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Friday, March 29, 2024

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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Trump Administration Making Good on Deregulation Promises

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Tuesday, October 10, 2017   

DENVER – In another move to strip Obama-era protections, the Trump administration is set to announce the rollback of the Clean Power Plan today.

Last week, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke sidestepped a Federal court's decision calling on the agency to enforce a rule limiting the waste of taxpayer-owned methane on public lands. The legislative branch weighed in on methane in May when Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet cast the 51st vote against scrapping the rule.

Candace Vahlsing, Bennet's senior adviser on energy, says delay or repeal would be bad for Colorado.

"Although Colorado has very common-sense regulations for methane, national standards are needed because pollution from outside the state can actually come to Colorado and harm the health of the children in Colorado and actually make it more burdensome for businesses in Colorado to comply with clean air regulations," she explains.

After a federal judge told the Interior Department it couldn't delay the Methane Waste Rule, Secretary Ryan Zinke set enforcement back as far as January of 2019 by opening the proposal up for public comments. Zinke has argued the move will help oil and gas companies avoid costs of complying before the deregulation process plays out.

Zinke also claims the measure is redundant because of methane limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Vahlsing notes while EPA protections can address some of the health impacts of methane pollution, the Interior Department's limits were put in place to protect assets owned by all Americans.

According to conservation groups, companies leak or intentionally waste about $330 million worth of natural gas annually, enough to supply energy to some 1.5 million homes.

"That's why it's important to keep this rule in place and to keep it on its current timeline," she adds. "Because there's millions of dollars of revenue that can be going to things like schools and other activities in Colorado and throughout the country. It's important that we start collecting that revenue and giving it back to taxpayers."

The proposal to suspend the methane rule was published in the Federal Register last Thursday and the 30-day public comment period will expire on November 6. You can put in your two cents at Regulations.gov.


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The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

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Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

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Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

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Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

Social Issues

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Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …

Environment

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New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Social Issues

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Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

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Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

 

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