The Net #14
Kansas Legislative Network News
May 2, 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

Smoldering Fires

A couple weeks ago the prairies of Kansas were getting their springtime burning. The smoke from these fires drifted to Kansas City and other communities affecting air quality.

In Topeka, Senate Substitute for Substitute for HB 2014 has been vetoed. However, it is smoldering in the minds of legislators who continue to pursue this issue. On Friday, a pro-Holcomb rally took place in the same area Clean Energy Day activities occurred the month before.

On Thursday, the new Governor Mark Parkinson took his oath of office and on Thursday, addressed a joint session of the House and Senate. He did not mention Holcomb or 2014 but expressed a vision where Kansas produced 10 to 20 thousand megawatts of clean renewable energy. At first I was concerned but at this point, Holcomb should be a dead issue. 2014 has been vetoed and should remain that way. Until someone in the legislature once again decides to move in the wrong direction, the leaders of Kansas should be working toward the Governor’s vision. Unfortunately the smoldering embers of override are still out there drifting across the plains.

We must remain vigilant. I know I am repeating myself week after week. It is becoming difficult to say the same thing in a different way over and over. Your efforts are doing their job. Legislators that have been agreeing with the Sierra Club vision of moving toward energy efficiency and renewable energy have expressed that they plan to continue doing so. They do tell me about the communications they have received from all of you. Constituent communications mean the most.

Continue thanking legislators for voting no on 2014 and encourage them to support the Governors veto of 2014. Supporting the veto (sustaining the veto) will stop Holcomb from being built.

There should be at least one more week of the veto session remaining. A veto override attempt can happen anytime during that week. Keep up the communication. Encourage your friends, relatives and colleagues to do the same. Volunteer to do phoning by contacting Stephanie Cole at 913-906-9332 or stephaniercole@gmail.com.

Even after we stop the override attempt, which I expect us to do, we need to call and thank legislators who voted for clean energy. They need to know we aren’t done with them. The battle for a clean and healthy environment must continue. We need to maintain all the legislative friendships we can. Maybe this attitude will spread.

The Other Smoldering Timber

HB 2121 was also vetoed (see KLN#13). This is the bill that concerned dairy product labeling. HB 2121 was not originally a dairy-labeling bill, HB 2295 was. However, the concept of restricting the labeling of dairy products from cows not injected with rGBH was amended into 2121. It was vetoed for this reason. The other aspects of 2121 are still needed by the Kansas Dept. of Agriculture.

They have two options. One is they can hope to override the veto of 2121. The other is to take the desirable parts of 2121 and put them into another bill, perhaps by stripping 2295 of labeling and replacing the bill with the original 2121. It is uncertain which way the legislature will go despite the fact that neither the House or Senate votes show numbers that would support an override. Those concerned about this issue need to contact their legislators to encourage them to support the veto. (See votes below)

Tom Thompson
Legislative Coordinator

PS: The Kanza Group silent auction this Saturday evening was awesome. I spoke to a gentleman who was making bids on items in the auction area. He began bidding on an item and realized he was bidding against my wife on a wheeled computer briefcase. He and my wife came to an agreement on the item and I ended up with a new bag for my lobbying and computer. I did not get the gentleman’s name but I want to thank him. Thanks!

Votes on 2014 and 2121 are below with Sierra Club preferred votes in bold.

Senate Conference Committee vote on 2014:

Yeas: Abrams, Apple, Barnett, Brownlee, Bruce, Brungardt, Colyer, Donovan, Emler, Haley, Huelskamp, Kelsey, Lee, Lynn, Marshall, Masterson, McGinn, Morris, Ostmeyer, Owens, Petersen, Pilcher-Cook, Pyle, Reitz, Schmidt D, Schmidt V, Taddiken, Teichman, Umbarger, Vratil, Wagle.

Nays: Faust-Goudeau, Francisco, Hensley, Holland, Kelly, Kultala, Schodorf.
Absent or Not Voting: Steineger, Wysong.

