This week, the legislative assembly worked its way through many bills in their respective committees and chamber floors. There was positive momentum made on the priority bills that the Lignite Energy Council supports.
On Monday, the top priority bill for the 2019 legislative session was heard in the Senate Finance and Taxation Committee. House Bill 1439, which is a tax incentive from oil extraction taxes for enhanced oil recovery projects that use carbon dioxide. The bill would help spur investments into carbon capture projects that would create future markets for coal, achieve additional barrels of oil from nearly 2,000 existing traditional wells and increase tax revenue for the state through incremental oil production.
The committee unanimously voted to adopt an amendment that would extend sales and use and property tax exemptions to the pipelines and other infrastructure that is used to transport carbon dioxide underground into secure geologic storage. The bill passed the committee on a 5-1 vote, and will be taken up for action on the Senate floor in the near future.
The Senate received the Critical Infrastructure Protection bill, SB2044, back from the House after they passed last week it on a vote of 76-14. Senate Bill 2044 received a concurrence on the House amendments and the Senate passed the bill 43-4 on Wednesday. After the bill is signed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House, it will be sent to the Governor who is likely to sign the legislation.
The bill increases criminal penalties against people who willfully trespass or enter property containing a critical infrastructure facility without permission by the owner of the property. It would also hold a person liable for any damages to personal or real property while trespassing and prescribe criminal penalties for organizations conspiring with the people who are proven responsible by the courts. Of interest for LEC members is that the bill defines critical infrastructure to include an electrical power generating facility, substation, switching station, electrical control or electric power line and associated equipment infrastructure.