When it comes to global warming, who’s the worst politician out there? Not long ago, I’d have had a ready answer. But now, I’m not so sure.



I would have said that the worst politician around, about the global warming issue, is Oklahoma Republican senator James Inhofe. Move over, Inhofe, there’s a new kid on the block — a state representative from Montana, Republican Joe Read.

Read introduced a bill to the Montana state legislature, resolving that global warming is not caused by human activity. I guess he thinks that we can just legislate scientific truth. He even resolves that global warming is a good thing! Here’s the text of the bill:



2011 Montana Legislature Additional Bill Links PDF (with line numbers) HOUSE BILL NO. 549 INTRODUCED BY J. READ A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT STATING MONTANA’S POSITION ON GLOBAL WARMING; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE.” BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA: NEW SECTION. Section 1. Public policy concerning global warming. (1) The legislature finds that to ensure economic development in Montana and the appropriate management of Montana’s natural resources it is necessary to adopt a public policy regarding global warming. (2) The legislature finds: (a) global warming is beneficial to the welfare and business climate of Montana; (b) reasonable amounts of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere have no verifiable impacts on the environment; and (c) global warming is a natural occurrence and human activity has not accelerated it. (3) (a) For the purposes of this section, “global warming” relates to an increase in the average temperature of the earth’s surface. (b) It does not include a one-time, catastrophic release of carbon dioxide. NEW SECTION. Section 2. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 75, chapter 2, and the provisions of Title 75, chapter 2, apply to [section 1]. NEW SECTION. Section 3. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval. – END – Latest Version of HB 549 (HB0549.01)

Processed for the Web on February 15, 2011 (5:03pm) New language in a bill appears underlined, deleted material appears stricken. Sponsor names are handwritten on introduced bills, hence do not appear on the bill until it is reprinted. See the status of this bill for the bill’s primary sponsor. Status of this Bill | 2011 Legislature | Leg. Branch Home

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It reminds me of the bill introduced in Indiana in 1897, which attempted to legislate the value of pi.

This is what our politicians have come to. We have the tea party to thank (to blame) for this.