HB 3250 carbon cap-and-dividend program

VOTE:NO
Died in Committee (2015)

No on HB3470 adopt by rule statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits link to companion bill

Will require the Environmental  Quality  Commission  to  adopt a carbon  cap-and-dividend  program.  Establish an auction for allowances under the program.  Will direct certain proceeds from  allowances to  be  deposited  in  Pollution  Refund  Credit  Trust  Fund to distribute moneys collected from auction to personal income taxpayers and their dependents in equal shares. Will appropriate moneys from General Fund to Department of Revenue and Environmental Quality Commission for purpose of establishing cap-and-dividend program and funding first year of auction. Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die. HB3250 is a Carbon Cap and Trade program with a twist to make the cost of carbon based Energy and fuel raise, to use less carbon based energy and encourage use of renewable energy sources, with the cost to the importer, seller, deliverer or distributor of Fuel and Electricity that use carbon based material and the money collected will return back to to  personal  income  taxpayers  and  their  dependents in  equal  shares. The premise is that Carbon is the cause of Global Warming. Carbon is clearly not a problem, CO2 is colorless, tasteless, odorless and is considered the gas of life. Increasing amounts of atmospheric CO2 is not causing a corresponding increase in global temperatures. NOAA/RSS weather satellite data shows that there has been no increase in global temperatures over the last 18 years despite rising atmospheric CO2. In science the effect is always preceded by the cause. All 102 climate models published by climate alarmists have been proven wrong when compared to actual global warming temperature data. None of the predictions in Al Gore’s movie An Inconvenient Truth have come to past. The funds and penalties collected, is to offset the cost of products produced by companies that raise prices to consumers as a result of this policy. The Department of Revenue is paid for the actual costs incurred by the department in administering an auction, not to exceed 0.25 percent of auction proceeds and after the payment of the costs of the Department of Revenue and the Department of Environmental Quality for the implementation and enforcement.  The balance to  personal  income  taxpayers  and  their  dependents in  equal  shares. Government will set the prices. With a policy like this it will affect not only the major companies that will be taxed but also every household through a chain reaction of product price increases. Distributions required under this section shall be issued in the same manner as refunds are made under ORS 314.415. According to ORS 305.270 (Collection and distribution of local taxes on income and sales), or as corrected by the department, is less than the amount theretofore paid, or if a person files a claim for refund of any tax paid to the department. The free market and trade of goods will be artificially altered with a program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an amount not to exceed the following benchmarks: (a) By 2020, achieve greenhouse gas levels that are equal to 1990 levels. (b) By 2030, achieve greenhouse gas levels that are 40 percent below 1990 levels. (c) By 2050, achieve greenhouse gas levels that are 85 percent below 1990 levels. These levels will do nothing to reduce any perceived Global Warming threat, on the contrary these goals will stifle the economic growth in the state intentionally.