--The Kansas coal battle is over for now, legislatively speaking, as the industry's legislative allies have decided against trying to override Governor Kathleen Sebelius' latest veto. The battle now shifts to state courtrooms, where the industry has filed suit.
--Members of Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe's climate change commission are asking the public for support and input, and making a case we very much like to do so:
With the federal government at a standstill on the issue, it's up to the states to become legislative laboratories for their parent legislature to learn from, and the commission is one of Arkansas'first experiments, said state Rep. Kathy Webb, D-Little Rock, who is a member of the commission. She said the presidential candidates have made commitments to take action on global warm- ing, and she thinks that at its next session Congress will address the issue.
Webb and Petty agreed that if Arkansas wants to be one of the states handing out advice to the federal government when it's making policies on environmentalism, the state Legislature and citizens must work together to help the commission succeed.
--Californians, of course, have been advising the federal government for years (and, where necessary, suing it) on climate policy. Local initiative continues to march on despite the lack of federal support, with nine Bay Area counties agreeing to impose fees on businesses for every ton of carbon they emit.
