U.S. Senate Archives - Legal Planet

U.S. Senate

Searching for Votes in the Senate

Q: Can the Dems scrounge up the votes to block anti-environment actions? A: Maybe.

Paul Ryan and Donald Trump have vowed to roll back many environmental protections. The Senate seems to be the one barrier against anti-environmental moves by Congress. How strong is that barrier? The answer depends in part on whether the filibuster option remains open. If the filibuster rule remains intact, the Democrats’ 48 votes in the Senate …

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Dueling California Drought Relief Bills Debated on Capitol Hill

Stark Differences Emerge Between Competing House and Senate Bills

What can and should the federal government do to assist the State of California in weathering the worst drought in recorded state history? While the U.S. House of Representatives is embroiled in a chaotic political debate over selection of a new House Speaker, the more deliberate consideration of new legislation continues apace in the Senate. …

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Why Does Mitch McConnell Hate the Environment?

McConnell’s environmental record is terrible — worse than Rand Paul or Jim Inhofe.

Mitch McConnell hates the environment. When I say McConnell hates the environment, I mean that he’s an environmental disaster. The environment would be in better hands if he were replaced as the Senate Republican leader by Ted Cruz or Rand Paul. Here’s a fun fact: Mitch McConnell’s environmental record is twice as bad as Ted …

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Thom Tillis, the GOP Establishment, and the Environment

Tillis is not a Tea Party extremist on regulatory issues, but he’s also been no friend of environmental protection .

Thom Tillis’s victory in the North Carolina primary for U.S. Senate was widely seen as a victory for the Republican Establishment over the Tea Party. What does this mean on environmental issues? In other word, where do “Establishment Republicans” stand on the environment? In Tillis’s case, lowering regulatory costs seems to be the highest priority. …

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The Senate Races and the Environment

In a series of posts, I surveyed the key Senate races — meaning those that didn’t seem to be “locks” for either candidate. (i didn’t include the McCaskill-Akin race, which McCaskill won.) The candidates differed greatly in their positions on the environment and on energy policy. Here is a quick summary of what was at …

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Key Senate Races, Energy Policy and the Environment

In a series of posts, I’ve surveyed the key Senate races — meaning those that don’t seem to be “locks” for either candidate. These races will probably determine control of the Senate. The candidates differ greatly in their positions on the environment and on energy policy. Here is a quick summary of what is at …

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Green versus Anti-Green in the Big Sky State

The Montana Senate race features Democrat Jon Tester against Republican Dennis Rehberg. The difference between the candidates doesn’t require any elaborate explanation. Rehberg has a 6% lifetime rating from the League of Conservation Voters (quite a bit lower than Paul Ryan’s). Tester has a 87% LCV rating. That’s about all you have to know. It’s …

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Conservative versus Ultra-Conservative in the Hoosier State

The Indiana race features Joe Donnelly, a conservative Democrat, against Richard Mourdock, a Tea Party Republican. Both are more conservative than their counterparts in other competitive Senate races. I discussed Mourdock briefly in a post about Tea Party candidates. He stands out for his endorsement of the view that climate change is a hoax. This …

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Heller versus Berkley in the Silver State

As in other states, the Nevada Senate race features a gap between the “greener” Democratic candidate, Shelley Berkley, and the Republican Dean Heller. But it plays out a little differently. Heller’s website is strangely reticent about energy and environmental issues, while Berkley focuses heavily on the issues most relevant to Nevada — renewable energy and …

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McMahon versus Murphy – A Senate Race With High Stakes Environmentally

The Connecticut Senate race between Linda McMahon (R) and Chris Murphy (D) has major environmental implications. McMahon vigorously espouses the standard Republican positions on environment and energy. But Murphy stands out among Democratic Senate candidates in swing states because of his especially strong commitment on the environment. His House website emphasizes that commitment: Our environmental …

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The Farm Is Not An Algorithm

The inaccuracies of precision agriculture carry socio-environmental risks and produce inequalities.

The Forthcoming Interpretation Wars

The new NEPA amendments weren’t intended to speed up the process. But they’ll also spark new litigation.

Accelerating Freight Decarbonization

A Guide to Zero-Emission Zones in Cities

Who Will Own the Clean Energy Future?

