AP: Gov. Brown wants tougher carbon standards
Brown will push for higher greenhouse gas emission targets
Gov. Jerry Brown said Friday that he will push next year to set even higher greenhouse gas emission targets for California, where the nation's toughest carbon standards already are causing anxiety among businesses and consumers.
"We want to set in the coming year a goal for 2030 which is far more stringent, and it'll be far more difficult," Brown said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
California's current carbon emissions law, signed in 2006, sets goals through 2020. If Brown wins re-election in November, the Democratic governor said he would bring together environmentalists, oil companies and transportation companies to accomplish the "challenge and opportunity."
"California has the most integrated response and strategy to deal with climate change of any political jurisdiction in the world. And we're going to continue doing that," Brown said.
The current target includes a so-called carbon tax on consumer fuels starting Jan. 1, which the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office estimates could boost the cost of gasoline by 13 to 20 cents a gallon by 2020. It's projected that the increase could eventually reach 50 cents a gallon.
Jay McKeeman, vice president of the California Independent Oil Marketers Association, said it is premature to consider expanding a law that is just taking effect. His group estimates fuel prices will rise by 9 to 12 cents a gallon starting in the new year.
"I find it difficult to accept that we're going to tighten the screws without even really fully understanding what people are going to be saddled with," he said.
Brown's Republican challenger in the governor's race, Neel Kashkari, opposes the emissions law and has said he would rescind it. His spokeswoman, Mary-Sarah Kinner, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
In the interview, the 76-year-old governor described some of his other goals for the next four years if he is re-elected to an unprecedented fourth term. They include:
--Bringing "warring factions together" on issues of school and teacher performance, which Brown said he is uniquely positioned to do because of his good relationships with teachers unions, school reformers and charter schools.
--Consolidating more than 5,000 complex criminal justice laws that have led to longer prison sentences and crowded prisons by working with groups to "come up with a more thoughtful and more balanced program of social control."
--Remain vigilant on state spending with "a lot of saying no" to interest groups seeking more money for their programs. He also said he believes the temporary sales and property taxes voters approved in 2012 to help stabilize the state budget should remain temporary.