Action Alert: Legislature attacks access and citizen voices in government
Submitted by Sarah Cobler on February 7, 2011 - 6:52pm
Conservationists,
Some brief, but good news today in the Montana State Legislature: HB 369, an unworkable proposal that would have damaged our fish and wildlife resources, was tabled in the House Fish and Wildlife committee.
I mentioned it was brief.
We need all the good news we can get at this point.
Legislative attacks on our clean air, water and land are flying fast and furious. Please review the Conservation Hotlist or a summary of the bills up for hearing or floor action this week.
Consider calling and emailing your legislators. They need to hear from you, and know you value clean air, water and our abundant wildlife.
There is something else you can do. For the love of Montana - get involved! Several conservation and environmental groups are organizing a rally on February 21st, 2011, a rally to protect Montana. Please contact me at 406-542-1055 or sarah@mtvoters.org if you are interested in attending and joining 1,000 Montanans to raise your voice.
Meanwhile, please help is defeat an attack on stream access and another bill that wants to silence your voice in environmental decisions. The most important thing you can do is Contact Your Legislators!
Thanks,
Sarah Cobler, Program Director
Montana Conservation Voters
Contact Your Legislators!
Your voice matters! Concerned citizens make a huge impact in the legislative process.
- To call your legislators, please dial (406) 444-4800. You will leave a message with legislative staff, who deliver your short, polite and concise message to the legislator(s) you’ve identified.
- Email legislators by using this online form.
Stream Access at Risk: No on HB 309
This week, the House of Representatives will consider a bill that would substantially erode stream access. HB 309, Rep. Jeffrey Welbourn (R-Dillon) seeks to clarify and limit access to recreate in irrigation ditches. Of course, any angler knows folks aren’t fishing irrigation ditches. This bill actually dramatically redefines “irrigation ditch,” and reclassifies hundreds of miles of natural stream channels as private irrigation ditches. If this bill passes, it will be illegal to fish, float, or play in hundreds of streams, side channels, and rivers. The bill passed 13-8 in House Agriculture, and could be considered before the full House as early as Tuesday, February 8th.
Please contact your Representative TODAY and urge them to protect your family’s right to fish and recreate on streams and rivers. Vote NO on SB 309.
Legislature Wants to Silence You: No on SB 233, MEPA
Last week, we alerted you that the Senate Natural Resources committee was considering legislation that assaults one of Montana’s bedrock environmental laws, the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA).
SB 233, Sen. Jim Keane (D-Butte) will mean more pollution and less access to government, jeopardizing public health and safety and the well being of future generations. Specifically, the bill would 1) it take away the ability of state agencies to use MEPA in decision-making, and 2) it takes away almost all consequences for failure to comply with MEPA, ensuring that state agencies will no longer be required to identify, understand, or mitigate environmental impacts of projects before a “permit, license, lease, or other authorization” is issued. Examining the environmental impacts of a project AFTER a permit is issued, makes MEPA a meaningless exercise in paperwork.
The bill passed out of committee Monday, February 07, 2011 on a 10-4 vote. Please contact your Senator TODAY and urge them to vote NO on SB 233 and protect citizen access to government.
Montana Conservation Voters tracks the legislative votes and actions that affect our clean air, water, healthy communities and hunting and fishing heritage. We provide a weekly “hotlist” of proposed legislation, and give you the low-down on how to connect with lawmakers.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| HowTheyVoted20110207.pdf | 43.2 KB |
| Hotlist20110207.pdf | 29.92 KB |
