North Carolina’s Environmental Management Commission decided this week to delay discussion of a proposal to institute the state’s first regulation of carbon dioxide emissions. That decision followed the release of John Locke Foundation Legal and Regulatory Policy Analyst Daren Bakst‘s latest Spotlight report. Bakst questioned the legal grounds on which the EMC was proceeding, along with the question of whether that appointed commission is the best group to rule on the controversial issue of CO2 regulation. Bakst’s report prompted the N.C. Department of Justice to draft a memo to the EMC about the statutory issues. His work might have played a role in delaying a decision on CO2 regulation to May or later. Meanwhile, Bakst’s research into annexation-related issues continues to attract attention. The Tryon Daily Bulletin recently reprinted a news release connected with Bakst’s latest annexation report, and the News & Observer published a letter from Bakst on the topic this week. As this impact report is being drafted, Bakst is arranging an interview with News 14 Carolina to discuss the pros and cons of annexation bills filed this year in the General Assembly.
