California Proposition 23 (Prop 23), a voter initiative to suspend implementation of the state’s “Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006,” will be considered on the November 2 California statewide ballot.
The ballot measure is a result of a petition signed by more than 800,000 Californians. Proposition 23 would suspend implementation of the 2006 law until California’s unemployment rate remains at or below 5.5% for four consecutive quarters.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, California’s unemployment rate has been above that level since December 2007 and was last reported at 12.2% in June 2010.
Under the terms of the proposition, during any period of time that the implementation of the law is suspended, no agency will be permitted to adopt or enforce any regulation allowable under the law. Affected regulations would include those whose purpose is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as cap-and-trade policy, low-carbon fuel standard and a requirement placed on utilities to obtain at least one-third of their electricity supply from renewable sources, such as wind and solar energy.
Proposition 23 will not suspend the state’s vehicle smog-check or car-scrap programs, nor will it have an effect on California’s new-vehicle emissions standards but would suspend enforcement of the regulation providing for mandatory tire-pressure checking.
For more information, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.