Op-Ed: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Seek to Block Entry to Multi-State Climate Compact

Originally published in The Epoch Times.

Pennsylvania lawmakers have reloaded legislation from last year that would prohibit the state’s governor from imposing carbon taxes in combination with new climate change regulations without the approval of the General Assembly.

At issue is whether Pennsylvania will join a multi-state climate change compact known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Commission or RGGI.

The bill was referred to the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee in February, just days after an independent commission called for a one-year moratorium on the implementation of Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed climate change regulations. In their comments, the commissioners also raised questions about the Democratic governor’s authority to implement regulations that would trigger carbon taxes without legislative approval.

Wolf vetoed a similar bill last fall that attracted bipartisan support and fell just one vote shy of a veto-proof majority in the Senate. The current bill is co-sponsored by two Democrats: Reps. Pam Snyder, who serves in the 50th District covering Greene, Fayette, and Washington counties, and Chris Sainato, who represents the 9th District in Lawrence County.

The bill must pass the House before it is taken up by the Senate.

In a statement, Snyder praised the Independent Regulatory Review Commission for its decision to recommend delaying Pennsylvania’s entry into the RGGI.

The decision from the IRCC…

Read more at The Epoch Times.