Kentucky’s legislative leaders are in rare agreement on President Obama’s plan to curb carbon emissions.
And Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo and Republican Senate President Robert Stivers have some choice words for the new EPA policy. The lawmakers joined the bipartisan chorus of Kentucky politicians decrying the EPA’s new rules regulating carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants Wednesday.
Stumbo told reporters the president’s plan is “dumb ass policy," adding “and you can quote me on that.” The Speaker, who hails from coal-rich Floyd County, said he believes Congress should produce energy policy, not the White House.
Stivers also agreed with Stumbo’s opinion of the new emissions standards, saying, "it would be extremely hard for individuals who are involved in the coal industry to continue to have much chance or hope of continuing to operate” if the regulations are enforced.
Designers of the new EPA policy, which aims to cut carbon-dioxide emissions by 30 percent over the next 16 years, argue that the federal government has included enough flexibility in the plan to accommodate coal-producing states.