 The man who brought Virginia a ban on same-sex marriage and an exemption from federal health care is at it again. This time Delegate Bob Marshall has his sights set on protecting the good people of Virginia from higher efficiency homes and anything else associated with tackling climate change.
What does this mean for the people of Virginia?
Well, HB 1397 which Del. Marshall pre-filed earlier this month would exempt Virginia homeowners from a variety of energy efficiency measures if a federal climate bill were to pass the US Senate and House of Representatives.
First off, the climate bill does not seem to be going anywhere. The Senate has failed to act on comprehensive reform and we're not sure when it will see the light of day. So, it would appear that Delegate Marshall has jumped the gun on this one.
Secondly, when we take a look at the pieces of this bill two questions come to mind:
1. Why shouldn't Virginia residents have a right to know if the house they are purchasing is an energy hog or not? The benefit of requiring energy disclosure as part of selling a home is that consumers are able to make a more informed decision.
2. Is Delegate Marshall this committed to costing ratepayers money? Currently, Virginia's buildings consume 47 percent of our energy.
Furthermore, according to the Energy Information Administration Virginia has the 14th highest per capita utility cost in the country. Improving the efficiency of our homes is common-sense. By reducing our energy consumption we can save consumers money.
But then we remember what's at stake here.
Delegate Marshall has long made a career out of attacking common-sense. Whether the issue is equality, health care or the environment Bob Marshall has always proudly stood up for Republican ideology over common-sense.
Why should we be surprised now? |
