Climate change bill signed

Gov. Chris Gregoire has signed a climate change bill that Yakima Valley legislators fear will lead to mandates on agriculture to reduce greenhouse gases under the Growth Management Act.

Rep. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, had asked Gregoire to veto the second section of the bill that requires the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development to come up with methods on how counties and cities can respond to climate change, including how vehicle emissions can be reduced.

Warnick and other rural legislators worry that the state will tell agricultural communities how far trucks and tractors can travel.

Gregoire on Tuesday vetoed other sections of the bill for technical reasons. In her partial veto message, the governor said opponents misunderstand the legislation.

"In my view, this section of the bill does not create a new mandate for local governments, and does not provide grounds for new litigation under the Growth Management Act," she said in a statement.

She said the legislation "appropriately recognizes the differences between our urban and rural settings."

Gregoire vetoed the emergency clause on the bill that would have made it effective immediately. The legislation now takes effect July 1 and includes three basic provisions:

* Directs CTED to report the current actions being taken by communities to address climate change.

* Creates but only partly funds a program to provide communities with financial and technical assistance to address climate change.

* Establishes a state task force to study the issue further.

For the 2008-09 fiscal year beginning July 1, the Legislature appropriated $317,000 for climate change initiative.

Warnick said in a news release that the language in the legislation is unmistakable, and quoted from it: "The Legislature finds that the state, including its counties, cities and residents, must engage in activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions."