Is climate change legislation dead for this year?

Farm and Ranch May 3, 2010 A compromise climate change bill suffered a big setback after a key Republican withdrew his support. But American Farm Bureau officials aren’t sure yet if the bill is dead for the rest of the year.

The Kerry-Graham-Lieberman bipartisan compromise was thought ready for primetime - until South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham pulled out - accusing Democrats of playing election-year politics - suggesting they’d put immigration reform - a hotter issue - ahead of climate change on the calendar.

American Farm Bureau’s Rick Krause says without an air-tight commitment on doing climate first - there’s no telling if climate’s done for the year.

Krause: “I don’t think it caused the bill to be completely done for the year. I don‘t think we can say that yet but it does put it back quite a bit and diminishes it chances quite a bit.”

Krause says Democrats can still put together a bill that has fewer concessions to fossil energy and nuclear power - but predicts it will lack GOP and enough Democrat support to pass.

Krause: “If they do that I don‘t think that it will go anywhere. I think there best chance was with Senate Graham on board and if they don‘t get his support for the bill I see the bill being dead for year.”

If climate and energy legislation is indeed dead, the Environmental Protection Agency will begin regulating carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act. Stakeholders on both sides of the climate talks say that looks increasingly likely unless the Senate negotiations get back on track.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on Northwest Aginfo Net.