Page 28 - bon-dia-aruba-20220604

A28 u.s. news
Diasabra 4 Juni 2022

Landmark bill to limit cryptomining passes NY Legislature

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — of energy. One study calculat-
New York lawmakers have ed that as of November 2018,
passed a milestone envi- bitcoin’s annual electricity
ronmental measure de- consumption was compara-
signed to tap the brakes ble to Hong Kong’s in 2019,
on the spread of crypto- according to the U.S. Energy
currency mining opera- Information Administration.
tions that burn fossil fuels. Some miners are looking for
ways to reduce their reliance
Both supporters and op- on fossil fuels to produce the
ponents say that the closely necessary electricity.
watched bill, approved early A coalition of environmental
Friday by the state Senate, is groups has separately been
the first of its kind in the U.S. urging the Hochul adminis-
If it becomes law, it would tration to deny the air permit
establish a two-year morato- renewal for Greenidge Gen-
rium on new and renewed eration in the Finger Lakes,
air permits for fossil fuel which also produces power
power plants used for ener- for the state’s electricity grid.
gy-intensive “proof-of-work” A decision could come at the
cryptocurrency mining — a end of the month.
term for the computational The moratorium measure,
process that records and se- if signed into law, would
cures transactions in bitcoin not affect pending applica-
and similar forms of digital fossil fuel power plants for without addressing other fos- governor realizes that the tions, such as the one from
money. Proof-of-work is the the purposes of private gain sil fuel use. They argue that long-term benefits of em- Greenidge.
blockchain-based algorithm in New York, especially as the legislation would crimp bracing this industry and this
used by bitcoin and some we’re looking to move away economic development in technology far outweigh a The measure also would re-
other cryptocurrencies. from fossil fuels entirely,” New York while other states potential pause on prospec- quire the state Department
Environmentalists are urging said Liz Moran of Earthjus- court the burgeoning field. tive future emissions,” he of Environmental Conserva-
Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign tice. “The message from the bill added. tion to perform an environ-
the legislation. They say the Dozens of fossil fuel plants in and the embrace of that kind Hochul, a Democrat, has said mental impact assessment on
state is undermining its long- New York could potentially of policy is not a good one for she want to make sure any how cryptomining affects the
term climate goals by letting be converted into mining op- an industry that really can go legislation balances economic state’s ability to meet its cli-
cryptomining operations run erations, she said. anywhere,” said John Olsen and environmental concerns mate goals.
their own natural gas-burn- Cryptocurrency advocates of The Blockchain Associa- Cryptocurrency mining re- The bill passed the Assembly,
ing power plants. complained that the mea- tion, an industry group. quires specialized computers the Legislature’s lower cham-
“We cannot be re-powering sure singled out the industry “We’re very hopeful that the that consume huge amounts ber, in April.

Indiana court strikes down emergency law fought by governor

agreed, writing for the five- of many conservatives even to find a way forward that
justice court that Holcomb’s though any mask mandates serves the best interests of the
attorneys had “satisfied the or business restrictions end- State of Indiana.”
high burden required to es- ed in spring 2021. Although Friday’s ruling
tablish that the law is uncon- Under the law, it would be found the “emergency ses-
stitutional.” up to the Legislative Council sion” law to be unconstitu-
“Under our Constitution, — made up of eight senators tional, Rush wrote that the
the General Assembly sim- and eight House members General Assembly does have
ply cannot do what the chal- — to call an “emergency ses- “the constitutional authority
lenged law permits absent a sion” if it determined that the to set additional sessions.”
constitutional amendment,” governor had declared a state “While our Constitution au-
Rush added. of emergency with “state- thorizes only the Governor
Holcomb said in a statement wide impact” and that “it is to call a special session, the
that the battle over the law necessary for the General As- General Assembly can set ad-
had raised “important proce- sembly to address the state of ditional sessions -- but only
dural, statutory and Consti- emergency with legislative by fixing their length and fre-
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) VID-19 pandemic. tutional questions that only action.” quency in a law passed dur-
— The Indiana Supreme The new law gave legislative the courts could answer.” GOP legislative leaders have ing a legislative session and
Court on Friday threw out leaders authority to call the “Today, the Indiana Supreme maintained that the measure presented to the Governor,”
a law that gave state leg- General Assembly into an Court has provided clarity wasn’t “anti-governor” and she wrote.
islators increased power “emergency session” if the and finality on these impor- praised Holcomb’s handling All of the court’s justices
to intervene during pub- governor declares a statewide tant issues,” he said. of the coronavirus pandemic, were appointed by Repub-
lic health emergencies, emergency. The GOP-domi- The high court’s ruling came which health officials say has lican governors. Only Jus-
agreeing with arguments nated Legislature approved it after a Marion County judge killed more than 23,000 peo- tice Christopher Goff was
from Republican Gov. over Holcomb’s veto. sided with the Legislature in ple in the state. appointed by Holcomb, in
Eric Holcomb that the Holcomb’s lawyers contend- October. Republican House Speaker 2017.
move violated the state ed that the state constitution Legislative leaders never tried Todd Huston said in a state- Holcomb’s lawsuit divided
constitution. allows only the governor to convene an emergency ses- ment that he respected the Indiana’s Republican hierar-
to call the Legislature into sion under the law. Holcomb court’s ruling. “We’ll con- chy, with Attorney General
The court’s unanimous deci- meetings for consideration of first issued a public health sider all options moving for- Todd Rokita siding with leg-
sion settles a legal fight that new laws outside of its annu- emergency in response to the ward,” he said. islators. Rokita’s office un-
began more than a year ago al sessions that begin in early pandemic on March 6, 2020, Republican Senate President successfully argued that the
when Holcomb sued over a January and adjourn by the and terminated it this March. Pro Tem Rodric Bray echoed attorney general alone had
law that was a response to his end of April. He had issued 23 monthly that, saying in a statement: the legal authority to repre-
efforts to deal with the CO- Chief Justice Loretta Rush extensions, drawing the ire “We will work collaboratively sent the state in court.