Clean Power Plan Unconstitutional, Economic Burden

Via The Springfield News-Leader:

Like many of my colleagues, I was elected by the people of my district to protect and defend their rights, and to limit the impact of government in their lives. I work daily to promote a free market that generates jobs and prosperity, and to minimize the unnecessary intervention by government.

This is why I am working to stop the EPA from forcing utilities to raise electricity rates on families and businesses in Missouri. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued its so-called “Clean Power Plan” purportedly to reduce carbon emissions from existing and new electrical power plants, chiefly coal plants.

Although the rule is supposed to protect the planet, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy has conceded the rule will not impact global warming. What it will do is hurt every family and business in the state. The rule is unconstitutional and flawed so it is no surprise that 27 states, including Missouri, sued the EPA, and on February 9 the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to forbid the EPA from enforcing the rule until the court can consider the merits of the sweeping regulation.

Over 130 other business organizations, labor unions, utilities, and electric coops joined the states in court. Constitutional expert and Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe urged the EPA to withdraw the rule. In his view, coping with climate change is a vital end, but it does not justify using unconstitutional means. Missouri families would be especially hard hit by this new electricity rule. Missouri uses 83% coal in the production of our electricity.

According to a study by NERA Economic Consulting, this EPA rule will mean an average rate increase to Missouri families and businesses of 24% and could potentially cause catastrophic shortages of electricity. This is unacceptable. The impact of these higher rates would be felt across the economy. Not only would my constituents pay higher electricity bills, but so would every restaurant, day care center, church, police station, school and public building.

The cost of government would rise, and thus taxes would have to be increased or services cut to pay these higher rates. On behalf of electric consumers, Missouri must push back against this federal power grab.

That is why I have introduced HB1470, the Interstate Power Compact. This bill will protect Missourians by joining other states to assert our constitutional authority to prevent and control air pollution right here in Missouri and to resist the EPA’s sweeping new regulations that will do little but cost families money.

HB1470 specifies that Missouri and other compact states may refuse to submit to the EPA a plan to meet their unconstitutional regulation until the Supreme Court rules that the regulation is legal. Missouri should regulate our electricity production, not unelected bureaucrats in Washington, DC. We should work together to protect and improve Missouri’s environment.

We do not need the Federal government imposing their plan on us. Ask your legislator to say “yes” to keeping electric bills lower and to protecting Missouri’s power grid by supporting HB1470.

See the article here.