UPDATE: RI Bill Would Allow “Nearly Unbridled Power Delegated to Unelected Agencies,” Says House GOP
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Rhode Island House Republicans are raising concerns about what they say is the "nearly unbridled power delegated to unelected state agencies" by House Bill 5445, scheduled for a floor vote on Tuesday, March 23.
On March 16, the Rhode Island Senate approved companion legislation sponsored by Senate Environment and Agriculture Chairwoman Dawn Euer to "update Rhode Island’s climate-emission reduction goals and to make them enforceable."
The 2021 Act on Climate (2021-S 0078A) would make the state’s climate goals outlined in the Resilient Rhode Island Act of 2014 "more ambitious and updated with current science. Under the bill, the state would develop a plan to reduce all climate emissions from transportation, buildings and heating, and electricity used economywide in the state to 10 percent below 1990 levels this year, 45 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2040 and net-zero by 2050."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTEuer says the climate crisis "poses too grave a threat to the earth and to Rhode Island in particular to treat climate emissions reduction as an aspiration rather than an obligation."
Now, the House Republicans are offering an amendment on the House companion Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill to preserve what they say are the "fundamental principles of representative democracy."
House GOP Takes Swipe at Bill
The House Republicans pointed out that H5445 delegates to the Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (ECCC) the "dramatic and expansive legislative power to regulate all facets of Rhode Islanders' personal lives."
"Once a plan is adopted by the ECCC, all other state agencies are compelled to adopt regulations to enforce that plan, which will include control of our home heating choices, the automobiles we’re permitted to drive, how our businesses operate, the manner in which our communities plan and develop, and where our electricity comes from," said the House GOP.
House Republicans said they believe that only elected representatives should wield these broad legislative powers: not unelected state agencies -- and will offer an amendment Tuesday to require that any plan adopted by the Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (ECCC) must first receive General Assembly approval before it is carried out by any other state agency.
“We can reduce carbon emissions and preserve our representative system of government at the same time,” said House Minority Leader Blake A. Filippi. “As H5445 is currently written, no personal, business, state or municipal activity is off the table in order to achieve dramatic emissions reductions. And unlike traditional agency regulation making, H5445 makes clear that these regulations may be imposed no matter the financial impact on Rhode Island families and businesses."
"Such a broad delegation of legislative power to unelected agencies is repugnant to our core democratic values. Accordingly, we will offer an amendment to require that any plan adopted by the ECCC must receive General Assembly approval in order to have the force of law. This requirement will ensure that Rhode Islander’s elected representatives do their jobs, rather than pass off their responsibilities onto others," he added.
Supporters Rally
Advocates for the legislation -- Climate Action Rhode Island (CARI) will hold a rally at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in support of the passage of the 2021 Action on Climate bill (H 5445) that the RI House of Representatives will be considering on Tuesday.
What: Climate Activists and supporters of this important climate legislation will gather to display signs and voice their support to the state representatives entering the Vets Auditorium on their way to vote for the 2021 Act on Climate bill (H 5445)
"The Climate Crisis must be urgently addressed at every level of government. Rhode Island needs to create statutory mandates to direct state agencies to enforce standards and guidelines that will bring Rhode Island to cutting carbon emissions by 100% by 2050 (net-zero emissions) in an equitable, transparent process that considers the rights of workers, people of color and low-income communities," says the group.
Story updated at 6 AM on 3/23/2021
