RGGI repeal attached to shoreland protection reform

Legislative disagreement over the state's participation in a regional greenhouse gas reduction effort is spilling over onto shoreland protection reform.

Shoreland protection reform could be imperiled as a result.

The House and Senate agree that the shoreland protection act needs reform.

But the House and Senate can't agree on what to do about the state's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

The House wants the state out of the initiative. The Senate wants to reform the program. To date, they can't agree on middle ground.

So a RGGI repeal amendment was added to SB 154, the shoreland protection bill.

That passed by a veto-proof majority in the House.The Senate also passed the bill 14-9, which is not enough to overturn an expected veto by Gov. John Lynch.

So here's what might happen:

-- Lynch vetoes the shoreland protection bill, saying he agrees with the reform effort, but not the addition of the RGGI repeal;

-- The House overrides the veto;

-- The Senate sustains the veto;

-- As a result the veto stands and shoreland protection reform is dead.

Talk about throwing the baby out with the bath water.

As Republican Rep. James Garrity of Atkinson said to the Portsmouth Herald: "This is what politics is like sometimes. Sometimes it doesn't appear to be logical."