Submitted by WhitesCreek on June 4, 2009 - 7:36am.
Many thanks to the House Democrats who worked hard to stop this stupid and damaging bill. Special thanks goes to Rep. Mike Turner, House Democratic Caucus Chair, and Rep. Mike McDonald, both of whom worked hard to do the right thing in the face of big coal money opposition.
A special nod in the direction of Representative Bill Dunn of Knoxville, the only Republican in the House with either a brain or a conscience.
We see who's side Dennis is on. Some of us said he would vote the way he did. Seems as though neither our State Senator nor our State Representative cares for their home county any more. How many are going to remember that next election?
Submitted by WhitesCreek on June 4, 2009 - 9:58am.
Representatives Carr, Coley, Curtis Johnson, McManus, and the House Speaker Williams all withheld their vote in order to kill Ken Yager's Fish Kill Bill. It was referred to committee so it may come back if we don't keep hammering on everybody.
This bill is unnecessary and dangerous. The Attorney General has also ruled that it is illegal as well. Every reason Yager and McCord give gets immediately shot down, so why are they doing this?
Agreed-Further Action is needed to defeat the bad selenium bill in the Tennessee House of Representatives!
HB 1204 (the bad selenium bill) was defeated on the House Floor on Wednesday. It failed because it was one vote shy of receiving a constitutional majority of 50 votes. The bill has been re-referred to House Calendar & Rules Committee, and could be sent back to the House Floor from there. At this point, we’re not sure what the House Sponsor, Joe McCord, intends to do but it would be best if the bill does not pass out of the Calendar Committee.
Bill Dunn should be thanked for his votes against
HB 1204 in Calendar & Rules Committee and on the House Floor. He
should also be thanked for his leadership and efforts (on HB 899) to
restrict mountain top removal coal mining this year.
Rep. Beth Harwell should be thanked for her vote against HB 1204.
Their votes demonstrated positive actions to protect the waters and
people of Tennessee from dangerous levels of selenium. They should
also be strongly urged to vote against HB 1204 if it is heard again in
House Calendar.
Representatives Dunn and Harwell showed special strength as they were
the only Republicans to flat out vote no on Representative McCord’s
bill. Here is their contact info:
Rep. Bill Dunn from Knoxville – Chairman of House Calendar
District 16 / Phone (865) 687-4904
212 War Memorial Building / Nashville, TN 37243-0116
Phone (615) 741-1721 / Fax (615) 253-0276 rep.bill.dunn@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. Beth Harwell from Nashville (District 56 / 42 Wyn Oak) – also a
House Calendar member
Nashville, TN 37205 / Phone (615) 385-0357
107 War Memorial Building / Nashville, TN 37243-0156 / Phone (615)
741-0709
Fax (615) 741-4917 rep.beth.harwell@capitol.tn.gov
*******
The following 5 Republicans also deserve thanks and reinforcement.
They were “present and not voting” which had the same consequence as a
no vote on HB 1204. Those on the Calendar Committee should also be urged to vote against HB 1204 if it is heard again in that Committee which could be as early as Tuesday.
Urge Speaker Kent Williams from Elizabethton to keep the bill
in Calendar Committee and thank him for abstaining on the bill.
District 4 — Carter County
126 S. Main Street / Elizabethton, TN 37643
Phone (423) 768-3431
19 LP / Nashville, TN 37243-0104 / Phone (615) 741-7450 speaker.kent.williams@capitol.tn.gov
*****
Additional Reps. to contact in Memphis:
Joe Towns – on Calendar Committee – thank him for his comments and efforts during House Floor debate. Urge him to vote against sending HB 1204 back to the House Floor.
615-741-2189 Rep.joe.towns@capitol.tn.gov
John DeBerry – on Calendar Committee – thank him for his comments
during the debate on the House Floor. Urge him to vote against sending HB 1204 back to the House Floor.
