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https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/rep-reschke-among-walkouts-from-cap-and-trade-bill/article_fc5f0d08-86f1-592f-a173-b2a5026d05b0.html

Rep Reschke among walkouts from Cap and Trade Bill

Herald and News by Kurt Liedtke, 2/16/20

Republican members of the House Committee on Energy and Environment refused to take a vote on a controversial Cap and Trade legislation, choosing to walk out from a hearing, according to a news release.

“Today, I did one of the most difficult things since my time as a Representative — I left a policy committee in protest by not voting on a bill,” said Representative E. Werner Reschke (R-Klamath Falls). “The bill in question is HB 4159, Cap and Trade. We (legislators) were being asked to vote on this bill in order to ‘keep it alive’ as bill deadlines are today. This is an abuse of the process by the super-majority to get a particular outcome, rather than a use of normative committee process that is intended to result in the best outcome for all Oregonians.”

Thursday’s early exit from a critical House policy committee, was done in protest to the fact that the committee purposely did not hear any public testimony on a highly controversial bill, or provide time to discuss among committee members regarding the policy of the bill.

“Cap and Trade is an extremely complex scheme that will cost Oregon families somewhere between $500-600 annually, to start,” said Reschke. “As the program continues, fuel, food and heating costs continue to increase. There are far better and far less costly ways to lower CO2 emissions in Oregon. This is not the way forward — especially for rural Oregon.”

“We have tried to engage with our colleagues on this issue, but have repeatedly been denied the opportunity to represent our districts in this conversation. Cap and trade will raise costs of living on all Oregonians, drive business out of the state, and hand control over to unelected bureaucrats. Oregonians are being denied access, and we won’t stand for it,” said Representative Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles), Vice-Chair of the committee.

House Bill 4159 was moved to House Committee on Rules without receiving any public input.

Reschke is the Oregon House Representative for House District 56, which includes southern Klamath and Lake Counties.

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