The Legislative Analyst, the Legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal and policy advisor, today responded to a request from Senator Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto) to examine the overall impact California’s legislation to restrict greenhouse gas emissions (AB 32) will have on jobs in California. In light of this new information, Senator Cogdill renewed his request to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to use his authority to delay implementation of this legislation.

Among the key findings from the Legislative Analyst:

• More jobs will be likely lost in the near term.

• Overall job impact in the long term is unknown.

• Certain individual businesses and households would be seriously affected.

• Near-term prices of electricity, gas and other energy sources would rise.

“I thank the Legislative Analyst for a prompt and thorough response to my request. At a time when California’s jobless rate is nearly three points higher than the national average, we should be doing everything we can to ensure any Californian who wants a job is able to get one,” said Senator Cogdill. “Moving forward with this environmental experiment, like the water crisis, will be another manmade disaster for our lagging economy. It’s time to put the brakes on this failed environmental policy. It’s obvious that the quest for ‘green’ jobs will only take more cold hard green cash from Californians’ wallets.”

Click here to view the full response from the Legislative Analyst.