Republican senators were hit with $500-a-day fines after Gov. Kate Brown sent state police to find those who fled Oregon's state Capitol Thursday and steered clear of the government building again Friday in hopes of blocking a climate vote, reports AP
Why it matters via Axios' Ben Geman: Oregon is among the states where Democrats are moving ahead with tougher climate policies at a time when the Trump administration is unwinding Obama-era federal policies.
Details: The 11 Republican legislators are threatening a lawsuit if the state Senate president moves forward with the fines for their absences, says AP.
- Republican lawmakers walked out on negotiations to prevent a vote on a cap-and-trade proposal that would lower Oregon's greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, per AP. Minority Republicans want voters to decide the fate of the legislation.
- Under the plan, Oregon will auction off "allowances" per ton of carbon that industries expect to emit, says AP. The cap would be lowered over time, so business could transition away from fossil fuels.
New York state legislators approved an ambitious climate change policy earlier this week that aims to eliminate all greenhouse gases by 2050, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to sign it, says the New York Times.
Go deeper: America's pent-up thirst for climate change policy
