Legislators urge governors to withdraw from Regional Climate Initiative

WASHINGTON DC -- Today, state Rep. Tom McMillin of Michigan introduced a resolution (H.R. 277) urging his state's governor to withdraw Michigan from continued participation in the Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord (MGGRA), an agreement among the region's governors to reduce greenhouse gases through a regional cap-and-trade program.

The Accord has also been signed by governors in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa and Kansas and is designed to send a message to Washington lawmakers to move forward on a nationwide cap-and-trade program. The Accord would restrict energy use -- the lifeblood of economic activity in these states --without any tangible benefit to the environment.

Michigan's proposed resolution has drawn the applause of state legislators in nearby participating states who intend to introduce similar measures in their own legislatures. Rep. Phil Montgomery of Wisconsin said in explaining his support for his state's withdrawal from MGGRA, "Our focus in Wisconsin has to be, first and foremost, jobs and the economy. We cannot continue to entertain energy restrictions that promise no environmental gain, only economic harm."

Iowa state Rep. Ralph Watts called the Accord "a slap in the face for Iowa's hardworking families," adding "these regional initiatives are political, not environmental."

Minnesota state Sen. Mike Jungbauer said, ""Few believe that reducing emissions among a handful of states will make any difference in global concentrations of greenhouse gases, and I wouldn't ask Minnesota families to deal with the effects of such a detrimental political strategy aimed at pressuring Congress to act," Sen. Jungbauer said. "This effort is only going to drag down our already struggling economy."

MGGRA's advisory report calls for target reductions of 20 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. This target is even more aggressive than the 17 percent target in the Waxman-Markey legislation adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives last summer. That legislation was widely criticized for the heavy economic burden it would place on American families. A similar burden would be placed on families in MGGRA participating states if a 20 percent target is pursued. It's worth noting that Michigan (0.54 percent), Wisconsin (0.33 percent), Iowa (0.31 percent) and Minnesota (0.38 percent) together contribute less than 2 percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information including state impact studies visit ALEC Regional Climate Initiative section of our website.

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is the nation's largest nonpartisan, individual membership organization of state legislators.