Re: Dangerous Texas Radioactive Waste Legislation - please watch for amendments regarding surcharge reduction, from Rep. Landgraf's HB 2692

SEED Coalition Action Alert -- Re: Dangerous Radioactive Waste Legislation -- please watch for amendments regarding surcharge reduction, from Rep. Landgraf's HB 2692!

Dear Beyond Nuclear Members/Supporters in Texas,  Congratulations, and thanks to all who have taken action in response to past action alerts in the past week or two. The dangerously bad Landgraf radioactive waste bill, HB 2692, has been blocked, for now, by a successful Point of Order. It was sent back to committee, where it did not manage to re-emerge from. See the following news article for more information: The Texas Tribune - Alliance of Texas environmental, oil interests block bill that would have given nuclear waste company a financial break - By Erin Douglas Additional news articles are posted at the No Nuclear Waste Aqui website link at the bottom below. However, despite the current good news, Lon Burnam has warned : "The bill is not dead yet. There are various bills that Landgraff might try to put his bill on. They call it 'catching a ride'." In fact, in the past, bad radioactive waste legislation was -- shamefully -- quietly added as a rider onto a good bill addressing domestic violence, which unfortunately led to the good bill going down in flames, when the Texas governor had to veto it, in order to block the non-germane radioactive waste legislation rider that had been added in the legislature. Please see the important action alert update from Karen Hadden of the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development Coalition in Austin, and former Texas state representative Lon Burnam on behalf of Public Citizen's Texas Office, above and below. Also see the successful Point of Order, posted online here. Please warn Texas State House of Representatives Members (their contact info. is included, below), per Karen and Lon's warning below. Please spread the word to other Texans! Thank you! ---Kevin Kamps, Radioactive Waste Specialist, Beyond Nuclear Karen and Lon's suggested language for warning Texas State House of Representatives Members about the bad radioactive waste language being added as a rider onto other unrelated bills in the days ahead: Dear House Members, Please start watching for amendments such as the one last session that snuck the radioactive waste surcharge reductions for Waste Control Specialists (WCS) through on a non-germane bill and led to the veto by Governor Abbott. The language did not clearly relay that the amendment was about radioactive waste. Watch for language involving Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 401. Texas should keep the currently required surcharge fee which could exceed a billion dollars, and which comes from out-of-state. Thanks so much! Karen Hadden, SEED Coalition Former State Representative Lon Burnam, Public Citizen See the Texas State House of Representatives' "Find Your Representative" website, linked here. Email addresses for Texas State House of Representatives Members: dade.phelan@house.texas.gov,  abel.herrero@house.texas.gov, alex.dominguez@house.texas.gov,  alma.allen@house.texas.gov, ana-maria.ramos@house.texas.gov, ana.hernandez@house.texas.gov, andrew.murr@house.texas.gov, angie.button@house.texas.gov, ann.johnson@house.texas.gov, armando.walle@house.texas.gov, art.fierro@house.texas.gov, barbara.gervin-hawkins@house.texas.gov, ben.leman@house.texas.gov, brad.buckley@house.texas.gov, briscoe.cain@house.texas.gov, bryan.slaton@house.texas.gov, candy.noble@house.texas.gov, carl.sherman@house.texas.gov, cecil.bell@house.texas.gov, celia.israel@house.texas.gov, charles.anderson@house.texas.gov, charlie.geren@house.texas.gov, chris.paddie@house.texas.gov, chris.turner@house.texas.gov, christina.morales@house.texas.gov, claudia.ordazperez@house.texas.gov, cody.harris@house.texas.gov, cody.vasut@house.texas.gov, cole.hefner@house.texas.gov, craig.goldman@house.texas.gov, dan.huberty@house.texas.gov, david.cook@house.texas.gov, dennis.paul@house.texas.gov, dewayne.burns@house.texas.gov, diego.bernal@house.texas.gov, donna.howard@house.texas.gov, drew.darby@house.texas.gov, drew.springer@house.texas.gov, dustin.burrows@house.texas.gov, ed.thompson@house.texas.gov, eddie.lucio_iii@house.texas.gov, eddie.morales@house.texas.gov, eddie.rodriguez@house.texas.gov, erin.zwiener@house.texas.gov, ernest.bailes@house.texas.gov, four.price@house.texas.gov, garnet.coleman@house.texas.gov, gary.gates@house.texas.gov, gary.vandeaver@house.texas.gov, geanie.morrison@house.texas.gov, gene.wu@house.texas.gov, gina.hinojosa@house.texas.gov, giovanni.capriglione@house.texas.gov, glenn.rogers@house.texas.gov, greg.bonnen@house.texas.gov, harold.dutton@house.texas.gov, hubert.vo@house.texas.gov, hugh.shine@house.texas.gov, ina.minjarez@house.texas.gov, jacey.jetton@house.texas.gov, jake.ellzey@house.texas.gov, james.frank@house.texas.gov, james.talarico@house.texas.gov, james.white@house.texas.gov, jared.patterson@house.texas.gov, jarvis.johnson@house.texas.gov, jasmine.crockett@house.texas.gov, jay.dean@house.texas.gov, jeff.cason@house.texas.gov, jeff.leach@house.texas.gov, jessica.gonzalez@house.texas.gov, jim.murphy@house.texas.gov, jm.lozano@house.texas.gov, joe.deshotel@house.texas.gov, joe.moody@house.texas.gov, john.bucy@house.texas.gov, john.cyrier@house.texas.gov, john.frullo@house.texas.gov, john.kuempel@house.texas.gov, john.raney@house.texas.gov, john.smithee@house.texas.gov, john.turner@house.texas.gov, jon.rosenthal@house.texas.gov, julie.johnson@house.texas.gov, justin.holland@house.texas.gov, keith.bell@house.texas.gov, ken.king@house.texas.gov, kyle.biedermann@house.texas.gov, kyle.kacal@house.texas.gov, lacey.hull@house.texas.gov, larry.taylor@senate.texas.gov, leo.pacheco@house.texas.gov, lina.ortega@house.texas.gov, liz.campos@house.texas.gov, lyle.larson@house.texas.gov, lynn.stucky@house.texas.gov, mando.martinez@house.texas.gov, "Rep. Mary E. Gonzalez" <mary.gonzalez@house.texas.gov>, maryannperez@house.texas.gov, matt.krause@house.texas.gov, matt.schaefer@house.texas.gov, matt.shaheen@house.texas.gov, mayes.middleton@house.texas.gov, michelle.beckley@house.texas.gov, mike.schofield@house.texas.gov, morgan.meyer@house.texas.gov, nicole.collier@house.texas.gov, oscar.longoria@house.texas.gov, penny.moralesshaw@house.texas.gov, phil.king@house.texas.gov, phil.stephenson@house.texas.gov, philip.cortez@house.texas.gov, rafael.anchia@house.texas.gov, ramon.romero@house.texas.gov, ray.lopez@house.texas.gov, reggie.smith@house.texas.gov, rhetta.bowers@house.texas.gov, richard.raymond@house.texas.gov, robert.guerra@house.texas.gov, ron.reynolds@house.texas.gov, ryan.guillen@house.texas.gov, sam.harless@house.texas.gov, scott.sanford@house.texas.gov, senfronia.thompson@house.texas.gov, sergio.munoz@house.texas.gov, shawn.thierry@house.texas.gov, shelby.slawson@house.texas.gov, sheryl.cole@house.texas.gov, stan.lambert@house.texas.gov, stephanie.klick@house.texas.gov, steve.allison@house.texas.gov, steve.toth@house.texas.gov, tan.parker@house.texas.gov, terry.canales@house.texas.gov, terry.meza@house.texas.gov, terry.wilson@house.texas.gov, todd.hunter@house.texas.gov, tom.craddick@house.texas.gov, tom.oliverson@house.texas.gov, toni.rose@house.texas.gov, tony.tinderholt@house.texas.gov, tracy.king@house.texas.gov, travis.clardy@house.texas.gov, trent.ashby@house.texas.gov, trey.martinezfischer@house.texas.gov, valoree.swanson@house.texas.gov, victoria.neave@house.texas.gov, vikki.goodwin@house.texas.gov, will.metcalf@house.texas.gov, yvonne.davis@house.texas.gov  VISIT NO NUCLEAR WASTE AQUI'S WEBSITE, HERE

