H. C. R. No. 25 As Introduced

As Introduced

128th General Assembly

Regular Session

2009-2010

H. C. R. No. 25

Representatives Jordan, Snitchler

Cosponsors: Representatives Adams, J., Adams, R., Amstutz, Batchelder, Blair, Bubp, Combs, Evans, Grossman, Hackett, Hall, Huffman, Jones, Maag, Martin, Morgan, Oelslager, Stautberg, Uecker, Wachtmann, Wagner, Zehringer

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

To urge the Congress of the United States to refuse 1
to enact cap and trade legislation that would 2
negatively impact Americans by increasing the 3
costs of goods and services and instead enact 4
legislation that encourages states to establish 5
and develop their own renewable energy portfolio 6
standards. 7

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF OHIO
(THE SENATE CONCURRING):

       WHEREAS, President Barack Obama has proposed legislation to 8
the United States Congress to implement a cap and trade emissions 9
trading system that would establish a cap on greenhouse gas 10
emissions, require those who emit greenhouse gases to purchase 11
government credits to offset emissions, and allow those emitters 12
to trade or sell those credits; and 13

       WHEREAS, Companies that are required to participate in the 14
cap and trade program will ultimately pass the cost of 15
participation in the program on to consumers. The Congressional 16
Budget Office estimates that price increases resulting from a 15% 17
cut in greenhouse gas emissions would cost the average household 18
between 1.7% to 3.3% of its after-tax income every year, with 19
households in the bottom fifth of the income scale losing the 20
largest share of income; and 21

       WHEREAS, The combustion of coal produces more than 50% of the 22
electricity generated in the United States, with Ohio receiving 23
more than 85% of its electricity from coal. Thus, the cap and 24
trade program will result in massive increases in energy costs for 25
all consumers because the cost to produce electricity from coal 26
will be markedly higher. The increased energy costs will 27
disproportionally impact states in the middle part of the United 28
States such as Ohio that are more reliant on coal. The 29
Congressional Budget Office has acknowledged that these increases 30
in energy costs will effectively act as a regressive tax affecting 31
every household in the nation, with a disproportionate effect on 32
poorer families; and 33

       WHEREAS, The proposed cap and trade plan will make Ohio less 34
attractive to businesses and further damage Ohio's ability to 35
attract and retain jobs in manufacturing and other sectors of the 36
economy. Ohio needs to position itself as a state that is 37
welcoming to industry and does not act in a manner that is 38
detrimental to its current and future employers; and 39

       WHEREAS, The cap and trade program as proposed will result 40
not only in a massive windfall of hundreds of billions of dollars 41
for the federal government through the sale of emissions credits, 42
but also in the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. The 43
program ultimately will not result in the overall global decrease 44
of greenhouse gas emissions because those industries that emit 45
greenhouse gas, if they are able to do so, will merely relocate to 46
countries with less stringent standards and continue to operate, 47
and those countries are not poised to cap their carbon emissions; 48
and 49

       WHEREAS, Any proposed new environmental or energy legislation 50
enacted by Congress should promote and encourage new technologies 51
such as zero-emission advanced nuclear power, biomass energy, fuel 52
cells, and clean coal with carbon capture and sequestration with 53
a goal to bring such technologies to market as quickly as 54
possible. The regulatory, liability, and legal barriers that 55
prevent these technologies from being commercialized and deployed 56
should be addressed before any cap is imposed on greenhouse gas 57
emissions; now therefore be it 58

       RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 128th General Assembly 59
of the State of Ohio, in adopting this resolution, urge the 60
Congress of the United States to refuse to enact cap and trade 61
legislation that would negatively impact Americans by increasing 62
the costs of goods and services and instead enact legislation that 63
encourages states to establish and develop their own renewable 64
energy portfolio standards; and be it further 65

       RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives 66
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the 67
Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, 68
the President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the United States 69
Senate, the members of the Ohio Congressional delegation, and the 70
news media of Ohio. 71

WHEREAS, President Barack Obama has proposed legislation to	8
the United States Congress to implement a cap and trade emissions	9
trading system that would establish a cap on greenhouse gas	10
emissions, require those who emit greenhouse gases to purchase	11
government credits to offset emissions, and allow those emitters	12
to trade or sell those credits; and	13

WHEREAS, Companies that are required to participate in the	14
cap and trade program will ultimately pass the cost of	15
participation in the program on to consumers. The Congressional	16
Budget Office estimates that price increases resulting from a 15%	17
cut in greenhouse gas emissions would cost the average household	18
between 1.7% to 3.3% of its after-tax income every year, with	19
households in the bottom fifth of the income scale losing the	20
largest share of income; and	21

WHEREAS, The combustion of coal produces more than 50% of the	22
electricity generated in the United States, with Ohio receiving	23
more than 85% of its electricity from coal. Thus, the cap and	24
trade program will result in massive increases in energy costs for	25
all consumers because the cost to produce electricity from coal	26
will be markedly higher. The increased energy costs will	27
disproportionally impact states in the middle part of the United	28
States such as Ohio that are more reliant on coal. The	29
Congressional Budget Office has acknowledged that these increases	30
in energy costs will effectively act as a regressive tax affecting	31
every household in the nation, with a disproportionate effect on	32
poorer families; and	33

WHEREAS, The proposed cap and trade plan will make Ohio less	34
attractive to businesses and further damage Ohio's ability to	35
attract and retain jobs in manufacturing and other sectors of the	36
economy. Ohio needs to position itself as a state that is	37
welcoming to industry and does not act in a manner that is	38
detrimental to its current and future employers; and	39

WHEREAS, The cap and trade program as proposed will result	40
not only in a massive windfall of hundreds of billions of dollars	41
for the federal government through the sale of emissions credits,	42
but also in the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. The	43
program ultimately will not result in the overall global decrease	44
of greenhouse gas emissions because those industries that emit	45
greenhouse gas, if they are able to do so, will merely relocate to	46
countries with less stringent standards and continue to operate,	47
and those countries are not poised to cap their carbon emissions;	48
and	49

WHEREAS, Any proposed new environmental or energy legislation	50
enacted by Congress should promote and encourage new technologies	51
such as zero-emission advanced nuclear power, biomass energy, fuel	52
cells, and clean coal with carbon capture and sequestration with	53
a goal to bring such technologies to market as quickly as	54
possible. The regulatory, liability, and legal barriers that	55
prevent these technologies from being commercialized and deployed	56
should be addressed before any cap is imposed on greenhouse gas	57
emissions; now therefore be it	58

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 128th General Assembly	59
of the State of Ohio, in adopting this resolution, urge the	60
Congress of the United States to refuse to enact cap and trade	61
legislation that would negatively impact Americans by increasing	62
the costs of goods and services and instead enact legislation that	63
encourages states to establish and develop their own renewable	64
energy portfolio standards; and be it further	65

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives	66
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the	67
Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives,	68
the President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the United States	69
Senate, the members of the Ohio Congressional delegation, and the	70
news media of Ohio.	71