Panel advances bill to restructure climate commission amid OPSD accountability concerns

SB 3,252, which would amend the powers and duties of the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission and establish a coordinator position, was advanced by the joint committees on Feb. 18 after extended questioning.

Leah Laramie, the Climate Change Mitigation Adaptation coordinator, testified that the commission drafted the bill and that the coordinator role would help implement practical on‑the‑ground actions (solar on state buildings, fleet transition), track funding, and improve transparency. OPSD (Danielle Bass) said late testimony expressed concern that removing co‑chairs and replacing senate‑confirmed leadership with a single coordinator raises accountability issues and risks duplicating OPSD’s mandates. Senators discussed the commission’s decade‑plus history, the statutory intent behind co‑chairs, and the commission’s track record on sea‑level rise reporting.

The committee passed SB 3,252 with amendments that blank out the appropriation and add a defective date, and it asked the commission and OPSD to provide written follow‑up clarifying the appointment and confirmation process for the coordinator and how the office’s work would avoid duplication.