Tough Month for Cap and Trade Supporters

January has been a bad month for supporters of cap and trade. This week the election to the senate of Republican Scott Brown in Massachusetts wiped out the Democrat’s super majority, causing some to proclaim cap and trade dead this year. Wednesday the National Corn Growers Association announced their opposition to House Bill 2454 after an Informa study indicated every U.S. corn grower will experience increased costs of production. Earlier this month American Farm Bureau’s “Don’t’ Cap our Future” display was the most popular at their convention trade show. Free caps were a part of the popularity, but Cody Lyon, AFBF Director of Grassroots and Policy Advocacy, explained farmers and ranchers were anxious to take a stand against cap and trade. A senior official in the White House said this week the Obama administration is continuing to press Congress to endorse cap and trade, and he said there continues to be strong legislator support for it. But the National Federation of Independent Business this week released 16 state-based surveys highlighting the political unpopularity and economic uncertainty of cap and trade. This follows two national surveys that have illustrated small business owner and voter opposition to a cap and trade program...read more