Water for the People
How to Contact Your Legislators here
Legislative Message Line to comment on bills:
1-800-372-7181, M-F from 7AM-6PM or email here!
The end of this week marks the 24th day of the 30-day session of the General Assembly “short session.” Lawmakers now have four more working days (including two for Concurrence) before the Governor’s Veto Period, which begins on Saturday, March 15th. After the veto period, lawmakers then come back on March 27 and 28 for their final days of action, including any overrides of the Governor’s vetoes.
Bills on the Move:
Senate Bill 89 (KCC Strong Oppose) did not get a hearing in the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee due to YOUR actions and the desire to work on bill amendments. But despite this, House leadership has moved ahead, giving the bill two of its three required readings in the House since the time to pass bills is now ticking down. This means that once the House Natural Resources committee calls a special meeting to dispatch with this legislation, it could potentially be heard for a final vote in the House shortly after. So please continue to reach out to your friends and allies and ask them to make calls to the “full House” and “protect our waterways- Oppose Senate Bill 89.”
House Bill 137: (KCC Strong Oppose). This bill that prevents the use of citizen-based data and evidence for monitoring air quality passed the House on a vote of 73-16, and has passed Senate Natural Resources. It has now had two readings in the Senate this week, which means it could pass at any time. Contact the Senate to oppose. The bill is posted for passage for March 11 so act NOW!
Nuclear Energy Grant Program Moves: Senate Bill 179 has passed through the Senate and is now in the House Appropriations & Revenue committee and it has already received one reading in the House. Read more about Senate Bill 179 in this Kentucky Lantern article.
House Bill 16 making fluoride optional (KCC Oppose): The Kentucky House of Representatives approved a bill Wednesday that would allow local water districts to remove fluoride from the water supply. The bill is currently assigned to the Senate Health Services committee. Contact that committee to “oppose.”
Stopping Invasive Plants: House Bill 640 (KCC Strong Support) Authorizes the Energy and Environment Cabinet to promulgate administrative regulations to prevent the spread of invasive, non-native plant species. The bill was reported favorably in House Natural Resources and has now had two of three readings in the House. Contact the House to support.
You can Find More “Bills on the Move” on our House and Senate bill lists.
(L-R: Kids in support of clean water; KWA’s Michael Washburn and Author Silas House; Madison Mooney and KCC Director Lane Boldman; Sierra Club’s Sarah Reeves and Gerry James—who is also KCC’s current President—all turning out to stop Senate Bill 89.)
Grassroots and Media Power in Action
We hope that you have seen some of the media and grassroots actions to stop Senate Bill 89 last week, and we would like to thank our members and supporters who showed up to a coalition rally in opposition to the bill this past Tuesday.
The rally was a concerted effort of the Kentucky Waterways Alliance, Kentucky Sierra Club, Kentucky Conservation Committee, and Kentucky Resources Council. And we would also like to acknowledge Kentucky Poet Laureate Silas House, and LiKen’s Madison Mooney.
For the past several years, KCC has been working as a support ally with Martin County Concerned Citizens, where we first met Madison Mooney who gave inspiring testimony on what the health of our waterways mean in Eastern Kentucky.
Below are just a few of Madison’s comments in opposition of Senate Bill 89:
“…today, I am speaking on my own as a concerned resident, who is deeply worried about the future impacts of Senate Bill 89…Water systems in Eastern KY are struggling with aging and out-of-date infrastructure as it is. Funding our water systems is literally a highly competitive race across the state and parts of Eastern Kentucky almost always get left behind. More water pollution means higher costs for ALL; the state, cities, water operators and consumers will have to pay more to ensure clean drinking water. Higher costs of treating water would double the struggle for funding our already failing water systems…
…Now I bet you’re thinking “what about the families who don’t use city water”? Well, people who use well water, and springs as their water sources they’re gonna be EVEN MORE affected. Water flows through every crevice and holler, and all pollution ends up in groundwater, and those people with wells do not have the added protection of regular testing that will prevent them from drinking water that could be contaminated without their knowledge.
The recent flooding in February that completely destroyed homes and affected more than 160 houses in Martin County shows that flood mitigation and erosion control are desperately needed in the state. The Bill will impact any current and future work of proactively planning and protecting our communities against flooding events. And that’s because softer discharge regulations, or more water contamination means that any future funding will have to be used for the mitigation of the water pollution impacts; not for the proactive work of creating safeguards around future flooding events –NOT IF, but WHEN the next flooding occurs…”