Dim Lawmakers

What more embarassment can they bring to the legislature? This kind of thing seems to trivialize the environmental movement and gives people around the globe something to laugh at Californians about.

Sacramento Bee: Legislators want to turn out the lights on incandescent bulbs

Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, said the intent of his bill is to phase out the standard, incandescent bulb in favor of a more energy-efficient model.

Legislation is needed because many consumers, faced with a much cheaper retail price for a traditional bulb, don't realize that an energy-efficient model can burn 10 times longer and save perhaps $55 per bulb in the long run, Levine said.

Levine said his proposal would ban the sale of incandescent bulbs by 2012.

Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, announced Tuesday that he has created a separate bill to ban incandescent bulbs by 2018, thus providing a 10-year phaseout period.

Huffman and Levine said late Tuesday that they will work together on merging the two measures, but they have not yet agreed on specifics.

Lightbulb jokes anyone?