Building coal plants SB 515 and HB 2711 State law would be rewritten to clearly deny the discretionary power claimed by a state regulator last year to reject a proposed coal plant expansion in Western Kansas. The bill would also allow the plant’s owner, Sunflower Electric Power Corp., to reapply for a permit; impose new rules for energy efficiency on new government buildings and schools; allow those with solar power to sell excess electricity to utilities; and impose new carbon restrictions on new power plants. Plants that fail to meet reduction goals would pay a carbon tax unless they offset their emissions through investments in conservation, technology or renewable energy.

Status 08-Mar-07 12:00 pm:  A conference committee inserted a compromise of the House and Senate versions of the legislation into Sub. SB 327, which then passed both chambers by large majorities and was forwarded to Gov. Sebelius for her consideration.  Sebelius has promised she will veto it.  Although the Senate appears to have enough votes to override a veto (they approved the bill 31-7), the House vote of 75-47 is short of the 84 votes (a two-thirds majority) it needs for an override.  The current proposal would limit the authority of the Kansas Secretary of Health & Environment and does not contain proposals for a carbon-dioxide tax nor a new state carbon regulatory program.

Key Legislators: Speaker of the House, Rep. Melvin Neufeld, President of the Senate, Sen. Steve Morris

Key Players:  Sunflower Electric Power Corp; Sierra Club-Kansas Chapter; Alliance for Sound Energy Policy

S Sub for HB 2412

(includes several economic development initiatives)

Senate Journal 05/06/2008

Senator Brownlee moved the Senate adopt the Conference Committee Report on S Sub for HB 2412.

On roll call, the vote was: Yeas 24, Nays 10, Present and Passing 0, Absent or Not Voting 6.

Yeas: Allen, Barnett, Barone, Brownlee, Donovan, Gilstrap, Goodwin, Huelskamp, Jordan, Journey, Lee, Lynn, McGinn, Morris, Ostmeyer, Petersen, Pine, Pyle, Schmidt D, Schmidt V, Teichman, Umbarger, Wagle, Wilson.

Nays: Betts, Brungardt, Francisco, Haley, Hensley, Kelly, Reitz, Schodorf, Vratil, Wysong.

Absent or Not Voting: Apple, Bruce, Emler, Palmer, Steineger, Taddiken.

The Conference Committee report was adopted.

H Sub for SB 148

04/14/2008 S Enrolled and presented to gov. -SJ 2022
04/17/2008 Vetoed by gov.; returned to senate -SJ 2022
04/30/2008 S Motion to override veto prevailed; bill passed;
                      Yeas 32 Nays 7
-SJ 2038

05/01/2008 H Motion to override veto failed; bill did not pass;
                       Yeas 80 Nays 45
-HJ 2418; (84 votes needed to override veto)

Senate Journal 04/30/2008

ACTION ON VETO MESSAGE

The President announced a veto message from the Governor having been received on April 17, 2008 and read, the time had arrived for consideration.  Senator Emler moved H Sub for SB 148 be passed notwithstanding the Governor’s veto.

On roll call, the vote was: Yeas 32, Nays 7, Present and Passing 0, Absent or Not Voting 1.

Yeas: Allen, Apple, Barnett, Barone, Brownlee, Bruce, Brungardt, Donovan, Emler, Gilstrap, Goodwin, Haley, Huelskamp, Jordan, Journey, Lee, Lynn, McGinn, Morris, Ostmeyer, Petersen, Pine, Pyle, Reitz, Schmidt D, Schmidt V, Taddiken, Teichman, Umbarger, Vratil, Wagle, Wilson.

Nays: Betts, Francisco, Hensley, Kelly, Schodorf, Steineger, Wysong.

Absent or Not Voting: Palmer.

A two-thirds constitutional majority having voted in favor of overriding the Governor’s veto, the motion prevailed and the bill passed.

Allows two coal-fired power plants in southwest Kansas.  Required a two-thirds majority, or 27 votes.

