‘We’re nosing our way through the starting gate toward a regional cap-and-trade system and I think that’s detrimental to our families and our employers,’ says Short.

In a late Tuesday night session, the House of Representatives passed legislation that gives the Department of Ecology (DOE) specific authority to continue involvement in the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), which is intent on creating some sort of cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions.

Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, and ranking Republican on the House Ecology and Parks Committee, said the bill was the "camel’s nose, head and shoulders" under the tent of a regional cap-and-trade proposal.

"Just because the words ‘cap and trade’ have been struck from the bill doesn’t mean the state’s involvement and the Department of Ecology’s authority have been minimized," Short said.  "We’re nosing our way through the starting gate towards a regional cap and trade system and I think that’s detrimental to our families and our employers."

While Short said she was pleased that Democrats agreed to strip the vehicle miles travelled (VMT) goals from the bill, the fact that the study and reporting components remain in place causes concern among her, her constituents and her colleagues.

"The fact that the government will study, measure and report on the driving habits of people around the state angers a lot of folks in my district," Short said.  "They were angry last year when Democrats wanted to tax drivers based on the size of their engines, and they were angry this year when Democrats initially proposed to forcefully reduce the amount of miles they can drive.

"I’ve got people in my district who must drive 40 miles or more for a loaf of bread," Short continued.  "And yet their emissions aren’t any greater than the Puget Sound driver stuck in traffic where it takes 40 minutes to go five miles."

Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5735 passed the House 59-37.  Some of the provisions of the bill include:

• Giving DOE specific authority to continue involvement in the Western Climate Initiative;

• Requiring DOE to develop its best estimate of emissions levels in 2012 for entities that emit 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent or greater each year, and the trajectory of emissions reductions necessary in order to meet the 2020 emission reduction requirements;

• Requiring coal-fired powered plants in this state to meet performance standards by December 31, 2025;

• Requiring DOE to issue reports on forestry and agriculture offsets in December, 2010;

• Allowing the governor to appoint a point person for all climate change and energy initiatives.

Short and other House Republicans expressed concerns about remaining on the path towards a regional cap and trade system at a time when the federal government has indicated it will present a national standard soon.

"We’re wasting scarce taxpayer dollars and placing our families and jobs needlessly at risk," Short said.  "Washington is very unique in that we have inexpensive, abundant and renewable hydropower.  We’re also a very trade-dependent state.  Our companies literally do business around the globe.  If our employers are going to be held to a more stringent emissions standard, it will place them at a serious disadvantage.  We’re going to hamstring their ability to compete, which will cost us more jobs.

"Right now, one of the counties in my district, Ferry County, has the dubious distinction of having the highest unemployment rate in the state at 17.2 percent," Short added.  "The second highest?  Pend Oreille County at 16.7 percent, and Stevens County is the third highest at 16.3 percent.  Both of these are also in my district.

"I have to ask myself, will this legislation hurt or help unemployment in my district?  Will this legislation hurt or help the employers in my district that are still viable?  Will this legislation hurt or help attract jobs to my district?  I voted against this bill because I can’t see how this helps our employers or unemployment rate one bit," Short said.

House Republicans offered several unsuccessful amendments to the bill, including one that would specifically define "green" jobs.

"We’re hearing so much about green jobs, but nobody really knows what they are," Short said.  "They are ethereal and undefined.  If we’re going to tout something, we’d better know what it is."

One amendment was offered to prohibit the state from collecting additional money if the legislation causes rate increases on consumers, and another amendment required an independent economic analysis on the costs and possible job losses associated with the bill.

Another amendment tied to jobs would have required the governor to ensure a no-net loss of jobs at comparable wages as a result of the legislation.

"We just want to protect struggling families from higher costs and further job losses," Short said.  "The last thing we should be doing in these difficult financial times is adding more economic burden to our families or embracing legislation that will cost us jobs."

Short is also concerned about the increase of authority given to what is essentially a regulatory entity in the Department of Ecology.

House Republicans offered an amendment that would have negated DOE’s authority to issue any new rules or regulations as part of the Western Climate Initiative, requiring instead that all WCI programs be submitted to the Legislature prior to enactment of regulations.

"In my mind, and in the minds of irrigators across the state, DOE already wields too much power," Short said.  "With this legislation, DOE will once again be placed in the position of picking the winners and losers in this state.

"I and my House Republican colleagues are ready to address climate change issues in ways that won’t impact employers, won’t increase costs to our families, and protects the freedom of movement our citizens enjoy," Short concluded.

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For more information, contact: Brendon Wold, Senior Information Officer: (360) 786-7698

‘We’re halfway there. We need to keep the pressure on to kill the Senate bill as well,’ says Short

Yesterday marked the cutoff for bills in the Washington State Legislature to be heard in their house of origin, meaning House bills not approved by the full membership of the House are considered "dead" until next session.

Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, was elated to report that the House version of Gov. Gregoire’s expensive "cap and trade" proposal didn’t make it out of the House before the cutoff.

"We’re halfway there," said Short, ranking Republican on the House Ecology and Parks Committee.  "But Senate Bill 5735 is still alive.  We need to keep the pressure on to kill the Senate bill as well."