In the latest push to finance renewable energy, we have allowed private actors to make substantial claims on public resources without asking for anything in return.

The New NEPA: A User’s Guide

The Debt Ceiling Law Rewrote NEPA. Here’s a map to the new statute.

Digitalization and Predictive Policing in Conservation

Does technology shift focus toward “green policing” and away from integrated conservation and development?

What’s Next in the Fight over Berkeley’s Natural Gas Ordinance

In a petition seeking review of the decision, the City of Berkeley says that the opinion from a Ninth Circuit panel takes federal preemption too far.

On the Perils of Hasty Drafting

The Debt Ceiling Bill was written under intense time pressure. It shows!

Sackett and the Dangers of a New ‘Clear-Statement Rule’

The Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA will be bad for the nation’s wetlands. It is just as bad for democracy. 

NEPA and the Debt Deal

Will the permitting sections of the debt ceiling bill undermine environmental reviews?

NEPA and the Debt Deal

Will the permitting sections of the debt ceiling bill undermine environmental reviews?

The New NEPA: A User’s Guide

The Debt Ceiling Law Rewrote NEPA. Here’s a map to the new statute.

Can The Major Questions Doctrine Break The Debt Ceiling?

NAGE’s New Lawsuit Makes A Strong Case That It Can

On the Perils of Hasty Drafting

The Debt Ceiling Bill was written under intense time pressure. It shows!

Taming the Dormant Commerce Clause

A new Supreme Court opinion is good news for state climate regulators.

EPA’s Power Plant Rule is Not Bold. It’s What’s Required.

It’s important to remember the regulatory history—and the growing urgency—of limiting climate change-related carbon pollution from power plants. 

The Philanthropy Gap

Spending relating to climate change is far too low given the urgency of the situation.

Digitalization and Predictive Policing in Conservation

Does technology shift focus toward “green policing” and away from integrated conservation and development?

Who Will Own the Clean Energy Future?

In the latest push to finance renewable energy, we have allowed private actors to make substantial claims on public resources without asking for anything in return.

U.S. Senate

Q: Can the Dems scrounge up the votes to block anti-environment actions? A: Maybe.

Stark Differences Emerge Between Competing House and Senate Bills

McConnell’s environmental record is terrible — worse than Rand Paul or Jim Inhofe.

Tillis is not a Tea Party extremist on regulatory issues, but he’s also been no friend of environmental protection .

TRENDING

The inaccuracies of precision agriculture carry socio-environmental risks and produce inequalities.

The new NEPA amendments weren’t intended to speed up the process. But they’ll also spark new litigation.

A Guide to Zero-Emission Zones in Cities

In the latest push to finance renewable energy, we have allowed private actors to make substantial claims on public resources without asking for anything in return.

The Debt Ceiling Law Rewrote NEPA. Here’s a map to the new statute.

Does technology shift focus toward “green policing” and away from integrated conservation and development?

In a petition seeking review of the decision, the City of Berkeley says that the opinion from a Ninth Circuit panel takes federal preemption too far.

The Debt Ceiling Bill was written under intense time pressure. It shows!

The Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA will be bad for the nation’s wetlands. It is just as bad for democracy.

Will the permitting sections of the debt ceiling bill undermine environmental reviews?

Will the permitting sections of the debt ceiling bill undermine environmental reviews?

The Debt Ceiling Law Rewrote NEPA. Here’s a map to the new statute.

NAGE’s New Lawsuit Makes A Strong Case That It Can

The Debt Ceiling Bill was written under intense time pressure. It shows!

A new Supreme Court opinion is good news for state climate regulators.

It’s important to remember the regulatory history—and the growing urgency—of limiting climate change-related carbon pollution from power plants.

Spending relating to climate change is far too low given the urgency of the situation.

Does technology shift focus toward “green policing” and away from integrated conservation and development?

In the latest push to finance renewable energy, we have allowed private actors to make substantial claims on public resources without asking for anything in return.

There’s a favorable settlement in the case brought by Earthjustice on behalf of EYCEJ with help from UCLA law students.

The Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA will be bad for the nation’s wetlands. It is just as bad for democracy. 

It’s important to remember the regulatory history—and the growing urgency—of limiting climate change-related carbon pollution from power plants. 