Coal-Gate - Day 1: House Vote on Holcomb Still Held Up
Posted by Concerned Kansans at 4/30/2008 6:20 PM and is filed under uncategorized 
Earlier this morning, as reported by various news agencies, the Senate handily overturned the Governor's politically-motivated veto of the Holcomb Coal-Fire Power Plant legislation. All that was left was to see if Speaker Neufeld could muster the votes in the House to do the same. We can now report that the House of Representatives has just adjourned for the evening - without conducting a Holcomb vote.
Today has been an absolute roller-coaster, as behind the scenes, Neufeld has lobbied hard for the legislation. At roughly mid-day, the Republican Caucus confidently emerged, sure that we'd locked up the votes to pass this necessary and responsible legislation. Sadly, several of the votes have slipped away.
To understand why, we must first turn to the Senate's failure to overturn the Governor's recent late-term abortion veto. Republicans initially had the votes to beat the Gov..once again. Unfortunately, two of our yes votes failed to come through. Senator Jean Schodorff changed and voted no and Senator Jay Emler was absent.
Because of this, two conservative legislators - our sources are telling us with solid confidence it's Ben Hodge and Judy Morrison - decided at the last minute to obstruct a vote until the Senate finds the additional two votes to overturn the abortion veto.
So, it looks as though the pivotal House vote on Holcomb will not occur until tomorrow. Our hope is that the mess over the abortion veto will be solved - Semler's return would make us one vote short, and if Senate leadership can't flip one of the fourteen no-votes we're in real trouble anyways.
In any case, we're still a day away, but it's looking very likely that Speaker Neufeld has reigned in the necessary votes. We're cautiously optimistic - and if House obstructionism blocks perhaps the biggest G.O.P. victory in the last decade, there will be hell to pay.
We'll keep you updated as news comes in, but this is where things are left standing now after an incredibly eventful day in Topeka.
Today has been an absolute roller-coaster, as behind the scenes, Neufeld has lobbied hard for the legislation. At roughly mid-day, the Republican Caucus confidently emerged, sure that we'd locked up the votes to pass this necessary and responsible legislation. Sadly, several of the votes have slipped away.
To understand why, we must first turn to the Senate's failure to overturn the Governor's recent late-term abortion veto. Republicans initially had the votes to beat the Gov..once again. Unfortunately, two of our yes votes failed to come through. Senator Jean Schodorff changed and voted no and Senator Jay Emler was absent.
Because of this, two conservative legislators - our sources are telling us with solid confidence it's Ben Hodge and Judy Morrison - decided at the last minute to obstruct a vote until the Senate finds the additional two votes to overturn the abortion veto.
So, it looks as though the pivotal House vote on Holcomb will not occur until tomorrow. Our hope is that the mess over the abortion veto will be solved - Semler's return would make us one vote short, and if Senate leadership can't flip one of the fourteen no-votes we're in real trouble anyways.
In any case, we're still a day away, but it's looking very likely that Speaker Neufeld has reigned in the necessary votes. We're cautiously optimistic - and if House obstructionism blocks perhaps the biggest G.O.P. victory in the last decade, there will be hell to pay.
We'll keep you updated as news comes in, but this is where things are left standing now after an incredibly eventful day in Topeka.
Conservatives have 2 Reps who are not running for reelection holding out on a controversial energy bill until the Senate comes to its senses on a reasonable abortion bill. Nice to see they know how to play hardball.
So, just what hell will two outgoing House members have to pay if they don't cave? Please, Christian, tell us and end the suspense. Or is this hell reserved for a couple of Senators who should be yes votes on the abortion bill?
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Oh, yes! Let's get all Republicans to stand up and support scientific illiteracy in Kansas. There is no global warming. Carbon dioxide is good for you, as is methane gas. Second hand smoke is just yummy. Joggers emit as much CO2 as do cars traveling the same distance. The world is only 6,000 years old. Abstinence education works!
Reelect Melvin Neufeld, Larry Powell and Connie Morris.
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Frank....you're a wack.
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http://www.saljournal.com/rdnews/story/climate120207
Rep. Melvin Neufeld doesn't feel especially threatened by carbon dioxide emissions either.
"They tell us that if you jog two miles you emit more carbon dioxide than if you drive two miles," said Neufeld, R-Inglass, speaker of the Kansas House.
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The only thing this post does is confirm with certainty that Ben Hodge is either one of the bloggers or a prime source.
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give it up - we all know who runs this blog and we also know that Ben Hodge has no friends. that joke got old literally months ago.
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I'm with you on abortion...and quite pleased that this irresponsible farce of an attempt to ram through the irresponsible Holcomb project failed to convince a supermajority among our Representatives this evening. I don't expect to vote for anyone in the future who participated in this attempt.
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Yay Hoo,
No coal plant.
The first thing to do when you are in a hole is stop digging. Not lump all of the other undone business into some silly attempt at getting another House rider passed AND then also threaten to sue the Governor. Do you folks know what her approval numbers are ?
They are higher among Republicans than some of your own election rates.
Haven't you heard the cheapest kilowatt is the one you don't have to buy ?
So where are those conservation bills ?
What leadership - what a joke.
Bundle the Gardner intermodal, highway funding, immigration and yes .... COAL into one bill SB2412. Which if vetoed will surely make the ENTIRE state of KANSAS take note of the silly games being played by Republicans at the Capital.
You think you are going to gain seats this year ? I think not in areas that have citizens that can read what has been going on.
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