Malloy and Dems take giant step backwards as World Leaders negotiate effort to save the Earth from Climate Change (updated)
NOTE: Updated with responses from Malloy administration agencies
Heralded as ground breaking legislation designed to promote energy efficiency and reduce Greenhouse gasses, in 2007, Republican Governor Jodi Rell signed legislation that “permanently” exempted weatherization products and energy-efficient light bulbs from the Connecticut State Sales Tax.
The legislation, which was overwhelmingly adopted by the Democratic controlled Connecticut General Assembly, was cited as one of the state’s major accomplishments.
Gina McCarthy, then Connecticut’s Commissioner of Environmental Protection and now the head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, highlighted the “landmark” legislation in her 2007 Annual State Report entitled Protecting and Restoring our Environment.
In a 2014 national EPA report on “Existing State Policies and Programs that Reduce Power Sector CO2 Emissions,” McCarthy’s agency explained the importance of “State tax incentives for energy efficiency,” writing
“…sales tax exemptions…spur private sector innovation to develop more energy efficient technologies and practices and increase consumer choice of energy-efficient products.
To this day, the federal government promotes Connecticut’s sales tax exemption law on its Department of Energy website
However, just two weeks ago as World Leaders, including Gina McCarthy, worked around the clock to develop the historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change, Governor Malloy and Democrats in the Connecticut General Assembly repealed Connecticut’s important sales Malloy and Dems take giant step backwards as World Leaders negotiate effort to save the Earth from Climate Change (updated) - Wait What?:
