By Denise Ross

When Sen. Tim Johnson penned a column earlier this week touting the good things the “climate change legislation” would mean for South Dakota, one might have gotten the impression he was referring to what’s come to be known as the cap-and-trade bill that’s been passed by the US House and awaits action in the US Senate just as soon as everyone gets back to DC after the August recess.

Well, I heard from Johnson’s office after I posted his column. They want to avoid any confusion and say Johnson refers in his column not to the bill that has passed the House but to a future bill that will be rewritten in the Senate. The bill will “get a completely fresh start” in the Senate, said Johnson’s spokeswoman. (Sounds like a good old-fashioned hoghouse in the state Legislature. The folks in Pierre always knew they could teach Washington a thing or two.)

And I learned that the term “cap-and-trade” is falling out of favor among those who back the bill. The new term is “climate and clean energy.” (Gotta love focus groups.)

Here’s the official statement from Johnson staffer Julianne Fisher:

The Senator supports efforts for a clean energy incentives bill. The House bill (H.R. 2454) will procedurally come to the Senate, but will get a completely fresh start and will likely look very different from the bill that passed the House.

There are four Committees expected to weigh in on this process on this side of the Hill: Energy, EPW, Agriculture and Finance. Floor action isn’t expected until the late fall, but the Senate Energy Committee has already begun its work, including a measure to increase renewable energy production and update the electric transmission grid. This would help stimulate wind energy development in places like the Dakotas and get the energy to where it’s needed around the country.

Again, Tim believes that this effort can bring jobs, prosperity and clean air to our state while moving us away from a dependence on foreign sources of energy.

Sen. Johnson is a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, so he should have a hand in writing the bill - not just voting for it or against it.

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