Continuing this topic, North Carolina legislators discover that business will, indeed, pay attention to legislation which appears to ignore scientific realities, as Sami Grover on Treehugger.com reports:
As I wrote last week over at North Carolina Sustainability Connection, Apple, Google and Facebook have jointly signed a letter warning North Carolina’s legislators not to mess with the state’s popular Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (REPS).
The standard, as it currently reads, requires utilities to purchase renewable energy amounting to 6 percent of retail sales, with that mandate set to increase to 10 percent by 2018. House bill 332 (H332), which would freeze the mandate at 6 percent, recently made its way through the Senate Commerce Committee after a highly questionable and contentious voice vote that even some Republicans decried as being “not even close”. (Similar language in other bills has failed to move forward several times.)
So who’s pushing this along? At least two Republicans; in the NC House, Rep. Mike Hager, and in the NC Senate, Senate finance chairman Sen. Bob Rucho. Just for context, the latter tweeted:
Justice Robert’s pen & Obamacare has done more damage to the USA then [sic] the swords of the Nazis, Soviets & terrorists combined
so it’s a fair bet that he’s a trifle unhinged from reality – or really believes in team politics. Ballotpedia provides a chunk of information, including this handy chart:
| North Carolina State Senate 2014 election – Campaign Contributions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top contributors to Bob Rucho’s campaign in 2014 | ||||
| Piedmont Natural Gas | $11,000 | |||
| North Carolina Dental Society | $10,000 | |||
| Duke Energy | $9,000 | |||
| Bank of America | $7,000 | |||
| North Carolina Medical Society | $7,000 | |||
| Total Raised in 2014 | $442,434 | |||
| Source: Follow the Money | ||||
Does $20K buy you a Senator these days? Or did their lobbyists simply make such a strong presentation that he felt that he had to break the rules? From the News & Observer:
In light of the questions, Democratic Leader Dan Blue of Raleigh told Rucho he wanted a “division” of the vote, which would allow for an individual tally rather than just by voice. Rucho refused, and when Blue asked him by what rule he was refusing, Rucho said it was his prerogative as chairman and then called for the vote.
The rules the Senate adopted earlier this year say the presiding officer shall conduct a division if it is called for prior to the vote, which in this case it was.
After the meeting, Rucho emphasized to Blue that he had the authority not to allow a division.
I have no idea what sort of punishment can be meted out to a committee chairman who won’t follow the rules. Removal from the chairmanship? Kicked out of the legislature? But if the Republicans are in control, would anyone even dare to bring up the idea?
