Oregon bill aims to cap greenhouse gas emissions

MEDFORD, Ore. – The Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction will be in Medford Saturday holding a public hearing on legislation regarding greenhouse gas emissions.

Oregon House Bill 2020 is a 55-page bill, declaring an emergency in terms of carbon reduction.

As proposed, it aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to at least 80% below 1990 emissions levels by the year 2050.

The state plans to do that by establishing a carbon policy office which would place a cap on greenhouse gas emissions—and the state’s largest polluters would pay per-ton.

It’s something state Democrats have worked to pass for several years to address climate change. But many Republicans say Oregonians will end up footing the bill.

Senator Herman Baertschiger (R) said, “At the end of the day, when all the dust settles, what it really will be is a tax on fuel and it would not surprise me if this passes through that by 2024, which isn’t too far away, you could see at least $0.50 per gallon more by 2024.”

Oregon Governor Kate Brown said a goal of hers will be protecting people from utility rate hikes as the state transitions away from coal-fired power. She said in an earlier statement quote, “Specifically, the policy needs to ensure that as we reduce emissions, Oregon small businesses and manufacturers are not put at a competitive disadvantage in the global market.”

The public hearing on the bill will be held Saturday at Central Medford High School from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

You can read the Oregon HB 2020 here: https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB2020/Introduced

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