|
The Net #7
Kansas Legislative Network News
March 1, 2009
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
Global Warming Day in the Kansas House
If one wanted, they could have celebrated Global Warming Day last Thursday and Friday in House Chambers. Substitute for HB 2014, the bill designed to allow the Holcomb Coal Fired Power Plant to be built as described in previous KLN’s, was debated and passed. The vote was 79 for, 44 against with 2 not present. HB 2014 is expected to be vetoed. 84 votes are needed to overturn a veto.
Here is the vote from the Kansas House Journal for Friday: On roll call, the vote was: Yeas 79; Nays 44; Present but not voting: 0; Absent or not voting: 2.
Yeas: Aurand, Bethell, Bowers, Brookens, A. Brown, Brunk, Burgess, Carlson, Colloton, Craft, Crum, DeGraaf, Donohoe, Faber, Feuerborn, Fund, D. Gatewood, George, Goico, Gordon, Grange, Grant, Hayzlett, Hermanson, Hill, Hineman, C. Holmes, M. Holmes, Horst, Huebert, Jack, Johnson, Kelley, Kerschen, Kiegerl, King, Kinzer, Kleeb, Knox, Land- wehr, Light, Lukert, Maloney, Mast, McLeland, Merrick, Morrison, Moxley, Myers, Navin- sky, Neufeld, O’Brien, O’Neal, Olson, Otto, Palmer, Patton, Pauls, Peck, Phelps, Powell, Prescott, Proehl, Rhoades, Roth, Schroeder, Schwab, Schwartz, Seiwert, Shultz, Siegfreid, Swanson, Vickrey, Watkins, Wetta, Whitham, Williams, B. Wolf, Yoder.
Nays: Ballard, Benlon, T. Brown, Burroughs, Carlin, Crow, Davis, Dillmore, Finney, Flaharty, Frownfelter, Furtado, Garcia, S. Gatewood, Goyle, Hawk, Henderson, Huntington, Kuether, Lane, Loganbill, Long, Mah, McCray-Miller, Menghini, Neighbor, Peterson, Pottorff, Quigley, Rardin, Ruiz, Sawyer, Slattery, Sloan, Spalding, Svaty, Swenson, Talia, Tietze, Trimmer, Ward, Winn, K. Wolf, Worley. Present but not voting: None. Absent or not voting: Henry, Tafanelli.
The question now doesn’t seem to be whether 2014 is vetoed but who will veto it. It is expected that at anytime, Governor Kathleen Sebelius will be appointed US Secretary of Health and Human Services. Perhaps she will have the opportunity to veto is before leaving. If not, it is expected that Lt. Governor Mark Parkinson will. Before then, 2014 will need to be worked in the Kansas Senate and will further deteriorate in conference committees before going to the governor.
In the mean time, it is important to thank legislators who voted no and to ask legislators who voted yes to eventually vote to sustain a veto. Although legislators like to be consistent in their voting, many will consider changing either to support the governor, because they don’t like changes made to a bill since their vote was cast or other reasons.
Those who voted No need to be thanked so much that they don’t even consider thinking about not sustaining a veto.
Those wanting Holcomb have been spending and will continue to spend to get 2014 passed. Your efforts are needed so that their efforts are in vane.
Other bills last week
On Wednesday, the Senate Utilities Committee continued discussing their version of the Holcomb Bill in the form of HB 265. However, no action was taken the committee awaited the action in the House on Substitute for HB 2014. Further Senate activity is expected this coming week.
On Thursday in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee there was a hearing on HB 2295. Craig Volland testified against 2295 on behalf of the Sierra Club. This bill would make it illegal for dairies to indicate that their milk is rBGH free. rBGH, also referred to as rBST or BST is a hormone given to dairy cows that allows them to produce more milk. A similar bill was heard in the Senate last year but not acted upon. 2295 came from the House Taxation Committee making it a blessed bill that can be acted upon anytime this year or next. This bill would not affect mild designated as being organic but does effect many small dairies.
HB 2196 was heard in the House Taxation Committee on Friday. This bill, opposed by the Sierra Club, would end tax incentives for renewable energy. 2196 only had one supporter testify on its behalf. This was a county commissioner from Hamilton County representing the Kansas Legislative Policy Group. This individual said he supported the development of renewables in Kansas but felt Kansas would not lose any development should these incentives be handed over to counties. Many wind developers, Empire District Electric, American Institute of Architects and the Sierra Club testified against. The hearing on this bill will continue on Tuesday.
Other activity next week
Besides SB 265 there is only one bill of interest. This bill is SB 217. This bill allows schools to use existing transmission lines to transport energy from renewable energy sources built on property owned by school. The bill says the bill is to encourage the energy independence and efficiency of state educational institutions. The Sierra Club is concerned that a line in existing statute dealing with the bill concern the prohibition of wasteful duplication of facilities and avoiding unnecessary encumbrances of landscape could adversely effect wind energy development. There will be neutral testimony submitted expressing this.
In House Energy and Utilities, reports are scheduled all week. Of particular interest is Monday when there is to be a report on federal stimulus package funding for energy efficiency. Also there will be a report on weatherization on Wednesday. There are no other bills of interest scheduled to be heard in other committees at this time either. It was expected that things would slow as legislative energy focuses on the state budget for next year.
SAVE THIS DATE: March 19th CLEAN ENERGY DAY
We have been fighting for over a year in support of a clean energy in Kansas. We've won small victories - now it's time to make a bold statement. One day to join together, make our voice heard, and stand firmly in support of a real clean energy economy in Kansas. On March19th we will make it happen.
We will rally at noon with the Governor and will schedule meetings with your Representative in advance.
Please save March 19th and alert your networks – more details will follow.
Tom Thompson Legislative Coordinator
Tom
Tom Thompson
Legislative Chair
Sierra Club Kansas Chapter
|
