Cap and Trade, Sarbanes-Oxley and Anti-Cat Regulations
Senate Democrats win committee approval of a “cap-and-trade” bill to reduce U.S. greenhouse gases over the objection of Republicans.
The House Financial Services Committee voted to exempt small public companies from onerous auditing requirements.
A Massachusetts town makes it illegal to own more than three cats without a license.
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1. ENVIRONMENT
Senate Democrats win committee approval of a “cap-and-trade” bill to reduce U.S. greenhouse gases over the objection of Republicans.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Director of Energy and Global Warming Policy Myron Ebell on the politics of the vote:
“We congratulate Chairman Boxer and the committee’s Democrats for their methods. They have so poisoned the atmosphere in the Senate that the terrible Kerry-Boxer bill is now dead. We also congratulate Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) and the committee’s other Republicans for their steadfast opposition. They have made clear that the Democrats cannot move this catastrophic bill without violating the Senate’s rules.”
2. BUSINESS
The House Financial Services Committee voted to exempt small public companies from onerous auditing requirements.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Director of Center for Investors and Entrepreneurs John Berlau on the bipartisan move:
“A day after the wrap-up of some hard-fought elections, the Obama administration and 37 Republicans and Democrats on the House Financial Service Committee should be praised for coming together and passing what can be called a true bipartisan stimulus. The committee passed an amendment to the Investor Protection Act to permanently exempt smaller public companies from the burdensome and counterproductive mandates of Sarbanes-Oxley’s broadly defined ‘internal controls.’”
3. LEGAL
A Massachusetts town makes it illegal to own more than three cats without a license.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Journalism Fellow Ryan Young on an alternate solution to pet-related disputes:
“Having solved all of the community’s other problems, regulators now have the time to turn their attention to what is apparently a spat between neighbors. One resident is upset that the 15 cats owned by a neighboring woman have been sullying his yard. A fiat decision in favor of one party will leave at least one disputant dissatisfied. In this case, the cat lady is looking to move to a different town. Why not treat both parties as equals with rights to need to be respected? That approach is far more likely to generate an outcome everyone is happy with.”
Listen to LibertyWeek, the CEI podcast, here.