Tue, May 13 2008
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Published May 08, 2008 12:03 am - TOPEKA, Kan. — Supporters of two coal-fired power plants in southwest Kansas failed again Wednesday to muster the support they’d need in the House to override a veto of a bill to make sure the plants get built. Kansas: House passes bill on coal plants but veto looms The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. — Supporters of two coal-fired power plants in southwest Kansas failed again Wednesday to muster the support they’d need in the House to override a veto of a bill to make sure the plants get built. Legislative leaders tied the plants to economic development projects in other parts of the state in hopes of attracting enough votes. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has vetoed two bills to clear the way for the plants and restrict the power of the regulator who’s been blocking them. The House approved the latest measure, 76-48. Because the Senate had approved it Tuesday night, 24-10, the bill went to the governor. But supporters were eight votes short in the House of the two-thirds majority they’d need to override a veto. The margin in the Senate was three votes short, but six senators, including five supporters of the coal plants, were absent when the vote was taken. Backers of the plants have tried throughout the legislative session to attract votes by linking their construction to other proposals, including “green” provisions. But the strategy hasn’t overcome concerns about the plants’ potential carbon dioxide emissions and global warming. “I told you earlier that the lipstick is on the pig,” said Rep. Annie Kuether, a Topeka Democrat who opposed the latest bill. “Now the tiara — the crown — is on the pig.” Bipartisan majorities in both chambers have supported the plants because many legislators view them as economic development. Supporters said it makes sense to link the plants to legislation encouraging other projects, such as a proposed transportation hub in Johnson County. They called the entire bundle the “Economic Stimulus Act of 2008.” “This is about jobs,” said Rep. Bill Otto, a LeRoy Republican who supported the bill. “I am concerned about keeping our children in Kansas and having good-paying jobs. This is all about economic development.” Sunflower Electric Power Corp. wants to build the two plants outside Holcomb, in Finney County, and sell 86 percent of the power to two out-of-state utility partners. In October, Rod Bremby, the governor’s secretary of health and environment, denied an air quality permit for Sunflower because the plants could produce up to 11 million tons of CO2 a year. Many scientists link such man-made greenhouse gases to climate change. “We are disappointed in yet another attempt to push unwanted coal plants,” said Sierra Club spokeswoman Stephanie Cole. “The House has already failed to override the governor’s veto, and it’s time to move on instead of wasting time and jeopardizing other projects.” Supporters have had as many as 33 of 40 votes in the Senate for proposals to overturn Bremby’s decision, when they’ve needed 27 for a two-thirds majority. But they’ve always been short in the House. “Now we just hope that we can find some way that the governor can see the wisdom of why all these things are good for Kansas,” said Sunflower spokesman Steve Miller. “I sure don’t know how you could think the Holcomb expansion is anything but economic development.” 
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