Legislation summary

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Show Me Green Lobby Day was a wonderful success! Fifty plus concerned citizens hit the halls of the capitol to voice their concern over the attacks on environmental protections. Armed with talking points on critical legislation, and “Another Voter for Clean Air and Water” buttons, members from a variety of organizations talked to their elected officials about the importance of protecting our states valuable natural resources. Legislators were informed we would be holding them accountable for their votes and informing our friends and neighbors of their positions. This is a powerful message in an election year.

The real success story of this session is the active role that so many individuals have taken. Sierra Club members have traveled to the capitol to testify in favor of positive legislation as well as voicing opposition to damaging roll backs in health and environmental programs. This years lobby day included 13 co-sponsoring organizations and three individual donors! Building a strong coalition of broad based interests including farmers, fishing and conservation organizations as well as labor unions is essential to offset the strong hold of corporate interest’s on this Republican majority.

I want to thank everyone who has traveled to the Capitol this session as well as those who have called and written your legislators. We have made a difference in slowing and stopping some damaging legislation. In cases where we did not muster enough votes to kill bad bills, we have demonstrated to the Governor that we have enough votes to uphold a veto. That being said, our work is far from over. As we enter these final weeks, vigilance is critical.

Senator Gross (R) St. Charles, seems determined to pass some form of a Dirty Secret’s Bill. We have voiced opposition to three versions and a fourth is currently in the works. Environmental Audit Privilege, as industry calls it, is legislation we have fought off for years. SB989 would allow business to conduct a self-audit, any information included in this self-audit would be considered privileged and confidential. Allowing them to hide and conceal their misdeeds from the public. Privilege is a big deal! Our legal system, has reserved this exclusion or exception to very few circumstances, i.e. attorney client and priest confessional protections. This is not something that we should extend to polluting industries that have the potential to harm citizens’ health and the environment. Please continue to call and write your Senator’s and House Representatives and tell them: No Dirty Secret’s privilege for businesses in Missouri! We want corporate responsibility and open records!

HCS HB 1128, a terrible CAFO (confined animal feeding operation) bill, is also on the front burner this session. This is yet another attempt by the factory farm industry to obtain a strong hold in Missouri. This bill seeks to take away local control from county governments who have fought to protect their communities by enacting local health ordinances to limit the number of these huge facilities. The American Public Health Association, (APHA) has pushed for a moratorium on CAFOs, citing pollution, health and economic impacts as main reasons. At the same time the Missouri legislature is introducing legislation to weaken protections.

The bill creates more loopholes for counties to jump through, forcing a cost risk benefit to be performed by local boards that do not have the expertise or resources to conduct a fair assessment. This bill harms family farmers by giving advantages to factory farms. The 1,200 members of the Missouri Farmers Union and Missouri Rural Crisis Center representing 5,500 family farmers both oppose this bill. Call your Senator and tell them to oppose SB 1128. Ask them to protect family farmers and Missouri’s environment.

Find out more about bills the Sierra Club is tracking this session. 

http://missouri.sierraclub.org/legis/showBills.asp

Our site is linked to the Missouri State web page, you can click on the bill number and it will automatically connect you to the state bill system. You can read the entire bill and learn the latest action that has been taken. You can also call the Sierra Club office at 1-800-628-5333, for further information.

• Television coverage of Show-me Green Lobby and interview on critical bills
• Sierra Club invited as guest speaker to address environmental issues at Missouri Women’s Network Lobby Day
• Worked with editorial staff at KC Star and Springfield News Leader to get opinion editorials, opposing Environment Audit privilege and HJR 35
• Working with Democratic Caucus leadership to provide information packets on bills Sierra Club is tracking
• Worked with Representatives to introduce two positive environmental bills: HB 1472 sponsored by Representative Jenee Lowe (D) 44, to establish renewable energy standards and HB 1609 sponsored by Representative Barbara Fraser (D) 83, to enact a fee on coal-fired power plants to encourage better mercury emission technology. This was an excellent opportunity to educate and build support for renewable energy.