Updated Bill Tracker
Throughout the General Assembly session, VCN maintains an updated conservation bill tracker online. This bill tracker is updated every Friday after VCN’s Board of Directors votes on positions recommended by VCN’s Legislative Committee.
[table “9” not found /]Top Three
#1: Budget Amendments — As we noted last week, budget amendments have dropped. VCN took a position in support of a suite of amendments which would increase funding for programs that protect Virginia’s landscapes and clean up the Chesapeake Bay. These amendments include:
- The Agricultural Cost Share Program (fact sheet with budget amendments);
- The Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (fact sheet with budget amendments);
- The Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (budget amendments 363 #2h, 363 #5s, and 363 #13s); and
- The Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund (budget amendments 374 #2s and 374 #1h).
All of the budget amendments that we have taken a position on have been posted to VCN’s bill tracker with talking points attached. Contact members of the Senate and House Finance Committees asking them to support these critical conservation programs.
#2: Dominion’s Rate Freeze — In 2015, the General Assembly passed SB1349. Also known as the “rate freeze,” this legislation has allowed utilities to circumvent oversight and review from the State Corporation Commission (SCC) and avoid issuing ratepayer refunds. Since this law was passed, the SCC estimates Dominion has over-collected hundreds of millions of dollars. We are working with stakeholders to ensure over-earnings are properly accounted for; accountability and transparency are restored; and significant commitments for clean energy and energy efficiency investments are made.
Governor Northam told the Washington Post yesterday that he has ‘significant concerns’ about Dominion’s proposed legislation addressing the rate freeze. The points he raises in the Washington Post article agree with the concerns that many of us in the conservation community have also raised. There are two actions you can take this week to help restore accountability and increase investments in clean energy and energy efficiency:
- Thank Governor Northam for stating his concerns with Dominion’s legislation addressing the 2015 rate freeze. Submit comments to the Governor here.
- Ask your legislators to follow Governor Northam’s request for a transparent review process that restores accountability and fully invests in clean energy and energy efficiency in the Commonwealth. Use this factsheet for messaging guidance.
#3: Coal Ash — Things are about to start moving very quickly for the suite of coal ash bills. Following a moratorium placed on solid waste permits for coal ash last year, lawmakers with some of the largest coal ash sites in their districts are now working got ensure these storage facilities are properly cleaned up to protect our waterways and public health. The following bills address proper cleanup of coal ash sitting along our waterways. Please contact the bulleted list of target legislators on the following committees and ask for their support of the identified coal ash bills:
Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources — bills will be heard on Thursday
SUPPORT SB708 (Patron: Chase)
SUPPORT SB765 (Patron: Surovell)
SUPPORT SB766 (Patron: Surovell)
SUPPORT SB767 (Patron: Surovell)
Priority members:
Senator Rosalyn Dance — (804) 698-7516 | district16@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Emmett Hanger — (804) 698-7524 | district24@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Richard Stuart — (804) 698-7528 | district28@senate.virginia.gov
Full list of committee members: https://lis.virginia. gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?181+ com+S1
Senate Commerce and Labor — bills not up on the docket yet
SUPPORT SB768 (Patron: Surovell)
SUPPORT SB807 (Patron: Surovell)
Priority members:
Senator John Cosgrove — (804) 698-7514 | district14@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Richard Stuart — (804) 698-7528 | district28@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Glen Sturtevant — (804) 698-7510 | district10@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Frank Wagner — (804) 698-7507 | district07@senate.virginia.gov
Full list of committee members: https://lis.virginia. gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?181+ com+S2
House Commerce and Labor Subcommittee #3 — bill could be heard as early as Tuesday
SUPPORT HB182 (Patron: Foy)
Priority members:
Delegate Tim Hugo — (804) 698-1040 | DelTHugo@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Daniel Marshall — (804) 698-1014 | DelDMarshall@house.virginia.g ov
Delegate Israel O’Quinn — (804) 698-1005 | DelIOquinn@house.virginia.gov
Full list of committee members: http:// virginiageneralassembly.gov/ house/members/members.php? subcommittee=H14003
Week Three Legislative Update
Conservation Lobby Day — To kick this week off, over 200 conservation advocates from across Virginia traveled to Richmond for Conservation Lobby Day to urge their state legislators to support environmental policy advancements. In addition to holding over 100 meetings with their representatives, attendees enjoyed a breakfast kick-off with state legislators and were joined by the new Secretary of Natural Resources Matt Strickler and Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bettina Ring for lunch. Virginia’s First Lady Pam Northam even made a surprise appearance! Needless to say, Conservation Lobby Day was a big success — click here to read the full write-up and to view photos from the day of action.
Joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) — On Thursday, the Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources Committee voted to kill Senator Lewis’ SB696. Also referred to as the Virginia Alternative Energy & Coastal Protection Act, SB696 proposed to have Virginia join the states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a market-based, cap-and-trade collaborative of nine Northeaster States. This proposal went beyond the Governor’s Climate Action Plan which is currently being drafted by the Department of Environmental Quality by allowing the Commonwealth — rather than the utilities — to receive the profits from quarterly auction of pollution allowances. This bill remains a priority for both the Governor and the conservation community. The House companion, HB1273, is expected to be voted on as early as next week.
Pipelines — There are a number of bills aimed at protecting water quality from fracked-gas pipelines that are still alive. Please see below for specific bill updates and actions that you can take:
- SB950 — On Thursday, Senator Hanger’s SB950 was referred out of the Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources Committee to the Senate Finance Committee. The Department of Environmental Quality is expected to make amendments to this bill. We are waiting to see what those amendments are and will share an update next week.
- HB1141, HB1294, HB1187, HB1188 — This suite of House bills aimed at protecting water quality from fracked-gas pipelines are stuck in the House Rules Committee. As we mentioned last week, this committee is much less transparent than the other committees — votes are not recorded and bills can appear on the docket with very little notice. Ask members of the House Rules Committee to: 1) Support HB1141, HB1294, HB1187, and HB1188; and 2) ensure there is enough notice as to when these bills will be heard so that affected landowners can make the trip to Richmond.
Stormwater — Almost 15 years ago, Virginia began work to modernize its outdated stormwater management program. To assist in this effort, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality convened a large and diverse group of stakeholders, including developers, local governments, scientists, stormwater engineers, technical experts, and conservation organizations. This group of stakeholders worked together on the project for many years before reaching a consensus on the appropriate technical requirements. The General Assembly approved the new consensus rules in 2011, but postponed their implementation for three more years. Since 2014, these new rules have been part of the state’s stormwater permitting programs and have been successfully followed by localities, industry, developers, and engineers across the state in new development projects. The following bills attempt to roll back different aspects of the stormwater program:
- The updated technical requirements (HB805, SB5067);
- Localities’ fee system to defray the cost of stormwater management (HB1004, SB367); and
- Localities’ administration responsibilities (HB1308, HB1566).