Date: 04/11/2006

Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB06-214

SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Motion to refer SB 06-214 to the Committee on ApprPASS



02:05 PM -- Senate Bill 06-214

Senator Sandoval, chair, called the meeting to order. Senator Gordon, prime sponsor, explained the provisions of SB 06-214, which requires the Department of Public Health and Environment to administer a program to award grants to public higher education institutions to study the potential of terrestrial carbon sequestration as a technique for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in the state and emerging international and domestic markets in greenhouse gas emissions and private firms in various economic sectors that are reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He indicated that it is important that Colorado be involved and benefit from the research and economic activity related to carbon emissions and its impact on the climate. He discussed issues regarding global warming. An article on global warming's impact on Colorado was distributed to the committee (Attachment A).

The committee wondered about the administrative costs that would be involved in the grant program and how much money would be spent on actual research. It discussed the possibility of an amendment to specify how much of the grant money would need to be spent on research. The committee also discussed whether human activity is having an effect on the climate. Senator Gordon explained that the bill would allow the state to benefit from the economic activity that is occurring regardless of the global warming debate and that is prudent for the state to study ways to reduce global warming.


02:13 PM

Senator Taylor continued to discuss his concerns about the evidence surrounding global warming and discussed the evidence of major fluctuations in global temperatures throughout history without much human activity. Senator Gordon understood the concern, but also stated that there is evidence that the rate of warming is stronger than in the past, which could be due to human activity, and that increased research was prudent. He also stated that the Colorado School of Mines would be a good school to provide objective research.

Senator Teck also expressed his uncertainty surrounding global warming, but supported the bill because it could help the state with current research and economic efforts, specifically regarding the use of coal.

The following people testified on the bill:

02:19 PM -- Mr. Michael Bowman, speaking on behalf of the agricultural industry involved with climate change efforts, spoke in favor of the bill. He discussed the opportunity for the agriculture industry in Colorado to participate in efforts to mitigate the impacts of human activity on the climate. He discussed examples of agricultural global climate change programs occurring. Pamphlets discussing agricultural projects relating to climate change were distributed to the committee (Attachment B). He thought that the bill provided a way to get unbiased information to help the state. He concluded that the agricultural industry does have a significant role in global climate change efforts that such efforts could generate revenue for farmers.

02:27 PM -- Mr. Richard Conan, research scientist at Colorado State University (CSU), testifying on behalf of Environment Colorado, spoke in favor of the bill. He discussed his involvement with carbon sequestration research at CSU. He also explained how carbon can accumulate and decrease in the environment due to land management policies and how good policies can be part of the solution to reduce carbon in the atmosphere. He also discussed the impacts of forest fires on carbon emissions and explained his research methodology. He also commented that a $50,000 grant could be used to benefit CSU's research through the collection of updated data.


02:40 PM

Senator Teck asked Senator Gordon to get more specifics from the universities that would receive the grants on how they would use the money.
BILL:SB06-214
TIME: 02:40:35 PM
MOVED:Shaffer
MOTION:Motion to refer SB 06-214 to the Committee on Appropriations with favorable recommendation. The motion passed on a 4 - 2 vote.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Brophy
No
Shaffer
Yes
Taylor
No
Teck
Yes
Tupa
Yes
Veiga
Excused
Sandoval
Yes
Final YES: 4 NO: 2 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS