Blosser v. Rosenblum

363 P.3d 1280, 358 Or. 312
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 27, 2015
DocketS063528 (Control); S063532
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 363 P.3d 1280 (Blosser v. Rosenblum) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Blosser v. Rosenblum, 363 P.3d 1280, 358 Or. 312 (Or. 2015).

Opinion

BALDWIN, J.

In these consolidated cases, petitioners seek review of the Attorney General’s certified ballot title for Initiative Petition 46 (2016) (IP 46), contending that the caption, the “yes” result statement, and the summary do not comply with requirements set out in ORS 250.035(2). We review the certified ballot title to determine whether it substantially complies with those requirements. See ORS 250.085(5) (setting out that standard). For the reasons explained below, we refer the ballot title to the Attorney General for modification of the caption, the “yes” result statement, and the summary.

IP 46, which is appended to this opinion, is an alternative proposal to Initiative Petition 45 (2016) (IP 45). These same petitioners have challenged the certified ballot title for that initiative petition, addressed in a separate opinion issued this day. See Blosser/Romain v. Rosenblum (IP 45), 358 Or 295, 365 P3d 525 (2015) (referring certified ballot title for IP 45 to Attorney General for modification of caption and “yes” result statement). Like IP 45, IP 46 is a proposed statute that would amend aspects of a bill that the legislature enacted during the 2015 legislative session, Senate Bill (SB) 324 (2015), Or Laws 2015, ch 4. In Blosser/Romain (IP 45), we summarized SB 324 as follows:

“SB 324 made changes to a 2009 state law that permitted the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) to adopt standards and requirements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to adopt low carbon fuel standards for gasoline, diesel, and alternative fuels, as well as a schedule to reduce by 2020 the average amount of greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent below 2010 levels. Or Laws 2009, ch 754, §§ 3(2), 6(2)(a), 6(2)(b). SB 324 changed the EQC’s general permissive authority to adopt low carbon fuel standards to a directive, but left in place the EQC’s permissive authority to adopt a schedule for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, newly extended to 2025. Or Laws 2015, ch 4, §§ 3(2)(a), 3(2)(b)(A). SB 324 further directed the EQC to adopt rules to manage and contain the cost of compliance with the standards, expressly permitting alternative compliance by obtaining and trading credits for fuels used as substitutes for gasoline or diesel. Id. § 3(2)(d).”

Blosser/Romain (IP 45), 358 Or at 297.

[315]*315IP 46 would change parts of the original 2009 law and SB 324, repeating some — but not all — of the changes contained in IP 45, and making other changes. See Blosser/ Romain (IP 45), 358 Or at 297-98 (describing changes that IP 45 would make to 2009 law and SB 324). As with IP 45, IP 46 would limit application of the state’s low carbon fuel standards to blended liquid fuels. IP 46, § l(l)(b). Also as with IP 45, IP 46 bases its definition of “low carbon fuel standards” on fuels “available in. commercial quantities” in Oregon, expressly defining that phrase as alternative fuels “actually *** available in this state in sufficient quantities for all persons who import gasoline or diesel to comply with the standards.” Id. § l(l)(d). Further, “[a]s a means for managing and containing the .costs of compliance with the standards,” IP 46 would require the EQC to adopt rules for blending liquid fuels. Those rules would be subject to a restriction on the amount of ethanol or biodiesel that may be used in creating blended fuels and also to a prohibition against requiring the blending of any low carbon intensity fuel that is more expensive than the gasoline or diesel into which it is blended. Id. § l(2)(c).

Finally, again as with IP 45, IP 46 would eliminate the cost-containment provision set out SB 324, which, in addition to expressly requiring the EQC to adopt cost-containment rules, also permits alternative compliance with the standards by obtaining and trading fuel credits. Id. § 1(2) (eliminating paragraph (d) from SB 324, Or Laws 2015, ch 4, § 3 (2)(d)). IP 46 would replace that provision with a new provision that requires the EQC to notify all Oregon gasoline and diesel fuel importers when it has determined that any alternative fuel is “available in commercial quantities.” Id. § l(2)(d). Unlike IP 45, however, IP 46 further provides that any person required to blend fuels under IP 46 may contest the EQC’s finding of commercial availability in the same manner provided for challenging the adoption of an administrative rule. IP 46, § l(2)(d); see ORS 183.400 (validity of any rule may be determined upon petition for judicial review to court of appeals); ORS 183.497 (in rules challenge proceeding, court may award attorney fees to prevailing petitioner).

[316]*316The Attorney General drafted a ballot title for IP 46, ORS 250.065(3), and the Secretary of State circulated that title for public comment, ORS 250.067(1). After receiving comments, the Attorney General modified its draft ballot title, ORS 250.067(2)(a), and certified the following ballot title to the Secretary of State:

“Restricts low carbon fuel standards to requiring blends of gasoline/diesel with commercially available fuels
“Result of ‘Yes’ Vote: ‘Yes’ vote restricts low carbon fuel standards to requiring blending gasoline or diesel with commercially available liquid fuels; eliminates fuel credit system for satisfying standards.
“Result of ‘No’ Vote: ‘No’ vote retains low carbon fuel standards for liquid, non-liquid transportation fuels; standards allow obtaining fuel credits to satisfy standards, require rules to control costs.
“Summary: Currently, Environmental Quality Commission sets low carbon fuel standards for reducing average greenhouse gas emissions from gasoline, diesel, and other transportation fuels, including non-liquid fuels. Commission currently must adopt rules to control costs, must allow fuel distributors to meet standards by purchasing credits from others whose products exceed required standards. Measure restricts low carbon fuel standards to apply only to blending gasoline and diesel with other liquid fuels, making standards inapplicable to other types of fuels and eliminating the credit system. Measure further provides that adopted standards cannot require carbon reductions unless low carbon fuel needed to meet the blending requirements is ‘available in commercial quantities’ (defined) and costs no more than the gasoline or diesel into which it is blended. Other provisions.”

Petitioners are electors who timely submitted comments about the Attorney General’s draft ballot title and who now are dissatisfied with the certified ballot title, ORS 250.085(2).

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Related

Blosser/Romain v. Rosenblum (IP 46)
Oregon Supreme Court, 2015

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
363 P.3d 1280, 358 Or. 312, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/blosser-v-rosenblum-or-2015.