July 3 - from our man Tom in Salem:
Today during a rather long and exciting floor vote (always fun to watch from the Senate gallery), SB 838 [latest version - assesses a study period with limitations for permits; failure results in moratorium] passed by a 17-13 vote! All Democratic senators (except for Senator Betsy Johnson) and (2) Republican senators - Starr and Girod, voted FOR SB 838.
Today during a rather long and exciting floor vote (always fun to watch from the Senate gallery), SB 838 [latest version - assesses a study period with limitations for permits; failure results in moratorium] passed by a 17-13 vote! All Democratic senators (except for Senator Betsy Johnson) and (2) Republican senators - Starr and Girod, voted FOR SB 838.
Special kudos should go to Senator Girod who weathered opposition from
the Republican caucus and significant dissent from the mining interest. Senator Bates also deserves great praise for being a major sponsor of
the bill, being a major driver of the language and speaking to the bill
on the Senate floor. They have all done great work for our state on this one.
If you believe in the bill and are represented by a Democratic senator (except for Johnson) or Republicans Starr and Girod, please send them an email thanking them for their vote and support. Feel free to also, if you have time, send notes to Senator Bates and Senator Dingfelder, the major proponents of this bill. This was a very heated issue. All those who voted for SB 838 deserve praise, especially Bates and Dingfelder.
So now on to a vote on the House floor probably this weekend.
If you believe in the bill and are represented by a Democratic senator (except for Johnson) or Republicans Starr and Girod, please send them an email thanking them for their vote and support. Feel free to also, if you have time, send notes to Senator Bates and Senator Dingfelder, the major proponents of this bill. This was a very heated issue. All those who voted for SB 838 deserve praise, especially Bates and Dingfelder.
So now on to a vote on the House floor probably this weekend.
Tom
Reminder: as I have always said,
senators and representatives should always be treated with respect - even
if you don't agree with them; how one presents an opinion is often as important as what is being presented. This made a difference on this one....
