Why did house leadership block global warming bill?

House Bill 3610 is a modest proposal that instructs the Department of Energy and other state agencies to report recommendations regarding greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals to Oregon's newly-formed Global Warming Commission.

The bill was heard last week in the House Energy and Environment Committee, and subsequently referred to Ways and Means on the prior order of House Speaker, Jeff Merkley.

As the Oregonian's editorial board noted, the bill is opposed by a coalition of natural resource industries, including loggers, cattlemen, dairy farmers, and paper producers.

The referral to Ways and Means was unusual, since the Fiscal Impact Statement says that the costs of the program can be fully absorbed within the existing budget at the Department of Energy.

GOP opposition cannot be the reason the bill was not given a floor vote, since the Democrats have the votes needed to move the bill through committee.

All of which begs the question: Did Democratic leadership send the bill to Ways and Means to die in order to avoid a potentially embarrassing floor vote? If so, what members of the Democratic caucus opposed the bill, and why is House leadership protecting them?