MOVotes Conservation

2010 Legislative Wrap-Up
Our Legislative Work

As is the case in many other states, the 2010 Legislative Session of the Missouri General Assembly ended on Friday May 14th with both successes and setbacks on the environmental policy front. Below is a summary of some of the good news, bad news and hopeful news from 2010.

Good News

• Energy Efficiency:  The PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) bill passed in the final hours of the session on May 14 -- a true victory for advocates of a clean energy economy!  PACE has been sent to Governor Nixon's desk as part of HB 1692, and we are hopeful he will sign the measure into law.  PACE will allow municipalities to offer financing schemes, including bonds, to fund loans to home and business owners for energy efficient upgrades to their properties.  Paid back through property taxes, PACE financing allows property owners to upgrade their dwellings with secure, competitive loans paid back to the municipality over 20 years.

• Factory Farming: Language was removed from Agriculture Omnibus bill SB 795 that would have preempted local control and stopped the General Assembly from passing state CAFO standards.
  

• Urban Agriculture: A Joint Committee on Urban Farming was created with the passage of HB 1848. The committee must study and make recommendations regarding the impact of urban farm cooperatives, vertical farming and sustainable living communities and examine various trends in urban farming; existing resources and capacity; the impact on affected communities; and any needed legislation, policies, or regulations. The bill was passed Consent in the House and unanimous in the Senate and is on the Governor's desk.
  

• Landfills: An amendment on HB 2109 that would allow yard waste to be returned to landfills was voted down.
  

• CWIP: HB 2343, a bill that would allow utilities to charge ratepayers for the cost of building nuclear and coal energy projects before they come online (known as Construction Works in Progress or CWIP) never made it past committee. This is the second year in a row a CWIP measure has died in legislation.
  

Bad News

• Water Pollution Permits: HB 2109, a bill that included language allowing the Clean Water Commission to charge for permit fees through August of 2010 was not passed. This was the first time in recent memory a permit extension failed to pass, and it remains to be seen whether the state of Missouri can continue to fund its water pollution program. 
  

• Climate: SCR 46 and HCR 46, resolutions that urged the Missouri Congressional delegation to vote against federal cap-and-trade legislation were accepted by both houses. While Senate votes are not made public, the House accepted HCR 46 by a vote of 112 to 41.

• State Parks: HJR 77, an $800 million bond initiative for improvements to state parks, facilities and infrastructure was tabled before it ever made it to committee. With low tax revenue and pending budget cuts, the legislature was unwilling to take on more state debt.
  

• Methane: With the passage of Agriculture Omnibus Bill SB 795 by both chambers, methane is now considered a renewable energy source and can now be used by utilities to meet Proposition C requirements. Including methane as a Prop. C energy source without increasing the overall required percentage of renewable energy undercuts contributions from wind and solar.
  

Hopeful News

• Green Building: Despite an unsuccessful attempt at passing HB 1667 through the legislature, we are hopeful Governor Nixon will create an Executive Order which would require new state buildings to meet LEED Silver standards.

• Transportation: Complete Streets was not adopted by the full General Assembly, but the passage of HCR 67 by the full House gives hope to transportation advocates that this measure, which strives to make streets usable for everyone by promoting sustainable transportation, will be more successful next year.
  

    

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