615-741-2239 rep.john.deberry@capitol.tn.gov
Curry Todd – on Calendar Committee – urge him to vote against sending
HB 1204 to the House Floor.
615-741-1866 Rep.curry.todd@capitol.tn.gov.
Additional Reps to contact in Knoxville:
Harry Brooks – on Calendar Committee – urge him to vote against re-
sending HB 1204 to the House Floor.
615-741-6879 Rep.harry.brooks@capitol.tn.gov
Joe Armstrong – on Calendar Committee – strongly urge him to
reconsider his actions and to vote against sending HB 1204 back to the
House Floor.
615-741-0768 Rep.joe.armstrong@capitol.tn.gov
Finally, don’t forget that each Representative, not just those above,
should be thanked if they voted against the bill and urged to re-think
their vote the next time if did not vote against the bill.
A little bird tells me some folks might be considering some interesting street theater in front of Joe McCord's office if he attempts to get this bad bill back on the calendar. Something about a bed, covered with lots of money and a big sign suggesting that some legislators are in bed with the coal industry. News media would be tipped off in advance to get pictures and in case they didn't make it, they would be provided with pictures. Can't say for sure whether it will happen, just that it has been discussed. I think it may be dependent on McCord's next move.
Submitted by WhitesCreek on June 5, 2009 - 3:15pm.
Something about a bed, covered with lots of money and a big sign suggesting that some legislators are in bed with the coal industry.
Thanks for the contact round-up. That's great info. I guarantee that lobbyists are making the rounds and working legislators over to see if they can get that one more vote. It's up to us to make sure they don't.
Please thank our friends and work on the folks that still support the "Fish Kill Bill". This will be too easy a target at campaign time for legislators who vote for it.
I would be rolling on the floor laughing at the sobriquet you created for the bad selenium bill(Fish Kill Bill) if it wasn't so brutally accurate. It will indeed be a bad day for fish and Tennessee waterways if the bill passes and therefore, not funny at all.
Many thanks to the House Democrats who worked hard to stop this stupid and damaging bill. Special thanks goes to Rep. Mike Turner, House Democratic Caucus Chair, and Rep. Mike McDonald, both of whom worked hard to do the right thing in the face of big coal money opposition.
A special nod in the direction of Representative Bill Dunn of Knoxville, the only Republican in the House with either a brain or a conscience.
We see who's side Dennis is on. Some of us said he would vote the way he did. Seems as though neither our State Senator nor our State Representative cares for their home county any more. How many are going to remember that next election?
Representatives Carr, Coley, Curtis Johnson, McManus, and the House Speaker Williams all withheld their vote in order to kill Ken Yager's Fish Kill Bill. It was referred to committee so it may come back if we don't keep hammering on everybody.
This bill is unnecessary and dangerous. The Attorney General has also ruled that it is illegal as well. Every reason Yager and McCord give gets immediately shot down, so why are they doing this?
Link...
Agreed-Further Action is needed to defeat the bad selenium bill in the Tennessee House of Representatives!
HB 1204 (the bad selenium bill) was defeated on the House Floor on Wednesday. It failed because it was one vote shy of receiving a constitutional majority of 50 votes. The bill has been re-referred to House Calendar & Rules Committee, and could be sent back to the House Floor from there. At this point, we’re not sure what the House Sponsor, Joe McCord, intends to do but it would be best if the bill does not pass out of the Calendar Committee.
Bill Dunn should be thanked for his votes against
HB 1204 in Calendar & Rules Committee and on the House Floor. He
should also be thanked for his leadership and efforts (on HB 899) to
restrict mountain top removal coal mining this year.
Rep. Beth Harwell should be thanked for her vote against HB 1204.
Their votes demonstrated positive actions to protect the waters and
people of Tennessee from dangerous levels of selenium. They should
also be strongly urged to vote against HB 1204 if it is heard again in
House Calendar.
