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Legislation spurred by 8th
District concerns approved by House
Two home-grown pieces of
legislation championed by first-term
Rep.
Larry Haler, R-Richland, have
made their way through the House of Representatives and are headed to
the Senate for consideration.
Under House Bill 1384,
joint operating agencies would be authorized to use a competitive
negotiation process for siting, construction, and operation of renewable
energy projects, including those fueled by wind, solar energy,
geothermal energy or biomass energy. The bill passed the House Wednesday
with an 86-10 vote.
“This bill would enable Energy Northwest, the only joint operating
agency in the state, to build resources for public power at the least
cost. The savings could then be passed along to the ratepayers,” said
Haler, assistant ranking Republican on the House Technology, Energy and
Communications Committee. "Energy Northwest operates and maintains the
state’s only nuclear powered electrical generation facility. Using the
competitive negotiation process for renewable energy projects is often
more economical than using the sealed bid process. With competitive
negotiation, the parties are able to work together and negotiate what is
needed to complete the project.”
House Bill 1398, also recently approved by the House, would include
goats in livestock theft statutes. The bill passed with a 94-3 vote.
Haler says the proposal
was spurred by a recent goat theft in the 8th District.
“A citizen in the Prosser
area was faced with this very problem. It may not happen frequently, but
when it does, it hurts. Depending on the variety of goat, some are worth
thousands of dollars,” said Haler. “Under this bill, fines up to $20,000
and jail time could be imposed. Goat owners would also be able to pursue
private action against the thief for damages. I’m pleased that my
colleagues in the House saw the merits of these bills. “They are small,
but have the potential to make a difference in my district.”
The 2005 legislative
session began on January 10 and is scheduled to run 105 days.
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For more information, contact:
Brendon Wold, Public
Information Officer: (360) 786-7698
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