Shannon Liss-Riordan in 2020 MA Senatorial race

On Environment: Nuclear power may be carbon free, but it is not risk free

Almost 20 percent of the nation's electricity comes from nuclear power, Markey said, but "it's a very expensive way to boil water." For the same price of two new nuclear plants that will generate 2,200 megawatts, developers could produce more than 6,000 megawatts with solar power, Markey said. "These plants will phase out over time but they're going to be replaced very quickly by wind off the coastline of Massachusetts, solar panels on the roofs of citizens and with the energy efficiency technologies partnered with battery storage," Markey said.

Shannon Liss-Riordan said nuclear power "may be carbon free, but it is not risk free." She added, "It is not the direction of our future. We need to be moving toward these renewable sources that will be more competitive as we invest in the infrastructure to get solar, wind and geothermal power that we need."

Source: Springfield Republican on 2020 Massachusetts Senate debate Nov 11, 2019

On Energy & Oil: More offshore wind and solar--and Green New Deal

While Markey and Liss-Riordan agree that the nation must move toward a green economy with sharp increases in offshore wind, solar and geothermal energy, Liss-Riordan argued the Green New Deal and Markey's environmental message contained a good deal of "lofty language" but not much in the way of financial planning.

Liss-Riordan thanked Markey for his environmental focus and said she supported the Green New Deal's goals, but added that the senator had "been in Washington for a long time. It's time to move beyond talking about these issues, and actually delivering."

"We need a concrete way to pay for this revolution and concrete goals for how we're actually going to shift our energy sources to renewable sources," said Liss-Riordan, who called for carbon pricing as a method to help fund innovative ways to combat climate change. "Nobody is talking about how we are going to pay for these revolutionary changes we're going to need."

Source: Springfield Republican on 2020 Massachusetts Senate debate Nov 10, 2019

On Government Reform: Pledge to limit campaign spending from outside groups

The three-way Democratic primary for incumbent Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey's seat may see the candidates sign the so-called People's Pledge to limit outside campaign financing. Politico reported that U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy's campaign had recently reached out to Markey and labor attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan with proposed language to limit spending from outside groups and plans for a pledge signing ceremony. Kennedy had already called on his opponents to sign a pledge after he entered the race in September, the Boston Globe reported.

Politico reported that the campaigns were finalizing details and could sign an agreement within the next two weeks. Liss-Riordan and Kennedy had confirmed plans to sign the pledge, but the pair postponed while the Senate was in session, with the Markey campaign telling Politico that the senator was "actively looking at" a pledge agreement.

Source: Springfield Republican on 2020 Massachusetts Senate race Nov 7, 2019

On Corporations: I see the games corporations play to rig the system

Labor lawyer Shannon Liss-Riordan has spent most of her career fighting against large companies on behalf of workers. "Every day I'm in courts fighting for workers. I see the games corporations play, the ways they're trying to use their power to rig the system, and fuel profits off the backs of working people," Liss-Riordan told The Republican / MassLive. "I made a decision I should take the skills and experience I've developed fighting to enforce the law for working people--take that to Washington to try to change the law."

Liss-Riordan recently settled a high-profile lawsuit against Uber, in which she accused the company of incorrectly classifying their employees as independent contractors. Uber agreed to pay $100 million to settle lawsuits. She has previously filed suits against companies including Starbucks, American Airlines, FedEx and others over workers' rights issues such as misclassifying workers and misusing workers' tips.

Source: Springfield Republican on 2020 Massachusetts Senate race May 22, 2019

The above quotations are from 2020 Massachusetts Senatorial race: debates and news coverage. Click here for other excerpts from 2020 Massachusetts Senatorial race: debates and news coverage. Click here for other excerpts by Shannon Liss-Riordan. Click here for a profile of Shannon Liss-Riordan.
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Page last updated: Sep 17, 2022