Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the Senate on September 10, 2009

The vote was 22 in favor, 14 opposed and 1 not voting

(Senate Roll Call 444 at Senate Journal 0)

Click here to view bill details.

 

Senator Brater, under her constitutional right of protest (Art. 4, Sec. 18), protested against the adoption of Senate Resolution No. 77 and moved that the statement she made during the discussion of the resolution be printed as her reasons for voting “no.”

The motion prevailed.

Senator Brater’s statement is as follows:

I rise to oppose Senate Resolution No. 77. Global warming and the escape of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere from human activity has been shown to have a greatly adverse effect on our environment and ongoing human sustainability of life as we know it on this planet. It has even been named a domestic security threat by federal sources that are looking at the effects of climate change in various parts of the globe. The drying up of water and food resources can greatly affect the stability of populations around the globe.

Here in Michigan we have seen instability in lake levels that have cost resorts and other tourist industry-related enterprises to have effects on their prosperity. We have seen projected changes in habitat that could affect our ongoing tourism, hunting, and fishing activities in this state; also the effects on Michigan agriculture and the growing season. There are real economic costs to do nothing. Research has shown that it is more costly to do nothing to contain greenhouse gases than to try to implement programs such as cap and trade.

Research has shown that we can stabilize CO2 at 450 parts per million for the net cost of zero. Cap and trade unleashes creativity of private enterprise in a way that is very exciting. We know that when a similar program was implemented to contain the effects of acid rain, the dire predictions for costs never came to be. In fact, with many environmental programs for environmental protection, this is the pattern that we see. Cries of the sky is falling and that this is going to ruin our economy, in fact, these numbers that are thrown around never materialize.

I am grateful for the work that the Congress is doing to implement a cap and trade program to contain global warming in a timely way. It is actually very urgent that we move forward to implement this program. I strongly oppose this resolution.

 

Senator Brown’s statement is as follows:

Senate Resolution No. 77 urges Congress to reject the cap and trade bill now before the U.S. Senate because the legislation, if enacted, would negatively impact Michigan residents through the elimination of jobs and also by significantly increasing the costs of goods and services. Many observers have characterized cap and trade as a jobs killer. Estimates of net job losses associated with cap and trade are 1.2 million to 2.3 million by 2015. This makes the bill particularly problematic for Michigan as Michigan’s unemployment rate reached 15.4 percent in June with no relief in sight. Higher domestic manufacturing costs and the refusal of developing nations to abide by similar environmental restrictions will cause American manufacturing jobs to be outsourced to foreign lands.

In addition, Michigan residents will see increases in nearly all goods and services. Estimates show that for a household of four, cost increases translate to an average tax increase of $2,979 from 2012 to 2035. For example, by 2035, estimates show that electricity rates will go up—some say by as much as 90 percent—gasoline will increase by 58 percent, and natural gas by 55 percent by 2035.

Higher energy costs will also affect the price of all items purchased by families, individuals, and businesses that require energy for either transport or production. That is why the Detroit News said the cap and trade bill will break the budget of U.S. households. Michigan will be especially hard hit as a manufacturing state with 60 percent of our electrical supply coming from coal. Science has not played a significant enough role in the current discussion on cap and trade. Reports indicated that key research by Environmental Protection Agency officials was deliberately suppressed by the administration to hide evidence that contends the earth is actually cooling.

Turning our back on coal, the planet’s most abundant source of energy, in the midst of the worst recession in 70 years is unwise. Americans should not be taxed trillions of dollars to fund this fundamental energy shift. Congress should oppose cap and trade as it will result in capping our growth and trading our jobs. Please support Senate Resolution No. 77.

 

Senator Cropsey’s statement is as follows:

The economic impacts of the cap and trade legislation is not only devastating to the national economy, but it represents an uneven burden on the states. For example, Michigan is No. 8 out of the 50 states as far as job losses are concerned under the cap and trade legislation. We are already reeling under the impacts of the changes going on in the automobile industry. Now we add onto it cap and trade.

Gas price increases in Michigan will be uneven. We will be No. 4 as far as the gas price increases in the state of Michigan because of cap and trade. Our gross state product would be losing $844 per person because of cap and trade. Also the average cost of electricity for households will go up by $444 because of cap and trade. This is suicide legislation for an economy. I would hope that this body from Michigan would send a strong message to the United States government that we do not need anymore of their help in trying to kill our economy.

This is devastating. The President of the United States said that cap and trade legislation that he has proposed would cost nationwide $646 billion—$646 billion. Michigan is going to be especially hit hard in this. I would hope that this body would send a really strong message to Washington, D.C., do not do anything more to destroy Michigan’s economy.