As expected, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Monday vetoed legislation that would have allowed the construction of two 700-megawatt coal-burning power plants in southwest Kansas.
She vetoed three similar bills last year. On Monday, in her newest veto message, Sebelius said of the legislation, “What was a bad idea last year, is an even worse idea today.”
President Barack Obama is moving toward regulating carbon dioxide emissions, and Kansas doesn’t need the plants for its own energy needs, she said.
And, she said, the Legislature’s attempt to marry renewable initiatives to the bill was a failure because many of the so-called “green” provisions ended up watered down.
“Once again, as the rest of the country moves toward a renewable energy future, the Legislature is intent on darkening Kansas’ energy future with new coal plants that will provide energy we don’t yet need,” she said.
The veto sets up a showdown with lawmakers when they return for the wrap-up session on April 29. A two-thirds majority is required to overturn a veto.
Comments
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defenestrator (anonymous) says…
Like Public Enemy says, "Shut'em down, shut'em, shut'em Down"!
Danimal (anonymous) says…
When is Kathy going to leave already? She can't get out of Kansas fast enough as far as I'm concerned. And the point isn't that we won't use the energy here, the point is that it will bring quite a few jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars into the state. I don't know if anyone else has been keeping up with the state tax revenues, but we need all the income we can get.
Yeoman2 (anonymous) says…
This is news???? She won't be here when the lights go out, she is going to Washington where the electricity is provided. This woman is way out of touch with reality and the future.
METALQ2 (anonymous) says…
PMS? 1 veto and 1 rejection in the same day. WOW
supercowbellninja (anonymous) says…
So we're supposed to be ok with a few constriction jobs created for a few years while these things get built, then enjoy all the pollution they generate while the majority of the power gets funneled out west.
yeah, can't see at all why the gov vetoed this. I hope Parkinson picks up where Sebelius leaves off. She will be missed.
There are much better ways to generate tax revenues than two coal-belching plants in the in the southwest region.
I'll leave it to the anonymous drive-by commenters to take me to task for not suggesting any tax generating alternatives and surely various other flaws in my logic. Bring it on, Interwebs.
supercowbellninja (anonymous) says…
So we're supposed to be ok with a few construction jobs created for a few years while these things get built, then enjoy all the pollution they generate while the majority of the power gets funneled out west.
yeah, can't see at all why the gov vetoed this. I hope Parkinson picks up where Sebelius leaves off. She will be missed.
There are much better ways to generate tax revenues than two coal-belching plants in the in the southwest region.
I'll leave it to the anonymous drive-by commenters to take me to task for not suggesting any tax generating alternatives and surely various other flaws in my logic. Bring it on, Interwebs.
Danimal (anonymous) says…
supercowbellninja, the stacks on these plants will be high enough that the majority of the pollution will probably end up in the Smoky Mountains somewhere in Tennessee. Additionally, it wouldn't be a terrible thing to have some extra juice to help spur economic growth in western Kansas. Kathy needs to hurry up and get out of Kansas so she can cement her legacy as one of the worst governors in state history by inheriting the largest budget surplus in state history and leaving with the greatest deficit in state history. Never mind the economic conditions of the wider world, I'm blaming it all on Kathy, specifically on her discouraging economic growth. Our state should take advantage of our relatively lax environmental regulations while we can.
BABBOY (anonymous) says…
" frwent (Anonymous) says…
This is news???? She won't be here when the lights go out, she is going to Washington where the electricity is provided. This woman is way out of touch with reality and the future."
___________________________________________
Wow, there are some stupid people on this site. The last comment about being out of touch with reality is particularly funny and misplaced.
Danimal (anonymous) says…
It was designed to be that way.
KansasVoter (anonymous) says…
Danimal (Anonymous) says…
"Our state should take advantage of our relatively lax environmental regulations while we can."
That's quite possibly the most ignorant thing that I've ever read.
