Pennsylvania Lawmakers Seek to Block Cap-and-Trade Efforts

A plume of exhaust extends from the Mitchell Power Station, a coal-fired power plant built along the Monongahela River, 20 miles southwest of Pittsburgh, in New Eagle, Penn., on Sept. 24, 2013. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

State lawmakers in Pennsylvania are poised to vote on a bipartisan bill that would prevent Gov. Tom Wolf from imposing carbon emissions taxes without their approval.

They oppose the governor’s measure on two grounds: a constitutional objection that the governor doesn’t have the authority to act without legislative approval, and concerns about the merits of the proposal.