by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Working Californians blogs]

It was just last week that there were rumors floating around that the Democrats were going to strip a roll-back on a tax break for oil companies. Bush is threatening to veto, but they are moving forward with it anyways. SFChron:

Democratic leaders circulated a summary of the legislation that includes the new taxes as well as a requirement for a 40 percent increase in automobile fuel efficiency, a huge increase in the use of ethanol as a motor fuel, and a mandate for utilities to use renewable fuels.

Republicans earlier this year blocked Senate attempts to pass new energy taxes, contending they would hinder domestic oil and gas production. Democratic supporters of the taxes said that with oil hovering near $90 a barrel and the industry making large profits, the tax breaks aren't needed.

The White House has said repeatedly that if the energy legislation singles out the oil companies for new taxes, advisers would recommend that President Bush veto the bill.

Of course restoring an old tax is an increase in the world of Bush. The Democrats are just seeking to repeal the tax breaks given to the major oil companies by the Republicans.

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Working Californians blogs]

Rep. Boucher and Rep. Dingell had this bright idea, and when I mean bright I mean really dumb, to push forward new energy legislation that would have effectively overridden several pieces of landmark environmental law here in California. It would have prohibited states from passing "tougher-than-federal standards to cut vehicle emissions." The proposal seemed to deliberately target California.

Yesterday, the Chronicle published a high profile article on the legislation and by the end of the day, Pelosi put out a statement indicating her opposition. Chron

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, responding to pressure from California officials and environmentalists, has slapped down a new proposal by top House Democrats that would have wiped out California's ability to regulate greenhouse gases from cars and trucks.

In a brief but pointed statement Tuesday night, the San Francisco Democrat said, "Any proposal that affects California's landmark efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or eliminates the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions will not have my support."

There is no way that the proposal will reach the House floor. Good on the Speaker, looking out for California and the rest of the country. Now, if only the EPA would hurry up and grant California the waiver to regulate vehicle emissions.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Two not-so-eco-friendly Congressmen are working on a global warming bill in the House.  The trouble is that the bill includes provisions that block California from implementing stricter global warming measures, such as AB32, the carbon emissions law signed last year.

House Democrats, in their first draft of new energy legislation, would wipe out California's landmark global warming law -- despite their California speaker's promises that her party would use the state as a model to combat climate change.

The legislation would pre-empt California and 11 other states from implementing laws requiring automakers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across their fleets. The bill would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from granting the states waivers to put their climate change rules into effect. California officials, including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's top environmental aides, blasted the legislative proposal.
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