By Mike Diel
It's been a busy year in Jefferson City. We started the year off fighting HB 1487, the house version of combining the rolling back of Prop C's renewable energy, and CWIP (paying for a nuclear power plant before it's built). And we're finishing off the year fighting SB 759 the Senate version of the same thing. In between we fought off CAFO's "Right to Raise Animals", assaults on the Missouri Department of Conservation, and a whole slew of nonbinding resolutions. There's a resolution calling for the building of the Keystone pipeline heading for the governor's desk HCR 37, and one telling the EPA not to regulate mercury (HCR49).
House Concurrent Resolution 52 is one of the dumber. It addresses the National Parks Service in relation to their General Management Plan which is due out very soon. This resolution recommends that a "No Action Plan" is what is best for the Ozark National Scenic Waterways. This attack on one of Missouri's prized possessions was voted out of the House along party lines. Can you guess which party voted which way?
On the other hand, thanks to the hard work of many people we got HCR 35 introduced and assigned to a committee. This historic resolution calls for the DNR to monitor the ground water around coal ash sites. We also through the hard work of many got an Energy Efficiency Resource Standard bill (HB 1850) a committee hearing. These small triumphs raise the legislators awareness and makes future sessions more receptive to these issues.
This year's Lobby Day was on Leap Day Feb. 29th 2012. And thanks to the work of many people through Missouri Conservation and Environmental Alliance we set an all time record with 160 face to face meetings with legislators or their staff. Thanks to all involved.
On the other hand, we need to increase our efforts to hold in-district meetings with our state senators. John T. Lamping met with 18 Sierra Club members in St. Louis on May 4th. But the Thomas Hart Benton Group hasn't been able to meet with Jolie Justus nor Osage with Kurt Schaefer or White River with Bob Dixon. Now that the Legislature has adjourned, it will be easier to schedule these important meetings.