House Conference Committee vote on 2014:

Yeas: Aurand, Bethell, Bowers, Brookens, A. Brown, Brunk, Burgess, Carlson, Colloton, Craft, Crum, DeGraaf, Donohoe, Faber, Feuerborn, Fund, George, Goico, Gordon, Grange, Hayzlett, Hermanson, Hineman, C. Holmes, M. Holmes, Horst, Huebert, Jack, Johnson, Kelley, Kerschen, King, Kinzer, Kleeb, Knox, Landwehr, Light, Lukert, Maloney, Mast, McLeland, Morrison, Moxley, Myers, Navinsky, Neufeld, O’Brien, O’Neal, Olson, Otto, Palmer, Patton, Pauls, Peck, Phelps, Powell, Prescott, Proehl, Rhoades, Roth, Schroeder, Schwab, Schwartz, Seiwert, Shultz, Siegfreid, Swanson, Tafanelli, Vickrey, Wetta, Whitham, Williams, B. Wolf, Yoder.

Nays: Ballard, Benlon, T. Brown, Burroughs, Carlin, Crow, Davis, Dillmore, Finney, Flaharty, Frownfelter, Furtado, Garcia, D. Gatewood, S. Gatewood, Goyle, Hawk, Henderson, Henry, Huntington, Kuether, Lane, Loganbill, Long, Mah, McCray-Miller, Menghini, Merrick, Neighbor, Peterson, Pottorff, Quigley, Rardin, Ruiz, Sawyer, Slattery, Sloan, Spalding, Svaty, Swenson, Talia, Tietze, Trimmer, Ward, Watkins, Winn, K. Wolf, Worley.

Present but not voting: None.
Absent or not voting: Grant, Hill, Kiegerl.

House Conference Committee vote on 2121

On roll call, the vote was: Yeas 82; Nays 42; Present but not voting: 0; Absent or not voting: 1.
Yeas: Bethell, Bowers, Brookens, A. Brown, Brunk, Burgess, Carlson, Craft, Crum, DeGraaf, Faber, Feuerborn, Fund, D. Gatewood, George, Goico, Goyle, Grange, Grant, Hawk, Hayzlett, Henry, Hermanson, Hineman, C. Holmes, M. Holmes, Horst, Huebert, Jack, Johnson, Kelley, Kerschen, Kiegerl, King, Kleeb, Knox, Light, Lukert, Maloney, Mast, McCray-Miller, McLeland, Merrick, Morrison, Moxley, Myers, Navinsky, Neufeld, O’Neal, Olson, Otto, Palmer, Patton, Pauls, Phelps, Pottorff, Powell, Prescott, Proehl, Rhoades, Roth, Sawyer, Schroeder, Schwab, Schwartz, Siegfreid, Sloan, Swanson, Swenson, Tafanelli, Talia, Trimmer, Vickrey, Ward, Watkins, Wetta, Whitham, Williams, B. Wolf, K. Wolf, Worley, Yoder.

Nays: Aurand, Ballard, Benlon, T. Brown, Burroughs, Carlin, Colloton, Crow, Davis, Dillmore, Donohoe, Finney, Flaharty, Frownfelter, Furtado, Garcia, S. Gatewood, Gordon, Henderson, Huntington, Kinzer, Kuether, Landwehr, Lane, Loganbill, Long, Mah, Menghini, Neighbor, O’Brien, Peck, Peterson, Quigley, Rardin, Ruiz, Seiwert, Shultz, Slattery, Spalding, Svaty, Tietze, Winn.

Absent or not voting: Hill.

Senate Conference Committee vote on HB 2121

Senator Taddiken moved the Senate adopt the Conference Committee Report on HB 2121.
On roll call, the vote was: Yeas 22, Nays 15, Present and Passing 1, Absent or Not Voting 2.

Yeas: Abrams, Apple, Barnett, Brownlee, Brungardt, Colyer, Donovan, Emler, Huelskamp, Kelsey, Lee, Lynn, Marshall, Masterson, McGinn, Morris, Ostmeyer, Petersen, Pyle, Schmidt D, Taddiken, Umbarger.

Nays: Bruce, Faust-Goudeau, Francisco, Haley, Hensley, Holland, Kelly, Kultala, Owens, Pilcher-Cook, Reitz, Schmidt V, Schodorf, Teichman, Vratil.

Present and Passing: Wagle.
Absent or Not Voting: Steineger, Wysong.

Tom

Tom Thompson
Legislative Coordinator
Sierra Club Kansas Chapter