H Sub for SB 327

House Journal, 05/01/08

Here is the 80-45 vote Thursday by which the House failed to override Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' veto of a bill allowing two coal-fired power plants in southwest Kansas.

Republicans voting yes: Aurand, Beamer, Bethell, Bowers, Brown, Brunk, Burgess, Carlson, Colyer, Craft, Crum, Dahl, Donohoe, Faber, Fund, George, Goico, Gordon, Grange, Hayzlett, Hill, Carl Holmes, Mitch Holmes, Horst, Huebert, Humerickhouse, Johnson, Kelley, Kelsey, Kiegerl, King, Kinzer, Knox, Landwehr, Light, Mast, Masterson, McLeland, Merrick, Jim Morrison, Moxley, Myers, Neufeld, Olson, O'Neal, Otto, Owens, Patton, Peck, Powell, Powers, Proehl, Rhoades, Roth, Schroeder, Schwartz, Shultz, Siegfreid, Sloan, Swanson, Tafanelli, Vickrey, Watkins, Whitham, Wilk, William Wolf and Yoder.

Republicans voting no: Colloton, Hodge, Huntington, Metsker, Judy Morrison, Pottorff, Quigley, Spalding, Swenson, Kay Wolf and Worley.

Democrats voting yes: Feuerborn, Gatewood, Grant, Hawk, Lukert, McKinney, Palmer, Pauls, Peterson, Phelps, Ruff, Wetta and Williams.

Democrats voting no: Ballard, Burroughs, Carlin, Crow, Davis, Dillmore, Faust-Goudeau, Flaharty, Flora, Frownfelter, Garcia, Goyle, Henderson, Henry, Holland, Kuether, Lane, Loganbill, Long, Mah, McCray-Miller, McLachlan, Menghini, Neighbor, Rardin, Ruiz, Sawyer, Storm, Svaty, Tietze, Treaster, Trimmer, Ward and Winn.

H Sub for SB 327

House Journal, 02/19/08, page 1396.

On roll call, the vote was: Yeas 77; Nays 45; Present but not voting: 0; Absent or not voting: 3.

Yeas: Aurand, Beamer, Bethell, Bowers, Brown, Brunk, Burgess, Carlson, Colyer, Crum, Dahl, Donohoe, Faber, Feuerborn, Fund, Gatewood, George, Goico, Gordon, Grange, Grant, Hayzlett, Hill, Hodge, C. Holmes, M. Holmes, Horst, Huebert, Humerickhouse, Johnson, Kelsey, Kiegerl, King, Kinzer, Knox, Landwehr, Light, Mast, Masterson, McKinney, McLeland, Merrick, Jim Morrison, Judy Morrison, Moxley, Myers, Neufeld, O’Neal, Olson, Otto, Owens, Palmer, Patton, Pauls, Peck, Peterson, Phelps, Powell, Powers, Proehl, Rhoades, Roth, Ruff, Schroeder, Schwartz, Shultz, Siegfreid, Swanson, Tafanelli, Vickrey, Watkins, Wetta, Whitham, Wilk, Williams, B. Wolf, Yoder.

Nays: Ballard, Burroughs, Carlin, Colloton, Craft, Crow, Davis, Dillmore, Faust-Goudeau, Flaharty, Frownfelter, Garcia, Goyle, Hawk, Henderson, Henry, Holland, Huntington, Kuether, Lane, Loganbill, Long, Lukert, Mah, McCray-Miller, McLachlan, Menghini, Metsker, Neighbor, Pottorff, Quigley, Rardin, Ruiz, Sawyer, Sloan, Spalding, Storm, Svaty, Swenson, Tietze, Treaster, Ward, Winn, K. Wolf, Worley.

Present but not voting: None.

Absent or not voting: Flora, Kelley, Trimmer.

The substitute bill passed, as amended.

When House voted on CCR, a couple dropped off to make it 75 - 47 (HJ 1516).