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Assemblyman Dan Logue's plan to block a law cutting state greenhouse gas emissions until the economy rebounds looks likely to make the November 2 ballot.
Monday, members of the California Jobs Initiative Coalition turned in more than 800,000 signatures of registered voters to qualify for the late year election.
“We only needed 440,000,” Logue said. “People realize we need to protect and bring jobs to California. We're going to give working families of California a break until we recover economically.”
The initiative calls for the suspension of stringent greenhouse gas emission standards set by state legislature bill AB 32 in 2006.
The suspension would last until California unemployment levels dip to 5.5 percent and stay there for one full year.
The state jobless rate was at 12.6 percent in March and hasn't been at 5.5 percent since Sept. 2007, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics.
Since then, there has been a steady increase to the 12.6 percent level, according to the department's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Logue started the initiative in November after concluding that AB 32 standards set to take effect in 2012 would cost jobs in the current economic climate. The initiative has been bankrolled by large oil companies.
That has bothered environmentalists and others opposed to Logue's initiative. They see the campaign money as a way for oil firms' to strengthen their grasp on the energy business.
Logue has no problem with the oil firms' $700,000 in donations. He recently told The Union that California's petroleum industry provides plenty of jobs he fears AB32 would reduce.
“I think this will define the jobs message in California for a decade to come,” Logue said Monday about the initiative. “This is about small business taking a stand for jobs.”
The California Air Resources Board estimates the AB32 regulations would reduce the state's fuel expenses $3.8 billion by 2020.
A study done by the dean of the business school at Sacramento State University, Sacramento says AB32 would cost the state 1.1 million jobs.
To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail dmoller@theunion.com or call 477-4237.
Monday, members of the California Jobs Initiative Coalition turned in more than 800,000 signatures of registered voters to qualify for the late year election.
“We only needed 440,000,” Logue said. “People realize we need to protect and bring jobs to California. We're going to give working families of California a break until we recover economically.”
The initiative calls for the suspension of stringent greenhouse gas emission standards set by state legislature bill AB 32 in 2006.
The suspension would last until California unemployment levels dip to 5.5 percent and stay there for one full year.
The state jobless rate was at 12.6 percent in March and hasn't been at 5.5 percent since Sept. 2007, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics.
Since then, there has been a steady increase to the 12.6 percent level, according to the department's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Logue started the initiative in November after concluding that AB 32 standards set to take effect in 2012 would cost jobs in the current economic climate. The initiative has been bankrolled by large oil companies.
That has bothered environmentalists and others opposed to Logue's initiative. They see the campaign money as a way for oil firms' to strengthen their grasp on the energy business.
Logue has no problem with the oil firms' $700,000 in donations. He recently told The Union that California's petroleum industry provides plenty of jobs he fears AB32 would reduce.
“I think this will define the jobs message in California for a decade to come,” Logue said Monday about the initiative. “This is about small business taking a stand for jobs.”
The California Air Resources Board estimates the AB32 regulations would reduce the state's fuel expenses $3.8 billion by 2020.
A study done by the dean of the business school at Sacramento State University, Sacramento says AB32 would cost the state 1.1 million jobs.
To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail dmoller@theunion.com or call 477-4237.
