Montana Legislature

Schweitzer’s Green Energy Initiative Stalls

By Dan Testa, 4-02-07

Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s “Clean and Green” energy initiative lasted about as long in the legislature as the lap he took around the Capitol driveway in an electric car on the day he introduced it.

Senate Democrats today attempted a “blast” motion, to bring Senate Bill 562 onto the floor for a debate after it was tabled 7-2 Saturday in the Senate Taxation Committee.

The blast motion failed, 25 to 25, with all Republicans and Trout Creek Democrat Jim Elliott, Senate Taxation Committee Chairman, voting against it. 

Schweitzer said his initiative, the cornerstone of his energy policy, would trigger billions of dollars in investment and create thousands of jobs, particularly in eastern Montana.

“It was not an easy vote to make, it was not a pleasant vote to make, but it was a vote based on principle,” Elliott said.

The bill contained property tax incentives for power lines, power plants and equipment that reduced the environmental impact of the energy development – like wind power or coal plants that store carbon emissions underground.

Short-term consumer conservation incentives like a two-year waiver on registration fees for cars with a fuel efficiency of 35 miles-per-gallon or higher were also contained in the bill.

Elliott said he believes in tax breaks for citizens, not corporations, and criticized the bill for the 108 amendments introduced Saturday.

“That’s some indication to me that a bill is in flux,” Elliott said. “And flux before a deadline is not a healthy thing.” Tuesday is the last day to transmitting revenue bills from one chamber to the other.

Although Schweitzer touted the bill as a central tenet of his energy policy, Republicans criticized him for waiting until the 56th day of the session to unveil the initiative.

Minority Leader Corey Stapleton, R-Billings, objected to the blast motion, later saying a full-Senate debate over that many amendments would be an “absolute debacle.”

“In my entire legislative career we’ve never had a bill out here that needed so many amendments,” Stapleton said, excepting comprehensive budget bills. “This bill has been tabled in committee, tabled by Democrats.” Two Democrats voted to table the bill.

Stapleton said the Governor is simply trying to cash in on green energy’s popularity for political gain.

“He’s for doing nothing,” Stapleton said. “He again continues to define things without actually doing anything.”

Schweitzer attacked Republicans for the failure to revive his bill.

“They voted against energy development and they voted against 10,000 jobs,” Schweitzer said.

He went on to reject Republican arguments that, with more 100 amendments and a deadline imminent there were too many questions to revive the bill for floor debate.

“That’s a red-herring to say anything about timing,” Schweitzer said, adding that there was ample time to address any questions to energy experts in committee hearings. “If they had more questions of proponents they had them all in the room earlier in the week.”

Schweitzer doesn’t think he can bring Elliott around to vote for the bill, but he believes might persuade one or two Republicans whose districts might have benefited from energy investment.

“Bring me one,” said Schweitzer, leaning forward on his desk and holding his finger up in the air. “I need one.”

But after Tuesday, the Senate and House would have to suspend the rules to hear the bill. Even if, somehow, the bill made it through the Democrat-controlled Senate, it’s highly unlikely the Republican-controlled House would go out of its way to advance the initiative. 

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