The Politics Blog » climate change

House budget has $150,000 for thorough study of economic impacts of coal export facilities in Washington

Brad Shannon — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 02:12:32 +0000

An overlooked item in the House Democrats’ operating budget is a $150,000 proviso for a study of the economic impact of coal-export facilities on Washington state.

Rep. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle, called attention to the tiny allocation in the Democrats’ $34.5 billion proposed budget released Wednesday. He said in an email that it “recognizes the need for Washington to thoroughly evaluate the economic impacts of coal exports in our state. By utilizing the expertise of our state agencies, we hope to capture the net economic impacts of the proposed projects so that Washington taxpayers have an apples-to-apples comparison …

Gov. Inslee signs bill setting up work group to study state’s options to answer climate change

Brad Shannon — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:34:57 +0000

Gov. Jay Inslee signed the climate-change study bill into law today in Seattle. Phuong Le of The Associated Press has the full story here:

SEATTLE (AP) — Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law Tuesday a bill he championed that would study the best ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Under the measure, an independent consultant would review efforts to cut carbon emissions in Washington state and elsewhere. A newly created work group of legislators and other leaders would use that evaluation to recommend actions to reduce pollution associated with climate change.

The group will be expected to prioritize strategies

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UPDATE – House votes 62-31 to endorse GOP version of climate change bill

Brad Shannon — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:38:59 +0000

UPDATE 2: Gov. Jay Inslee put out this statement after today’s passage of his climate-change bill, his first legislation to pass both chambers:

“Today’s bipartisan support for the climate action bill is welcome news. We’ve seen the impacts of climate change already affecting some of Washington’s key industries with shellfish growers moving operations due to ocean acidification and the farmers in Eastern Washington seeing reduced water supplies as a result of reduced snowpack. This is our opportunity to not only make sure we protect those important industries, but also grow new jobs in the design and manufacturing of clean energy.

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UPDATE – Senate approves Gov. Inslee’s climate-change study bill on 37 to 12 bipartisan vote; House wants stronger version

Brad Shannon — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:36:21 +0000

With a dramatic 5 p.m. bill deadline looming as a backdrop, the floor vote today was anti-climactic for Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposal to create a legislative work group to study the best way to meet state targets for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. The latest iteration of Senate Bill 5802 easily cleared the Washington Senate this morning with a big bipartisan vote of 37-12.

The version of the measure that passed omits key language sought by Inslee that states Washington is vulnerable to climate change on many fronts – from rising …

Update 2 – GOP Rep. Short is climate-change skeptic, but says she supports Gov. Inslee’s climate-study idea

Brad Shannon — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 23:02:36 +0000

UPDATE 2: The House Environment Committee approved HB 1915 on a vote of 7-to-3 Wednesday, moving it to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government. The bill is scheduled to be heard during its 8 a.m. meeting on Monday.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee testified again in the Legislature today [Tuesday] on his climate change proposal, once again urging quick action to set up a legislative study group and authorize an independent review of Washington’s options for reducing carbon pollution in a way that makes sense for the Evergreen State. In comments that emphasized the emergency the Democratic governor thinks the world …

UPDATE – Senate panel welcomes Inslee pitch on climate change

Brad Shannon — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:12:56 +0000

Post is updated throughout

Gov. Jay Inslee stepped up his campaign to do something on climate change, telling a legislative committee this morning that the impacts of global warming could cause $10 billion damage yearly to Washington’s economy and families by 2020.

“I believe we in Washington ought to be optimistic in our ability to whip climate change,’’ Inslee told the committee in testifying for his proposal to create a legislative task force to study climate change responses.

The Republican-led Senate Energy, Environment and Telecommunications Committee welcomed the Democratic governor, and chairman Doug Ericksen of Whatcom County, who said …