House Republicans are escalating their attack on the science of global warming with a plan to kill the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

Meanwhile in Virginia, Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is rabidly pursuing his persecution of climate researcher Michael Mann, using other Republicans in the state legislature to draft laws that will let him conduct a more intrusive fishing expedition into Mann’s work, with the goal of revoking Mann’s tenure at the University of Virginia.

Del. Bob Marshall (R-Prince William) is sponsoring a bill that would allow public employees to be terminated or otherwise disciplined if they knowingly violate public information laws.

Behind the proposed legislation, which he has filed for consideration when the General Assembly convenes next month, is the now hotly contested events surrounding the tenure of climate researcher Michael Mann at the University of Virginia.

Mann left the university in 2005 and is now a professor at Penn State University.

It’s a good bet Marshall’s won’t be the only bill related to Mann’s work that legislators consider next year. Democrats have been incensed by an effort by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to use the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act to compel the university to turn over documents related to Mann’s work.

Cuccinelli has said he wants to see whether a fraud investigation would be warranted into Mann’s work, which showed that the earth has experienced a rapid, recent warming. The university is fighting the subpoena in court and there’s a good chance Democrats could file legislation to curb the attorney general’s powers of subpoena under the act.