jwhittaker@post-journal.com
Senate Republicans are playing hardball with Gov. Tom Wolf over the governor’s support of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
The Senate Republican Caucus sent a letter to Wolf last week saying Republicans will block all nominations to the state Public Utility Commission until Wolf pulls his unilateral decision to have Pennsylvania join RGGI and work with the Legislature, according to Senator Joe Pittman, who has spearheaded efforts of Legislative involvement in RGGI. All 27 members of the Senate Republican Caucus signed the letter.
“We have made it clear over the past 19 months that this is about the balance of powers in Pennsylvania,” Pittman said. “One of the key components of RGGI is a tax on carbon emissions. That in and of itself would destroy thousands of family-sustaining jobs across the Commonwealth.
Upon being appointed to the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board in June 2018, Rob Barley and I were constantly questioned about cooperatives and over-order premium payments to their members. Jim Van Blarcom confirmed that this had been an issue since his tenure on the board as well.
There were three areas of focus for some producers.
They didnât know if they were receiving any OOP payments, they didnât know if Pennsylvania OOP payments were going to non-Pennsylvania producers, and they didnât know if the board could force co-ops to pay their producers the same way independent producers pay farmers from whom they buy milk.
by Christen Smith, The Center Square | April 23, 2021 08:30 AM Print this article
Republican senators issued Gov. Tom Wolf an ultimatum on Thursday in yet another effort to derail the state’s entry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
In a letter to Wolf signed by 27 members of the Senate Republican Caucus and Sen. John Yudichak, I-Luzurne, the lawmakers said they would not confirm his nominee for the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission until he withdraws an executive order committing the state to join RGGI next year.
“We have made it clear over the past 19 months that this is about the balance of powers in Pennsylvania,” said Sen. Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, who likened RGGI to a carbon tax on power producers. “It is dangerous precedent to tolerate the governor unilaterally imposing a tax. This moratorium on confirmation of PUC nominees is a reminder to the governor that Pennsylvania has three distinct and co-equal branches
SENATE WILL BLOCK NOMINEES TO PUC UNLESS WOLF PULLS RGGI OFF THE TABLE wdadradio.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wdadradio.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.