125 Citizens Gather in Jefferson City for Conservation Lobby Day
Jefferson City, MO—On Leap Day 125 Missourians from all corners of the state gathered in the Capitol to press Missouri’s legislators for smart environmental policies. As the 2012 legislative session heats up and many bills affecting Missouri’s air, water, and land resources are being debated, dozens of small teams met with legislators on a series of key bills. Conservation Lobby Day was organized by the Missouri Conservation and Environmental Alliance (MCEA), a statewide coalition of eleven pro-conservation and pro-environment organizations, which collectively represent more than 120,000 Missourians.
“If you care about protecting Missouri’s precious natural resources, then your elected representatives need to hear from you. Conservation Lobby Day is a wonderful way for citizens to do this – it’s democracy in action,” said Liz Forrestal, Executive Director of Missouri Votes Conservation, one of the groups involved.
MCEA members lobbied on a series of priority bills that would boost sustainable agriculture and urban farming, extend the ability of the Department of Natural Resources to enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act, increase monitoring of coal ash waste, establish environmentally-sensitive cleaning policies in Missouri’s schools, provide adequate funding for infrastructure rehabilitation in Missouri’s state parks, increase energy efficiency in power plants, and more. Representatives of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment also testified in opposition to Senator Munzlinger’s Senate Bill 490, because it is too vague and undermines the rights of Missouri landowners.
“The energy and determination of Missourians to protect the places they love and advance the values they hold dear is palpable during lobby day,” said Ted Mathys, Advocate with Environment Missouri. “My team is pressing for the Urban Agriculture Act, because the food we eat is literally one of our closest connections to the natural world, and this bill boosts local, sustainable agriculture.”
The group advocated for several new pieces of legislation as well as fought back against policies that will prove detrimental to Missouri’s natural resources and public health.
MCEA supported, among other bills:
• HB 1660 – Sustainable farming and urban agriculture
• HB 1251 – Safe drinking water
• HCR 35 – Monitoring coal waste
• HB 1602 – Green school cleaning
• HJR 57 – A bond issue that includes state parks infrastructure funding
• An energy efficiency standard for power plants
MCEA lobbied against, among other bills:
• SB 490 – Nuisance lawsuit prohibition for air, water, or waste discharges
• SCR 15 & SCR 16 – Floodplain management
John Hickey, Chapter Director of the Missouri Sierra Club, was one of the citizens pressing for smart energy savings through a new energy efficiency bill. “Missouri ranks 44th out of 50 states in energy efficiency,” Hickey said. “That means higher utility bills, dirtier air, and fewer jobs. We are here in Jefferson City today to convince legislators that Missouri can do better than that!”
Prior to meeting with legislators, MCEA members were addressed on the Capitol steps by Representative Jason Holsman (D-45), Representative Zachary Wyatt (R-2), and Representative Margo McNeil (D-78). The group then split into teams for in-person meetings with over 150 legislators from both chambers.
“Lobby Day provides an opportunity for newcomers to join more experienced citizens to discuss conservation issues with legislators – in our case, the $200 million backlog in infrastructure rehabilitation in our state park system,” said Susan Flader, President of the Missouri Parks Association.
For some Missourians active in environmental protection, past Conservation Lobby Days have led to new lobbying strategies this year.
“Lobby Day 2010 was the first time I had actually met a state legislator in person,” said Lorin Crandall, Clean Water Program Director at the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. “It is that face-to-face meeting, between you and an elected representative, that means more to them than a vote, a letter, or a signature on a petition.”
After lobby day, staff and volunteers from MCEA member organizations will continue to advocate in person in Jefferson City throughout the session to ensure that Missouri’s air, water, and natural resources are protected for all Missourians.
Missouri Conservation and Environmental Alliance:
Audubon Missouri • Conservation Federation of Missouri • Eastern Ozarks Forestry Council • Environment Missouri • Missouri Coalition for the Environment • Missouri Parks Association • Missouri Sierra Club • Missouri Stream Team Watershed Coalition • Missouri Votes Conservation • Renew Missouri • U.S. Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway Chapter •
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