MBEF Disappointed in Senator Mayer’s Move to Assign Nuclear Site Permit Legislation to Veterans’ Affairs Committee
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Kim Carlos – 816-550-1782
kim@moenergyfuture.com
MBEF Disappointed in Sen. Mayer’s Move to Assign Nuclear Site Permit Legislation
to Veterans’ Affairs Committee
JEFFERSON CITY – Missourians for a Balanced Energy Future (MBEF) today expressed disappointment in Senator Rob Mayer’s decision to send nuclear site permit legislation, Senate Bills 321 and 359, to the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Emerging Issues, Pensions and Urban Affairs. Senator Mayer sent similar legislation, Senate Bill 50, to the same committee last month. To date, the legislation has been ignored by Committee Chairman Jason Crowell.
A majority of Senators have signed on in support of Senate Bill 321, introduced by Senator Mike Kehoe, that leaves open the option of a second nuclear power plant in Missouri and that includes additional consumer protections. Earlier this week, Senator Brad Lager, Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee, introduced similar legislation. In a remarkable break with longstanding procedure and protocol, Mayer did not assign Lager’s bill to Chairman Lager’s Energy and Commerce committee. The Veterans’ Affairs committee does not typically handle legislation dealing with energy issues.
“Nuclear site permit legislation has wide support in Jefferson City and throughout Missouri,” said Irl Scissors, executive director of MBEF. “We believe it is Senator Mayer’s responsibility to allow this legislation to have a fair and open debate in an appropriate committee – the Energy and Commerce Committee.”
On Wednesday, more than 70 people from across Missouri, representing a broad coalition of support, traveled to Jefferson City to show support for Kehoe and Lager’s bills, including meetings with Senator Mayer to encourage him to hold a fair hearing on this legislation.
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