Jerry Brown calls state's global warming law the key difference between himself and Meg Whitman
Source: Ken McLaughlin, Paul Rogers/San Jose Mercury News
Calling the issue the defining difference between himself and Republican Meg Whitman, Jerry Brown gave an impassioned defense Thursday of the state's landmark global warming law, now under attack by conservatives and some business leaders as a "job killer.'' In a wide-ranging interview with the Mercury News editorial board, the Democratic candidate for governor called AB 32 "a path forward'' that would create hundreds of thousands of clean-energy and create California's "new economy.''
Whitman, the former CEO of eBay, has called for placing a one-year moratorium on the law's regulations. That puts her on opposite sides of most Silicon Valley companies, including eBay.
Her spokeswoman, Sarah Pompei, said in response to Brown's comments that while Whitman "supports the goals of AB 32, she also believes we must fix its implementation so each regulation is fully analyzed based on careful economic and environmental review."
Brown this afternoon also weighed in on Sacramento gridlock, the state's staggering costs for employee pensions and the influence of special interests in crafting legislation. He also stuck to his guns on the issue of releasing his income tax returns, saying he'll do so only if Whitman does too.
Brown's strong statements on the global warming issue came a day after the San Francisco-based Public Policy Institute of California released its annual survey of attitudes on the environment. The poll found that two in three residents said they still support AB 32's requirement to cut emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.
More Californians think combating climate change will create, rather than destroy, jobs, the poll found. Just 16 percent of residents say the effects of global warming will never materialize.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB 32 into law in 2006. It will take effect in 2012 and is expected to fall hardest on oil refineries, power plants and cement kilns.
Brown also said Thursday that he strongly opposes Proposition 23, a November ballot initiative to suspend AB 32.
Two Texas oil companies, Valero and Tesoro, provided much of the funding to qualify Proposition 23 for the ballot. The yes campaign has raised roughly $3.4 million so far.
If approved by a majority of voters, Proposition 23 would suspend AB 32 until the state unemployment rate drops to 5.5 percent or lower for four consecutive quarters. In the past 20 years, that has only occurred three times.
The "no on 23" campaign has raised roughly $2.5 million and is supported by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and former Reagan administration Secretary of State George Shultz, among others.
Supporters of AB 32 say it will create jobs by boosting the state's renewable energy and green technology industries and will set an example for other states and Congress.
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