Representatives Dunn and Harwell showed special strength as they were
the only Republicans to flat out vote no on Representative McCord’s
bill. Here is their contact info:
Rep. Bill Dunn from Knoxville – Chairman of House Calendar
District 16 / Phone (865) 687-4904
212 War Memorial Building / Nashville, TN 37243-0116
Phone (615) 741-1721 / Fax (615) 253-0276
rep.bill.dunn@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. Beth Harwell from Nashville (District 56 / 42 Wyn Oak) – also a
House Calendar member
Nashville, TN 37205 / Phone (615) 385-0357
107 War Memorial Building / Nashville, TN 37243-0156 / Phone (615)
741-0709
Fax (615) 741-4917
rep.beth.harwell@capitol.tn.gov
*******
The following 5 Republicans also deserve thanks and reinforcement.
They were “present and not voting” which had the same consequence as a
no vote on HB 1204. Those on the Calendar Committee should also be urged to vote against HB 1204 if it is heard again in that Committee which could be as early as Tuesday.
Rep. Steve McManus from Memphis – Calendar Committee
615-741-1920
rep.steve.mcmanus@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. Joe Carr from Lascassas (Murfreesboro area)
615-741-2180
rep.joe.carr@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. Jim Coley from Bartlett/Memphis
615-741-8201
rep.jim.coley@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. Curtis Johnson from Clarksville
615-741-4341
rep.curtis.johnson@capitol.tn.gov
Urge Speaker Kent Williams from Elizabethton to keep the bill
in Calendar Committee and thank him for abstaining on the bill.
District 4 — Carter County
126 S. Main Street / Elizabethton, TN 37643
Phone (423) 768-3431
19 LP / Nashville, TN 37243-0104 / Phone (615) 741-7450
speaker.kent.williams@capitol.tn.gov
*****
Additional Reps. to contact in Memphis:
Joe Towns – on Calendar Committee – thank him for his comments and efforts during House Floor debate. Urge him to vote against sending HB 1204 back to the House Floor.
615-741-2189
Rep.joe.towns@capitol.tn.gov
John DeBerry – on Calendar Committee – thank him for his comments
during the debate on the House Floor. Urge him to vote against sending HB 1204 back to the House Floor.
615-741-2239
rep.john.deberry@capitol.tn.gov
Curry Todd – on Calendar Committee – urge him to vote against sending
HB 1204 to the House Floor.
615-741-1866
Rep.curry.todd@capitol.tn.gov.
Additional Reps to contact in Knoxville:
Harry Brooks – on Calendar Committee – urge him to vote against re-
sending HB 1204 to the House Floor.
615-741-6879
Rep.harry.brooks@capitol.tn.gov
Joe Armstrong – on Calendar Committee – strongly urge him to
reconsider his actions and to vote against sending HB 1204 back to the
House Floor.
615-741-0768
Rep.joe.armstrong@capitol.tn.gov
Finally, don’t forget that each Representative, not just those above,
should be thanked if they voted against the bill and urged to re-think
their vote the next time if did not vote against the bill.
A little bird tells me some folks might be considering some interesting street theater in front of Joe McCord's office if he attempts to get this bad bill back on the calendar. Something about a bed, covered with lots of money and a big sign suggesting that some legislators are in bed with the coal industry. News media would be tipped off in advance to get pictures and in case they didn't make it, they would be provided with pictures. Can't say for sure whether it will happen, just that it has been discussed. I think it may be dependent on McCord's next move.
Thanks for the contact round-up. That's great info. I guarantee that lobbyists are making the rounds and working legislators over to see if they can get that one more vote. It's up to us to make sure they don't.
Please thank our friends and work on the folks that still support the "Fish Kill Bill". This will be too easy a target at campaign time for legislators who vote for it.
WC
I would be rolling on the floor laughing at the sobriquet you created for the bad selenium bill(Fish Kill Bill) if it wasn't so brutally accurate. It will indeed be a bad day for fish and Tennessee waterways if the bill passes and therefore, not funny at all.