STATES LAUNCH LOBBYING BLITZ TO BOOST ROLE IN CLIMATE BILL

摘要

State organizations in a coordinated lobbying effort are urging House and Senate lawmakers to provide a broader role for states than what is allowed in pending climate change legislation, including the ability to set stricter standards and regulate sectors excluded from the final version of whatever bill Congress passes.rnOfficials from six major state groups held two April 15 briefings with House and Senate staff to stress their belief that "states are good innovators and have the authority to take care of issues that may not be part of the federal bill, so we don't have our rights curtailed to do certain things," one state official says.rnFor example, states want to ensure that legislation does not preempt states from taking their own actions to combat climate change. Present at the briefings were officials from the National Governors Association, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), National Conference of State Legislatures, National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA), National Association of State Energy Officials, and the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS).