On December 22, 2009, the California ballot initiative, Proposition 23 (“Prop 23”) was introduced by Thomas W. Hiltachk.  Prop 23 would suspend California’s Global Warming Solution Act of 2006 (“AB 32”), which requires the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2020, until California’s unemployment rate is 5.5 percent or less for a calendar year. (see October 1, 2010 edition of the WER). 

Prop 23 has faced opposition since state unemployment has only dropped below 5.5 percent three times since 1976.however, several news publications over the last week have reported that this ballot initiative has become a source of conflict between out-of-state oil companies and California clean energy developers, venture capitalists and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

A copy of Prop 23 is available here.