Renewed Angst Over AB 32

AB 32 is the gift that keeps on giving. The San Jose Mercury News takes a fresh look at the AB 32 in light of the economic woes that wreaking havoc on California, and the hefty price tag the legislation's implementation will carry.

CARB says AB 32 wll cost $25 billion (but will deliver $40 billion in benefits); industry calls that figure a lowball. Defenders of the bill note that there is never a good time to spend this kind of money, but the meausre's effects are so needed that now's as good a time as any.

CARB has also argued that cash from the federal "Stimulus Bill" will ease some of the pain, but that's not mollifying the concerns of industry. Don't expect the AB 32 to be derailed or dealyed though. With a large part of the business community (primarily Silicon Valley) still in favor of it, it appears to be a train that has already left the station...

With economy in a rut, is now the right time for state's global-warming law? [San Jose Mercury News]