Kulik: Wind siting bill dies in House
Daily Hampshire Gazette|Ben Storrow|August 5, 2010
Yet the measure died in the House after opponents of the bill delayed a formal vote on the final compromise legislation crafted by negotiators from both chambers until the final minute of the legislative session at 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning. That prevented the legislation from reaching the Senate for final approval.
Yet the measure died in the House after opponents of the bill delayed a formal vote on the final compromise legislation crafted by negotiators from both chambers until the final minute of the legislative session at 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning. That prevented the legislation from reaching the Senate for final approval.
AMHERST - A bill designed to expedite the siting of wind turbines was effectively killed in the waning hours of the formal legislative session Saturday, as western Massachusetts legislators led a charge to prevent it from reaching Gov. Deval Patrick's desk.
The bill had seemed poised for passage after the House and Senate had approved their respective versions of the legislation.
Yet the measure died in the House after opponents of the bill delayed a formal vote on the final compromise legislation crafted by negotiators from both chambers until the final minute of the legislative session at 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning. That prevented the legislation from reaching the Senate for final approval and from ultimately reaching the governor's …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]AMHERST - A bill designed to expedite the siting of wind turbines was effectively killed in the waning hours of the formal legislative session Saturday, as western Massachusetts legislators led a charge to prevent it from reaching Gov. Deval Patrick's desk.
The bill had seemed poised for passage after the House and Senate had approved their respective versions of the legislation.
Yet the measure died in the House after opponents of the bill delayed a formal vote on the final compromise legislation crafted by negotiators from both chambers until the final minute of the legislative session at 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning. That prevented the legislation from reaching the Senate for final approval and from ultimately reaching the governor's desk. "I think it is effectively dead," said state Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, an opponent of the bill. "In theory, a bill like this could come up in an informal vote in the Senate, but one person objecting would stop it."
Much of the opposition centered around a provision that allows wind developers to appeal their projects in court if a town initially rejects their proposals, Kulik said. State law currently affords wind developers that recourse, but Kulik said that remedy should be stripped away. A town's rejection of the project should be the final verdict rendered on a proposal, he said.
State Sen. Michael Knapik, R-Westfield, has signaled that he opposes the legislation, Kulik said.
The Worthington lawmaker said every representative from Berkshire, Franklin and Hampshire counties opposed the legislation, largely out of concern that it would allow wind developers to override the objections of communities where wind developments are proposed.
The bill had been supported by state Sens. Benjamin Downing, D-Pittsfield, and Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst.
"The representatives from Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin counties are people that care about renewable energy, green jobs and reducing our dependence on foreign oil," Kulik said.
"We just want this to be done right." and in a way that does not adversely affect our districts and western Massachusetts as a whole."
It is likely that some version of the wind bill will be introduced in the next formal legislative session, which begins in January, Kulik said.