Under the Dome

 
CALL TO ACTION – Time to Call/Email Your State Representative
 
Last week, the House Committee on Environment & Natural Resources voted to recommend passage of H.5445 SubA, the 2021 Act on Climate. (the change was not substantive) The bill is on the House floor for a vote Tuesday. 
 
Go to this link to send an email directly to your State Representative – please do it today!    https://p2a.co/dzkbnYe
 
These bills speed up the reduction of greenhouse gas emission targets currently in law, but they do much more.  Under current law, Rhode Island set a goal of 10% reduction over 1990 levels by 2020, a 45% reduction over 1990 levels by 2035, and 80% over 1990 levels by 2050.  The Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4) is charged with developing plans to meet those targets.  The state has met the 2020 target.  H.5445 SubA changes the targets to 45% reduction over 1990 levels by 2030, 80% reduction over 1990 levels by 2040 and net zero emissions by 2050.
 
The more challenging change is in the enforcement of the reduction targets.  H.5445 SubA allows the EC4 to require agencies to promulgate rules necessary to reach the targets.  There is no language in the bill to provide guidelines for what can or cannot be adopted as part of a rule.  At this time, the only known technological path to meet the 2040 goal is to require every business and every residence to switch heating systems to a geothermal heat pump or to an electric heat pump for heating purposes, and to require all Rhode Islanders to switch to electric vehicles. In addition, all electricity generation in the state would have to switch to renewable fuel – wind, solar, etc. If the emission target is not reached, any person has the right to file a lawsuit and force government action regardless of the cost.
 
89% of the state’s electricity is currently generated by natural gas.  The body responsible for ensuring reliability of New England’s electrical grid (ISO New England) will not complete its study on feasibility until the end of this year.  Rhode Island also has the fourth highest electricity rates in the country.  How does the state transition to 100% renewable electricity and at what cost?  If, as H.5445 SubA would indirectly require, all businesses and residents must switch to electric heat and electric vehicles by 2030 or 2040, how will the additional electricity demand be met and at what cost?  According to the State’s consultant, a “deep residential energy retrofit” would cost between $50,000 and $100,000 per unit.  No cost analysis was provided for a commercial or industrial facility.
 
Massachusetts has similar language in law to that proposed by H.5445 SubA.  Last month legislation was introduced in Massachusetts to raise $10 billion to pay for necessary actions to try to meet the mandated greenhouse gas emission targets in their state law.   Part of the $10 billion, includes $500 million generated from a carbon tax on electricity, transportation, heating and industry.  The money would go to construct more renewable energy capacity, local aid for climate-related projects, clean energy workforce training and direct payments to lower-income households. 
 
Now is the time to call your State Representative!  Ask them to vote against passage of H.5445 SubA.
 
 
This Week at the State House
 
New Mandate Proposed for Businesses With 500+ Employees
 
On Wednesday at 5:00 p.m., the Senate Labor Committee will consider S.433, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Establishing the “Commuter Transportation Benefits Act”.  This bill requires employers with 500+ employees to offer employees a pre-tax transportation fringe benefit program that provides commuter transit benefits consistent with section 132(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.  State and municipal governments are exempt, as are employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement in effect on January 1, 2022.  Those covered by a CBA are included after the agreement expires.  If an employer fails to comply, a civil penalty of $100 to $250 will be assessed for the first violation, and the employer will be given 90 days to come into compliance.  Each additional 30-day period of non-compliance will result in an additional $250 fine.  If passed, the requirement would go into effect January 1, 2022.
 
The bill can be viewed at:  http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText21/SenateText21/S0433.pdf
 
 
Written testimony can be submitted to the committee by emailing it to:
slegislation@rilegislature.gov  *Written Testimony must be submitted prior to 2:00 PM on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, in order for it to be provided to the members of the committee at the hearing and to be included in the meeting records.

Members of the public can request to provide verbal testimony to the committee through the following link:VERBAL TESTIMONY

*Requests to provide verbal testimony must be submitted by 4:00 PM on Tuesday,
March 23, 2021.
 

• Contractor’s Registration License - from $200 to $150, but it is an annual license instead of bi-annual
• Roofing Contractor Registration – the $400 registration must be renewed every two years at a new renewal fee of $200
• Uniform Securities sales representative license increases from $75 to $100
• The Department of Health is given the ability to establish “reasonable fees” for processing special data analysis of health data requests
• Hospital Licensing fee for FY2021 remains at 6% of the net patient-services revenue (it was slated to go to 5%).  The fee for FY2022 is also 6%.  The fee is different for Washington County hospitals
• Beach fees in Westerly, currently frozen at 2011 rates, are proposed to be set by DEM at an amount to be determined
• Promotion of Show permits, currently $10, are eliminated.  The $10 permit fee is also eliminated for businesses renting living quarters in any hotel, rooming house, or tourist camp.

• Rebuild RI Tax Credit
• RI Tax Increment Financing
• Tax Stabilization Incentive
• First Wave Closing Fund
• I-195 Redevelopment project Fund
• Rhode Island Small Business Assistance Program
• Stay Invested in RI Wavemaker Fellowship
• Main Street Rhode Island Streetscape Improvement Fund
• Innovation Initiative
• Industry Cluster Grants
• High School, College, and Employer Partnerships
• Air Service Development Fund
• Small Business Development Loan Fund