MO Counties w/ Coal Ash Sites

You already know that HCR 35 Coal Ash Monitoring and Cleanup Resolution was introduced by 6 strong MO legislators from aross the state and that LEO, Sierra Club and partners in MCEA lobbied earlier this year in Jefferson City to get it assigned to a Committee and moved along. Well, it was assigned to the House Committee on Tourism and Natural Resources last week. Now we need the Chairperson, Don Ruzicka (R-132) to assign a hearing date. Most bills/resolutions do not make it through the long vetting process to be voted on and this is one of the steps along the way that get it held up.

What we need YOUR help with is motivating the Committee and the Chairperson to get us a hearing date.

Please take a moment and review the list of members of the Committee to see if your legislator is on the Committee. If so, give him/her a call and urge them to make the case with Chairperson Ruzicka to set a date before we run out of time this session. End of the session is May 18th, roughly 16 working days left on this year’s calendar. If you were not aware, our legislators work M-Thurs only…unless a special session is called.

How to look up your legislator or review the list of MO House Members.

Contact info for Chairperson Don Ruzicka:  573-751-4077  or email Don.Ruzicka@house.mo.gov

Just FYI, Chairperson Ruzicka should be an ally because he has a degree in Wildlife Conservation and Management and served as a MO Conservation Agent for over 20 years. He knows what it means to “protect the natural resources of the state.”  He also lives in Mt. Vernon, not far from Springfield and Jasper Co. coal ash sites in the southwest/western portion of the state.

Thank you for your much needed action on moving this piece of legislation! Never underestimate the impact of citizens making calls and sending emails to respective legislators. They are there as our representatives in the political process that makes our democracy work or not work.