Your eyes on California Government

Katy Grimes: There were outbursts and antics on the floor of the Assembly today while legislators debated a green energy bill authored by Democratic Sen. Joe Simitian (Palo Alto). SB 2 would increase California’s renewables portfolio standard to require all retail sellers of electricity and publicly owned utilities to buy 33 percent of the electricity delivered to their retail customers from renewable resources by 2020.

Republican Assemblyman Dan Logue (Linda), the sponsor of Proposition 23 and staunch opponent of AB 32, held up an 800 page business permit application. “We keep passing legislation that destroys jobs and kills business,” said Logue, holding up the inches-thick application.

Logue asked colleagues to take a guess at how much more SB 2 would cost ratepayers. “This will cost ratepayers $7 billion in increases,” said Logue.

And then he dropped the 800 pages down on the floor.

The dramatic gesture brought vocal criticism from other legislators, objecting to his actions.

Logue apologized, and continued to make his point. “Four times more businesses are leaving the state than last year,” said Logue. “This body has created hostility for business in California. 120,000 jobs were destroyed by this Legislature last year.”

But not everyone heeded Logue’s warning about the consequences of increasing the renewable standard regulations. Several Republicans (Smyth, Fletcher, Miller and Achadjian) voted in favor of the bill, assisting its passage, 55 to 19.

“This is going to destroy more businesses,” said Logue. “We are the only state in the country doing this.”

MAR. 29, 2011