House Bill 1819 is legislation requested by the governor in association with Washington’s involvement in the Western Climate Initiative.  The bill seeks to reduce the amount of carbon emitted from businesses in the state and levies punitive fines against companies emitting over a certain amount.

Short said implementing the concept at the state level when other states and nations haven’t fully committed to the same standards would hurt Washington employers, cost families jobs, and raise prices for consumers who are already stretched thin.

"Our state industries and employers compete on such a global scale," Short said.  "If our employers are held to unique and regressive emission standards, we will lose jobs, period.

"Protection of the environment is certainly important, and I’m adamant that we protect the heritage we have as a clean, environmentally-sound state," Short said.  "But we have to make sure our actions will produce the outcomes we want and no matter what we do, we have to make sure we’re not sacrificing our jobs.

"Europe has had cap and trade for eight years and hasn’t seen even a one percent drop in their emissions," continued Short.  "Washington emits only three-tenths of one percent of global greenhouse gasses.  We don’t want cap and trade; we don’t need cap and trade; and we certainly can’t afford cap and trade."

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For more information, contact: Brendon Wold, Senior Information Officer: (360) 786-7698

‘This is a tool in the toolbox for small communities to deal with increasing costs and fire dangers brought on by a complete ban on outdoor burning,’ says Rep. Short

Stevens County Commissioner Larry Guenther joined Lake Spokane residents Dave Heckenlively and Gary Holmes last week in Olympia to testify in favor of legislation allowing limited outdoor burning for small communities.

"We have some very specific unincorporated communities that could really benefit by allowing a small window of outdoor burning," Guenther said.  "The Lake Spokane community, with their abundance of pine needles, is continually facing higher costs to remove and clean up the debris — not to mention the escalating fire dangers associated with the accumulation of dry pine needles on the ground."

Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, met with the group and said she supports the legislation and would work with her colleagues in the Legislature to help them better understand the issue.

"It’s becoming very obvious that the issues we face in our Eastern Washington communities are vastly different than what King County and Puget Sound communities face," said Short.  "If I mention that we have an abundance of dry pine needles on the ground that pose a fire hazard and cost money to remove, I get incredulous blank stares in return."

House Bill 1987 would allow outdoor burning of organic material on the first and third Saturdays in November by small communities with a population of 10,000 people or less.  Outdoor burning would not be allowed if county regulations or air quality conditions stipulate otherwise.  If a proposed burn day is cancelled due to weather conditions, a reschedule of the appointed day would be allowed.

"We’re not talking about opening the door to widespread, whole-scale outdoor burning," said Short.  "This legislation creates a very narrow burn window under specific definitions.

"The outdoor burning ban has created increased hardships," Short said.  "I view this as another tool in the toolbox for small communities to deal with increasing costs and fire dangers brought on by a complete ban on outdoor burning."

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Contact: Brendon Wold, Senior Information Officer: (360) 786-7698

The House Ecology and Parks Committee passed House Bill 1819 today, the so-called cap and trade legislation.

Rep. Shelly Short, the ranking Republican on the committee, called the bill a "job killer" and said it will cause many businesses – and the jobs they provide – to leave the state.

"We heard testimony in committee from companies that are literally waiting to see what we do with this bill," said Short, R-Addy.  "They are on the verge of packing it in and moving to Idaho and other states.  This is also going to raise utility rates and the costs of goods and services for our families."

House Bill 1819 is legislation requested by the governor.  It is the result of Washington’s participation in the Western Climate Initiative, which currently includes six states and four Canadian provinces.  The legislation seeks to limit the amount of carbon emitted in the state from manufacturing and energy-producing businesses.  Companies that fail to comply face massive fines, can purchase carbon credits at auction, or pursue emission offsets.

"Washington is already one of the cleanest state’s in the nation and only accounts for one-third of one percent of global greenhouse gasses," Short said.  "It seems to me that we are taking an unnecessary lead and an unnecessary risk with this legislation.  What kind of disadvantages are we creating for our businesses if they have to compete regionally and globally with companies that don’t have to abide by these strict regulations?  How are we providing certainty for our businesses when we don’t know the costs associated with this legislation?

"This is precisely the wrong time to be adding punitive and costly regulations on our employers," Short said.

House Republicans proposed 13 amendments in committee, all of which – save one – were rejected along party lines.

The one House Republican amendment that was adopted requires the Office of Financial Management to report on the legislation’s impact to Washington ports.

"We have a very trade dependent state," Short said.  "Apart from the concerns we have with businesses, utility bills and agriculture, we also need to make sure we’re not adversely affecting our ports and our ability to import and export the goods upon which our economy thrives."

Short said the biggest surprise of the committee meeting was a Democrat amendment that removed the term "green jobs" from the bill.

"We’ve heard so much talk about green jobs this year and the creation of green jobs.  We offered an amendment that would specifically define ‘green jobs’ because there seems to be an awful lot of discrepancy as to what qualifies as one," Short said.  "That amendment was defeated, but shortly afterward the Democrats offered an amendment to take the term ‘green jobs’ out of the bill, so I think our point was made."

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