Paula on the Issues - Environment
Environment
Senator Aboud has a significant interest in wildlife management and habitat protection in Arizona. Arizona has many visitors and residents who enjoy wildlife viewing, hiking, camping, backpacking, hunting, and fishing. These same visitors and residents also expect the air they breathe and the water they drink will be clean and healthy. One of Senator Aboud's main priorities in the Senate is to protect the environment in our beautiful state for its residents and its visitors to enjoy for many generations to come.
Senator Aboud's passionate advocacy in the Appropriations Committee on their behalf helped the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality receive nearly 100% of their requested budget for 2007. Due to Senator Aboud's actions, ADEQ's lobbyist this year declared, "You are our hero!"
Senator Aboud successfully lead the charge to defeat SCR 1035, a blatant attempt to take away the constitutional right of citizens to the initiative process -- as it relates to Arizona's agriculture industry's animal raising policies.
Solar Energy
Arizona is growing quickly -- and so are our energy needs. With the cost of natural gas tripling since 2001, and our State's largest electric utility filing for multiple rate increases, it is just common sense to diversify our energy needs by investing in renewable resources.
With our state's sunshine, solar energy makes a lot of sense. Arizona has more solar energy potential than any other state in this country. By taking advantage of solar and other renewable resources, Arizona could produce double the amount of energy that our state currently uses. We need tax incentives for solar installations, making them cheaper for homes and businesses to install.
Solar energy produces the most energy during peak usage times of the day, when electricity costs are highest. That means every solar system installed reduces the most expensive electricity, and lowers utility bills for all ratepayers.
One of Senator Aboud's greatest achievements would be to pass legislation that brings to Arizonans greater tax breaks for installation of alternative energy appliances and resources.