Jaylee (anonymous) says…
Danimal,
1) "And the point isn't that we won't use the energy here, the point is that it will bring quite a few jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars into the state"
actually the first line kind of IS part of the point. and we might receive portions of income generated, but most kansas' money will be from the initial deal. if you'll notice, the energy company was from colorado, which is where most of the money would ultimately go.
2) "the stacks on these plants will be high enough that the majority of the pollution will probably end up in the Smoky Mountains"
unfortunately for you, some people have family, land, business there and would not appreciate more smog, particularly if it were due to lazy legislators from another state unable to come up with better ideas.
unfortunately for you, some people who dont hold up in those mountains still care regardless of whether it would be their lives affected or others.
and unfortunately for you there is a thing called acid rain, where gases and chemicals and "smog" accumulate in the clouds until they precipitate, which would still hit everyone here in kansas anyway.
tin (anonymous) says…
Great, there just going to build the plants in Colorado and Kansas will get all the pollution that drifts this way, plus we get no jobs or taxable revenue.
Come on Obama get this lame governor out of here.
compmd (anonymous) says…
Maybe we can build a nuclear plant and even base it on modern, cleaner reaction processes. I, for one, would welcome the United States into the 1990s.
jkilgore (anonymous) says…
People, people, if you haven't noticed, Danimal is fishing, and he's reeling you in. His idiotic "Tennessee" comment is just funny. Yeah, it's a serious issue, and it's a shame that more people don't thank Sebelius for her vision, but they're not smart enough. Besides, these construction jobs that everyone is so hot about will pay low wages, be giving to illegals, and that isn't the kind of growth we need. If you don't believe that, you're not paying attention to construction sites around the state.
jkilgore (anonymous) says…
And D'animal, if there is any chance that your comments are serious, and having lived in WKansas, I've never heard one single person ask for growth. If anything, they'd like to see the low population remain. If you want population, move to EKansas, or the coasts.
grammaddy (anonymous) says…
She promised she would, and she did. I'd like to see the legislature move on now thank you.
yankeelady (anonymous) says…
Way to go governor. She is right on this issue and has been all along. She will be missed.
purplesage (anonymous) says…
Didn't get her out of Dodge, er, Kansas, soon enough. I thought she was a respectable insurance commissioner but she has certainly succeeded to her level of incompetence as governor, just to get a chance to afflict the country from D.C..
Godot (anonymous) says…
Sebelius needs to do her dirty duty or get off the pot. She can't have it both ways. She cannot be both obstructor of Kansas commerce and Queen of Federal Facism at the same time.
bc (anonymous) says…
Wait, but what about the "clean coal" that Obama talks about in the commercials.
oneeye_wilbur (anonymous) says…
it seems that the government in Lawrence politics mirrors that of Sebelius
straightforward (anonymous) says…
Jaylee, if I'm not mistaken, Sunflower Electric is a Kansas-based utility company located in Hays, so we would actually benefit from the revenues, not Colorado. They would benefit from the electricity we would produce here. It's called an export, most states/countries support the idea of exporting their goods to other states. Our "pro-business" governor was apparently sick the day they taught macroeconomics.
Does anyone around Lawrence complain about the effect your local coal plant has on your own environment? I never noticed it while I was at KU. I don't believe these coal plants will effect our air quality as much as some would have us believe.
Jkilgore, I don't know when you lived in western kansas or how long you lived here but if you spend time here and actually speak with people, you'll see that we definitely want more jobs to come to our communities. In fact, most towns will bend over backward to make it happen.
hornhunter (anonymous) says…
jkilgore (Anonymous) says…
People, people, if you haven't noticed, jkilgore doesn't know what he/she is talking about .
Besides, these construction jobs that everyone is so hot about will pay low wages, be giving to illegals, and that isn't the kind of growth we need. If you don't believe that, you're not paying attention to construction sites around the state.
Steel worker, pipe fitters and welder all make well above $25.00 an hour and probably more if union
People need to learn more about the electrical industry before they go and run your mouth off, this includes the Gov.