable. Or in this case, getting NYPA, labor and Hochul on board for the #BuildPublicRenewables Act. This is what our campaign did.

From the beginning we knew it was an uphill battle. Some of the key people we had to move were unsupportive and wouldn’t even give us the time of day. We didn’t see that as a reason to quit - we saw it as an organizing challenge. And in the end, we often got them to support even.

there is a reason the gold standard labor language that Hochul stripped is back in the bill, the same reason that that gold standard labor language got in in the first place. Through a lot of dogged organizing from our members.

And that is the same reason we pivoted to #DumpDriscoll immediately after our win and why we are fighting for democratization in NYPA. We know only organizing and strategic campaigning will transform NYPA into the institution that we need it to be.

Our campaign changed the conditions. We flipped Republican donor head of NYPA Justin Driscoll into the biggest proponent of our policy and we are still fighting for #DumpDriscoll.

https://twitter.com/stylianos_k/status/1655947537222893570

Our lead senate sponsor blocked our coalition on social media YEARS ago and hasnt talked to us since In press he called us "overzealous advocates who frankly don't understand the legislative process.” We then primaried him! and he still passed our bill! cityandstateny.com/policy/2021/06…

When we were blocked by Amy Paulin who took more IPPNY money than any Democrat in history to block our bill, We used parliamentary procedure to overcome this. We did a 99 and rammed the bill through her committee even with her voting against. Directly against leadership.

This year the Assembly literally changed its rules to prevent members from 99'ing a bill. @ZachReports was wrong here, it wasnt to snuff out Republican voices, it was because we moved BPRA through committee with the chair voting against it last year nypost.com/2023/02/07/nys…

And when Hochul came out with BPRA lite this year to try to silence our movement and make us accept a false victory. We ramped up the pressure. We had billboards greeting her everyday on her drive to work telling her the BPRA was more popular than her. news10.com/news/ny-capito…

All these were tactics in our campaign. No single one of them were the reason that we won, but them plus many many others were the reasons that we did. Organizing is understanding the conditions on the ground and adapting your strategy. We did that, and won. That is the story.

Now even our enemies are acknowledging our power. The head IPPNY, the literal fossil fuel industry, is being quoted as saying "he believes the legislation was approved because it was a high priority for lawmakers aligned with the Democratic Socialists"
northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/477…

When we started no way anyone would ever say we had the power that the fossil fuel industry in New York State has. But we beat them on this one, and arent going to stop. If you are inspired and want to get involved join us @DemSocialists, @publicpowerny ecosocialists.nyc/join-us/