The Net #2
Kansas Legislative Network News

February 8, 2008
Tom Thompson
Legislative Coordinator
Sierra Club Kansas Chapter
5001 Rock Creek Lane, Mission, KS 66205
Phone: 913-236-9161; cell: 913-687-2405;
email: tomnthompson@sbcglobal.net

Bills this past week:

HB 2711 and SB 515

Proud Week for the Sierra Club

Environmentalist throughout Kansas should be proud of their efforts this past week. People called, emailed, mailed, went to forums, drove through snowstorms, gave testimony and visited legislators in the Capitol. Despite a snow storm, about 100 joined together to rally against HB 2711 and SB 515.

The question is, will Kansans be proud of what the legislature is doing when this is over.

Will it be proud of a bill that allows Kansas to expand its carbon footprint; a bill that limits the states ability to protect its citizens a bill that was written secretly; and heard in a process where citizens were limited to 3 minutes of testimony in one committee and given an amount of time less than our opposition to present our case in both committees?

Opposition presented on Monday and Tuesday, Neutrals were allowed to begin on Wednesday and the Opposition presented on the rest of Wednesday and Thursday.

The House was to work the bill on Friday but in a surprise move did not. The Senate is to work the bill on Monday. The future of these bills is uncertain and efforts to oppose them are still needed.

Day by Day

The week began with the Senate and House Utilities Committees hearing testimony that supported HB 2711 and SB 515 (See KLN#1). Rather than meeting jointly, these committees chose to meet separately, the House Committee from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. the Senate 9:30 a.m. till 10:30 a.m. The Senate limited time to six minutes because they only met for an hour.

In the meantime, testimony was lined up to oppose these bills. However, early Tuesday, it was decided that those saying they were "Neutral" were told they could testify in most cases to offer amendments. Time for "Neutrals" was began when the Opponents were to begin and was taken from the time Opponents were to have. Complaints did not change this.

On Wednesday morning Topeka woke to seven inches of snow. Non-the-less, almost all those wanting to testify risked travel and got to the Capital. Neutrals used about half the committee time but Opponents were able to start presenting their case. From Monday through Wednesday, those testifying in the Senate were allowed six minutes.

The planned rally for Wednesday was moved in-doors with the assistance of Sen. Karin Brownlee. About 100 people listened to several speakers as press and TV Channel 49 looked on.

On Thursday, a couple more Neutrals were heard along with many more Opponents. However, because so many people wanted to testify in the Senate Utilities, time per oral testimony was reduced to three minutes. Testimony became rushed and those attending became visibly frustrated.

Perhaps the most unusual testimony opposing the bill came from Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform who objected especially to the bills "carbon tax" proposal. His opposition to these bills was certainly not the same as ours. Many said that his group and the Sierra Club certainly made strange bedfellows.

All week, the committee chairs indicated that in the House Utilities, 2711 would be "worked." In other words, committee members would be able to discuss the bill among them selves and amend it as they saw fit. 2711 would then be moved for action. In the Senate, this was to be done the following week.

Friday came with the expectation that the House Utilities Committee would meet for several hours to consider a number of amendments and eventually the bill. Committee Chair, Rep. Carl Holmes came into the meeting, said he was ordered not to work the bill and adjourned the meeting. The Senate Utilities met to ask questions only. It's Chair, Sen. Jay Emler, made it clear that his committee would be working the Senate version, 515 next Monday.

What will happen next is anyone's guess. The uncertainty of this bill was reflected in the many rumors that permeated the Capital. The Senate seems ready to work the bill Monday but it seemed certain on Thursday that the House would work it Friday but they didn't. One prediction is that 2711 will be placed in the newly appointed Select Committee on Energy and Environment for the Future. This Committee has not yet met and is chaired by Rep. Don Myers of Derby. The Ranking Minority member is Rep. Vaughn Flora of Topeka. This committee has fewer members, which means there are fewer members for those wanting more Carbon Dioxide to have to deal with.

What can you do? The opposition is hoping you will tire from all the work it takes to keep up your opposition. Don't! Keep recruiting your friends, neighbors and relatives. Keep educating your State Representatives and Senators on how to make Kansas a state we can all be proud of.

Tom Thompson
Legislative Chair
Sierra Club Kansas Chapter