Draft of Oregon carbon emissions bill emerges, draws fire

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A draft bill to curb carbon emissions which contribute to global warming landed with a thud Thursday, at 98 pages in length, and quickly drew fire from Republicans.

The measure released Thursday would establish a Carbon Policy Office, modify greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and market-based mechanisms for covered entities to demonstrate compliance.

Oregon House Republicans predicted the bill will rearrange virtually every family budget, and change the life of every Oregonian. House and Senate Republican leaders asked the Democrat leadership to involve all Oregonians in large policy decisions.

Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, said she supports the measure since climate change threatens Oregon’s communities, economy and way of life. She said legislators, advocates, and businesses across Oregon worked hard on the draft, and looks forward to refinements to ensure the program achieves climate and economic goals.

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News release from Gov. Brown;

Governor Kate Brown Statement on the Oregon Climate Action Program

(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown outlines support for the Oregon Climate Action Program (CAP) released today. The Oregon Climate Action Program’s goal is to achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emission levels in Oregon.

“Climate change threatens our communities, our economy, and our way of life in Oregon,” said Governor Kate Brown. “This is why I support a comprehensive market-based program to reduce our emissions and transition to a clean energy economy. It is encouraging to have reached this important milestone with a bill that reflects significant work on the part of legislators, advocates, and businesses across Oregon. I look forward to further refinements through the legislative process to ensure the program achieves our climate goals while growing our economy.”

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News release from Oregon House Republican Office:

Oregonians deserve careful consideration of momentous cap and trade bill

Republican leadership asks for Carbon Reduction Committee to seek testimony around state

SALEM, Ore. – The sweeping Carbon Policy bill released today will rearrange virtually every personal and family budget, and change the life of every Oregonian.

House and Senate Republicans today asked the presiding officers of both chambers to hear directly from Oregonians whose lives will be drastically altered by the 98-page bill.

“Our concern is that with such an incredibly complicated concept, our working families are not going to know about the drastic increase in the cost of driving they will face,” Republican Leader Rep. Carl Wilson (R-Grants Pass). “If they heat their homes with natural gas, they will find winters will take on a new meaning.”

The House and Senate Republican leaders asked the Democrat leadership to follow the time-tested ‘Oregon Way’ by involving all Oregonians in large policy decisions. Recent examples of statewide tours and public testimony include the Joint Committee on Student Success, and the Joint Committee on Transportation Preservation and Modernization that paved the way to a bipartisan transportation package in 2017.

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News release from Sen. Dennis Linthicum:

Multibillion-dollar new energy tax is economic arson

SALEM, Ore.–Republican state Sen. Dennis Linthicum, R-Klamath Falls, released the following statement in response to released legislation to institute a new multibillion-dollar new energy tax, which was crafted by Democrats behind closed-doors:

“The partisan supermajority’s so-called ‘cap and trade’ bill is economic arson. We should not be even debating this flawed policy. It’s not going to do anything meaningful for the environment, and it looks more like a crony cash grab than anything else. We need to put an end to the dialing up of rhetoric that preys on people’s sensitivities. I think the Oregon Way is desecrated by those exploiting the heartbreaking wildfires to push for a cynical new tax hike.”

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News release from Partnership for Oregon Communities

Statement on release of cap and trade legislation

Salem, Ore. – Partnership for Oregon Communities released the following statement upon release of cap and trade legislation today by the Joint Carbon Reduction Committee.

“The bill released today is the start of what we hope will be a robust conversation about the costs and benefits of a cap and trade program in Oregon. At this point, there are dozens of unanswered questions about how this bill will impact employers, consumers and whether the program would be an effective tool in accomplishing our shared goal of continuing to improve Oregon’s environment.

“Lawmakers’ next step should be to give every Oregonian a fair and equal opportunity to share their thoughts and shape this policy moving forward, and to hear from the industries that will be most impacted by this program. Cap and trade is perhaps one of the most complex pieces of legislation the Oregon Legislature has ever considered. Inevitably there will be significant costs to all Oregonians, and this policy deserves a full and thorough vetting before it advances any further.”

This statement may be attributed to Preston Mann, spokesperson for Partnership for Oregon Communities.

Partnership for Oregon Communities is a grassroots coalition committed to enacting policies that both increase the financial security of Oregonians and protections for our environment. It is comprised of farmers, employers, unions and community leaders from around the state.

More information at www.partnershipfororegon.com

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News release from Renew Oregon:

New Cap-and-Invest Bill a Good Starting Place, Needs Strengthening Potential to be the most consequential climate protection legislation in Oregon history

SALEM, Ore. — The first version of the 2019 cap-and-invest policy is out and Renew Oregon, with our many coalition partners, are reviewing the details. The Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction, led by House and Senate leadership, has worked hard for nearly a year to bring this bill forward.

Initial review shows:

The strength of the cap on greenhouse gases is retained with good targets for 2035, 2050. It appears no new industries are exempted from under the cap, which is encouraging. Economy-wide cap is a leading feature and Oregon is set to link with other jurisdictions.

“The cap-and-invest policy can be the biggest climate protection law in Oregon history by guaranteeing we’ll reduce pollution causing climate change while building our clean economy, creating good-paying jobs, and saving Oregonians money on energy bills,” said Tera Hurst, Executive Director of Renew Oregon. “We commend our lawmakers for resisting polluting industry’s pressure to loosen the cap on climate pollution. A strong cap is key to taking bold action in the next decade, as scientists have demanded we do to prevent the worst climate crisis.”

Areas to improve:

While under the cap, large polluters are getting free allowances enabling them to pollute freely for too many years. Oregonians are paying for climate change right now. We don’t have years to waste. We would like to see that the majority of investments are dedicated to clean energy, job creation, and protection against climate impacts for low-income, rural, and communities of color. These communities deserve more certainty.

“Our families, firefighters, farmers and fishers are paying a high price right now for fossil fuel pollution and a hotter climate. Salem couldn’t drink the water this summer, Prairie City ran out. Our state is consumed by wildfire, covered in smoke. Our fish and crops are dying. We’re paying at the doctor, in the grocery store, at our jobs and some with their lives,” said Hurst. “Those communities should be guaranteed investments from this bill to lift them up. It’s not spelled out in this new version of the bill. We’ll work with lawmakers to change it.”

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Renew Oregon is advocating for a Clean Energy Jobs bill to cap climate pollution from the largest sources in Oregon. Large polluters must purchase permits for every ton of greenhouse gases they put into the air. Proceeds will be reinvested in communities across the state, putting Oregonians to work by making clean power like solar available to more people, upgrading homes and businesses to use less energy and save people money, investing in more transportation options, and protecting our state against climate change impacts like wildfire and drought.

We are a clean energy advocacy coalition of businesses and workers, health care professionals and parents, farmers and ranchers, faith and community organizations, and individuals coming together to move our state away from polluting energy to a clean energy economy. We are working to create good-paying jobs for all Oregonians, protect air and water from pollution, and help families stay healthy.