2008 Missouri Legislative Session Green Report
Energy
Bills Draw Attention of Legislators in 2008 General Assembly
Passage of the Easy Connection Act, which combined net metering with renewable
energy targets (SB 54), was a significant victory in 2007, and one that may
lead to other, more progressive energy bills being introduced in 2008. (Net
Metering was a component of Sierra Club’s March 2007 agreement with
Kansas City Power & Light (KCPL). Shortly after the agreement was reached,
KCPL worked with the business and environmental communities to support the
passage of Net Metering legislation.)
Conservation
Lobby Day 2008
Show Me Clean...Show Me Green State Capitol Tuesday, February 26, 2008 9:30 am - 3:30 pm Join
Missouri Sierra Club, Missouri Coalition for the Environment and Missouri
Votes Conservation on Tuesday, February 26 for Conservation Lobby
Day. Learn about environmental issues facing the 2008 legislature.
Meet with your representatives. Network with others in Missouri's
conservation community. Find out more by calling the Missouri Sierra Club office or go here to register: http://www.moenviron.org/lobbyday.asp |
Sierra Club is working closely with KCPL to facilitate passage of acceptable energy efficiency enabling legislation as described above. In addition, we have been working with them to identify other energy efficiency legislation important for Missouri’s future that we can both support.
Sierra Club believes that now is the time to advance other clean and renewable energy proposals, as more and more people understand the need to conserve energy and reduce climate change-causing emissions. Two such legislative proposals are establishing a mandatory renewable energy standard and measures to encourage the use of “green” building technologies. There were a number of meetings in the fall of 2007 on green building measures organized by State Senator Jeff Smith. Other legislators are also interested in green building legislative proposals.
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Missouri Sierra Club has developed a Comprehensive Energy Plan that we are encouraging legislator’s to consider in 2008. The plan calls for:
1. Mandatory Renewable Electricity Standard – modify SB54, passed in 2007, with mandatory renewable energy targets.
2. Provide consumer incentives for purchases of wind and solar. One example might be exemptions from state and local sales and use taxes.
3. Green Building Codes
4. Energy Efficiency enabling for utilities – see KCPL legislative priority above.
It was encouraging to hear Governor Matt Blunt in his State of the State message to the Legislature on January 15 mention energy and environmental issues several times. He said his proposed budget will include money for energy audits for small businesses and municipal water systems and initiatives to make state government more energy efficient. These are small but important first steps.
You can help Missouri embrace the new energy future by contacting your legislators now and often throughout the legislative session to let them know you support the legislation mentioned above.
| 2008 Missouri General Assembly – Environmental Bills of Interest Sierra Club Position: S = Support, QS = Qualified Support, O = Opposed, I = Bill of interest
Compiled on January
24, 2008 |
State Forestry
Law
The Missouri State Forestry Law was enacted in 1946 and is badly
outdated, especially the Forest Cropland Program which is part of the Law.
Some of the objectives of a revised State Forestry Law include continuation
of a voluntary incentive-based forest protection program, increased use of
best management practices on private forests, increased use of trained loggers
and foresters in private forest land management, and recognition of the many
benefits of well managed and protected forests to Missouri citizens. A meeting
of interested stakeholders was held over the summer of 2007 to provide input
to development of a forestry law revision. Based on this, legislation will
be drafted and reviewed to revise the forestry law. It may take more than
one year to get the Legislature to revise this law.
CAFOs / Local
Control
Family farmers, local government officials, and environmentalists won a significant
victory by blocking efforts to reduce or eliminate local control of large
confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in 2007. So far, no bill taking
away counties’ ability to regulate large CAFOs has been filed; however,
we know the issue will be back in 2008.
During the 2008 Session Missouri Sierra Club will work with local control allies to closely monitor the legislative process, assure good communications among the organizations and individuals involved, and plan appropriate activities such as lobby days and other lobbying tactics. One such lobby day was held on January 16. The records of individual legislators will be scrutinized and where appropriate will be used in the 2008 legislative elections in order to hold legislators accountable to their constituents.
Water Fees and
MDNR Budget
The Joint Committee on Restructuring Fees of the Clean Water and Storm Water
Programs in the Department of Natural Resources met several times prior to
the start of the 2008 Session. Committee Chairman Walt Bivens has drafted
recommend-ations to better fund the Missouri Department of Natural Resources
water programs that will be the basis for legislation. There has been limited
input from a spectrum of stakeholders. When final, the Committee’s report
will guide development of a bill and more public involvement is needed.
For more information on the Sierra Club’s state legislative program
please contact Roy Hengerson at 573-644-2828 or roy.hengerson@sierraclub.org.
If you would like to receive legislative alerts by email, go to our website,
http://missouri.sierraclub.org
and click on “Sign
up for legislative alerts” at the top.