Update on May 12, 2021 by admin

Wed., May 12th update from Karen Hadden at SEED Coalition:

The Texas Tribune - Alliance of Texas environmental, oil interests block bill that would have given nuclear waste company a financial break - By Erin Douglas

Caller Times -  Radioactive waste bill is likely dead in the Texas Legislature - by John Moritz  

Midland Reporter Telegram - Craddick kills Landgraf's nuclear waste bill by Stewart Doreen 

Here's an update... We're not done, but things are looking pretty good!  Many thanks to everyone for pitching in, making calls, spreading the word and working at the Capitol! Your efforts are paying off! 

The bad radioactive waste vendor bill, HB 2962, has been halted - for now - on the House side. The companion bill in the Senate, SB 1046, was put on intent one time, and then taken off the intent calendar. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick decides whether to send it to the floor for a vote and it has been held off for some time now. 

We can't rest until the session is over, because WCS is known for pulling dirty tricks and they don't quit. Their bill was the last one up in one session and time was extended past midnight to discuss it. Last session an amendment was handed off by Landgraf to Poncho Nevarez, who added it onto a domestic violence bill (non-germane) on the third reading. He only said that it was "some incentives" and never mentioned radioactive waste or surcharge reductions. The amendment was in legal language and no one knew what it meant, so it passed. We're hoping to avoid a replay and are asking legislators to watch for and be ready to respond to any amendment language involving Texas Health and Safety Code Section 401.

We'll send another message very soon with actions you can help with. 

Best wishes and thanks! 

Karen Hadden, SEED Coalition, 512-797-8481