Maryland senator chats with Grist about joining regional climate pact

Last week, Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R) signed into law the Healthy Air Act, which restricts emissions of common air pollutants and signs Maryland on to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), joining seven other Northeast states in committing to cut carbon dioxide emissions. Quite a feat for a Republican governor in a state with several coal-fired power plants, no? Well, maybe not. State Sen. Paul Pinsky (D), one of the bill’s sponsors, tells Grist about the backstory, including the governor’s attempts to quite literally barricade himself in his office and dodge the bill. Good times.