February 4, 2010
Sacramento Bee
Initiative to suspend AB 32 cleared to gather signatures

A proposed initiative to suspend California’s landmark legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emission was cleared by the secretary of state’s office late Wednesday to begin collecting signatures.

A creator of the initiative, Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Linda, said he has commitments of $600,000 from business interests for a campaign to qualify the measure for the ballot.

The initiative would suspend implementation of Assembly Bill 32, which called for reducing California’s greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.

Logue and other opponents have argued that AB 32 would be extremely costly to businesses and take a heavy toll on the state’s economy.

The proposed initiative would suspend the state’s greenhouse-gas reduction requirements until California’s unemployment rate, currently above 12 percent, falls to 5.5 percent or less for four consecutive quarters.

To qualify for the November ballot, backers of the initiative must collect 433,971 voter signatures by June 24. To qualify for a 2011 special election or a 2012 statewide election, the deadline is July 5, the secretary of state’s office said.
Posted by Jim Sanders

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