STATEREPRESENTATIVEJIMWAYNE’SCOMMENTSABOUTHB1:THEKENTUCKYENERGYBILL

(RepWaynedeliveredthesecommentsintheHouseofRepresentativeslastweekbeforethepassageofHouseBill1.)
ByRep.JimWayne

Mr.SpeakerandfellowHousemembers,IfiledtwoamendmentstoHB1.

Amendment3willmakeincentivesforrenewableenergyaccessibletothousandsofKentuckians.Thecurrentprovisionsinthebillrequiremajorinvestmentstoreceiveincentivesfromthestatetodevelopsolar,windandbiomassenergy.Byloweringtheamountofalternativepowergeneratedandloweringthedollaramountoftheinvestment,wecanencouragemanymoreKentuckianstoturntorenewablefuels.

Thesecondamendment,number4,tightensthelanguageforcompaniesexperimentingwithcoaltogasoperations.Thebillrequiressuchoperationstobe"carboncaptureready."Thismeansabsolutelynothingsinceeventheworstpollutingcoalfiredplantsarecarboncaptureready.Thisamendmentrequiresthatthecarbonbecompressed,makingitnotonlyvaluable,butreadytobehiddenintheearthforeternity.

Thesetwoamendmentscanmakeadeeplyflawedbillslightlybetter.

Despitetheresearch,incentivesforalternativefuelsandconservationfeaturesofthisbill,thebill'schieffeatureistoprovideunprecedentedandexcessivetaxbreaks,subsidiesandrefundsforcoalcompanies.Ifweadoptthisbillwewillbeofferingthesecompanies--inadvance--cashpaymentsworthuptoaquarteroftheirconstructioncosts.Wewillthenchargethosesubsidiesagainsttheirothersubsidies,includingmostofwhattheywouldhavepaidinsalestaxandcorporateincometax.Thecompanieswillbeabletowithhold--andkeep--theiremployees'stateincometax.AndtheywillbeallowedtocollectfromKentuckyupto80percentofthecoalseverancetaxpaidontheamountofcoalusedinthecoaltogasconversionprocess.

Howmuchofasubsidywillthistotal?ForpovertystrickenPeabodyEnergy,thewealthiestcoalcompanyintheworld,whoseenvironmentalandlaborrecordsembarrassLuciferhimself,thetotalstatewelfarecheckisestimatedtobeasmuchas$300million.

Whatdowegetinreturn?Anestimated375permanentjobsatacosttousofupto$800,000perjob.

Tomakemattersworse,thisbillopensthedoorformoredealswithmorecompaniesatthesamecosttoKentucky.

HowcanweaskaKentuckyworkertopaytheirstatesalesandincomestaxesifwearegoingtoturnaroundandgivePeabodybackalloftheirowntaxesandthetaxesoftheirsuppliersandthetaxesoftheiremployees?HowamIsupposedtoexplaintoasmallbusinessownerinCampTaylororGermantownorOkolona,whoprovidesjobs,payshertaxesandpaysheremployees'taxes,thatitwasagooduseofourlimitedstatedollarstogiveallthesetaxbreaks,subsidiesandrefundstoPeabodybutstillexpecthertopayhertaxes?

Butwait.Itgetsworse.WeareabouttoshovelallthiscashtoPeabodysotheycanfurtherruinourprecious,fragileplanet.ThebilldoesnothingtoforcePeabodytolimitcarbondioxidepollution.Theplantsproposedwillemittwotothreetimesthecarbonpollutionthantheconventionalfuelstheywouldreplace.Thisisnotonlyenvironmentallysick;itmakesKentuckyeconomicallyvulnerablewhenthenewcarbontaxesandlimitsareimposedbyWashingtonwithinthenexttwoyears.

Anditgetsstillworse.ThisbillfurtherjeopardizesourCommonwealth'sland,waterandfragileecosystemsbecauseitspursmoremountaintopremoval.MountaintopremovalhasalreadydestroyedfragileecosystemsofAppalachiathesizeofthestateofRhodeIsland.IhopeeachofyouwilltaketimetoseewhatishappeningtothesacredspacesofourEasterncounties.Ihavetakenthetimetowitnesstheutterdestructionofthemountains,forestsandwaterwaysfromunregulatedmountaintopremoval.Theconsequencesofminingforcoalfaster,whichiswhatwillhappenwiththepassageofthisbill,isthefurtherdestructionofourmountainsandthelivesofthoselivingontheirslopesandintheirhollers.

Theearthislikeamagnificentcathedral.ItiswherewefirstknowGodandallthattranscendsus.Weliveinthishallowedspaceforverybriefperiods.Ourtimehereisnotatimeofownershipoftheearth,itisatimeofstewardshipofit.Weholdit,careforit,cherishit,useittocommunewithGodandarenourishedandcomfortedbyit.Thenwegentlyhandittoourchildrenandourgrandchildrenwiththeadmonitiontheytreatitasourparentsdidandaswedo.

Comments

[Nina Bonnie]

I remain horrified by the shortsightness of our government, both federal and local. It is tragic what we do to the environment in the name of economic progress. Representiive Wayne is right on.

[Jennifer Lantz]

Thank you Rep. Wayne. That desperately needed to be said. I pray the other reps and senators will also visit eastern Kentucky and the destruction to our nation - not just Kentucky - from coal mining.

There are alternatives - ready to be used on the market - we just have to decide to use them. Choose life - young and old...

Thank you Mr. Wayne, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[Gregg Wagner]

Jim Wayne has always been one of the few elected officials who care about the future of the state not just the next November. I am honored to know someone who has so much guts.

[Kate Cunningham]

Thank you, Rep. Wayne, for your passionate and eloquent speech. I regret that the majority of the legislature chooses to ignore voices who speak genuinely for the Common Wealth.