Posted on 01/26/2012 6:35:50 AM PST by Gopher Broke
Friends,
I've got two major legislative updates below. Both bills are very important and we need to contact our delegates on the committees listed below to make sure these bills become a reality. Thank you for taking the time to read through! - Bob
VA Light Bulb Manufacturer and VA vs. EPA/Corp of Engineers
My HB 66 would allow Virginia companies to manufacture and sell incandescent light bulbs only within Virginia despite the Federal ban on incandescent bulbs which will take effect next year. The federal ban was enacted on grounds that fluorescent lights were more cost effective. Under conditions of normal use the fluorescent lights wear out much faster than incandescent ones which are not affected by constant on and off use. (See http://freedomlightbulb.blogspot.com for problems with CFL bulbs.)
HB 66 will be heard in subcommittee Thursday afternoon, January 26, 2012. Please contact the members of the Labor and Commerce Committee (See below.)
HB 66 will help protect Virginia citizens from possible mercury contamination from incorrect disposal of Compact Fluorescent Bulbs or home accidents which require near hazardous materials treatment. Two hundred and twenty families lost their breadwinner in Winchester, VA when the last American GE plant making Thomas Edisons incandescent light bulbs was shut down in 2010 as a result of the Congressional ban.
These jobs were lost when GE shifted manufacture of the CFL's out of the country. Lastly, the Federal ban is a 10th amendment issue. Congress should not be telling Virginians what type of light bulbs they should purchase and use. The people of Virginia should be able to choose when it comes to issues such as safety and jobs.
Thanks.
- Delegate Bob Marshall
Commerce & Labor Subcommittee #2
Chairman Tim Hugo 804-698-1040 delthugo@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Harry Purkey 804-698-1082 delhpurkey@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Tom Rust 804-698-1086 deltrust@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Danny Marshall 804-698-1014 deldmarshall@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Ben Cline 804-698-1024 delbcline@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Jackson Miller 804-698-1050 deljmiller@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Manoli Loupassi 804-698-1068 delmloupassi@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Barbara Comstock 804-698-1034 delbcomstock@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Joe Johnson 804-698-1004 deljjohnson@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Kenny Alexander 804-698-1089 delkalexander@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Jennifer McClellan 804-698-1071 deljmcclellan@house.virginia.gov
Commerce & Labor Other Members
Chairman Terry Kilgore 804-698-1001 deltkilgore@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Kathy Byron 804-698-1022 delkbyron@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Lee Ware 804-698-1065 dellware@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Don Merricks 804-698-1016 deldmerricks@house.virginia.gov
Delegate John Cosgrove 804-698-1078 deljcosgrove@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Rob Bell 804-698-1058 delrbell@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Gregory Habeeb 804-698-1008 delghabeeb@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Johnny Joannou 804-698-1079 none
Delegate Jeion Ward 804-698-1092 deljward@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Lynwood Lewis 804-698-1000 delllewis@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Roslyn Tyler 804-698-1075 delrtyler@house.virginia.gov
Virginia vs. EPA Clean Water Act Controls
My HB 67 will ensure that Virginia controls and regulates its non-navigable waters. The bill will be heard Thursday, January 26, 2012, in the 7-West Conference Room of the General Assembly Building. This legislation is to help prevent cases where farmers and other property owners have been buried under EPA or Corps of Engineers regulations as a result of a large puddle or very small normally dry pond on their property because of the Migratory Bird Rule (also known as the glancing goose test) which in essence says if your property gets wet enough at any time of the year for a migratory bird to see its reflection, then the EPA can regulate that property as a wetland.
Passage of my HB 67 will ensure that this sort of Federal Government micro management does not occur. Please ask members of the Subcommittee (below) to support HB 67.
Thanks.
- Delegate Bob Marshall
House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Chesapeake Subcommittee
Chairman Ed Scott delescott@house.virginia.gov 804-698-1030
Delegate Lee Ware dellware@house.virginia.gov 804-698-1065
Delegate Brenda Pogge delbpogge@house.virginia.gov 804-698-1096
Delegate Michael Webert delmwebert@house.virginia.gov 804-698-1018
Delegate Margaret Ransone delmransone@house.virginia.gov 804-698-1099
Delegate Lynwood Lewis delllewis@house.virginia.gov 804-698-1000
Delegate Luke Torian delltorian@house.virginia.gov
One little problem with these light bulb bills.
No company is going to be able or willing to manufacture for sale only within a state. Its a pretty extensive manufacturing process that costs a great deal to run on a small scale.
We had a similar bill come up for discussion in Michigan and basically it came down to whether the taxpayers wanted to fund a state industry that couldn’t survive strictly inside the state lines.
Thanx for this - will contact my rep pronto...
Finally got a conservative pub in for us, Rick Morris...
hope he goes on to bigger and better things if he votes conservative as he promised.
Michigan has 9 million people. Most of them I’m willing to bet use incandescent bulbs in various parts of their home or business. I suspect a small operator could make a nice piece of change supplying such a market in states with larger populations. (plus you know, cross-border smuggling runs would become rampant)
That’s two recent pieces of GOP-delivered legislation that the states are working to overcome.
First, the bulb ban, and now VA’s working to fight the McCain-authored NDAA.
Bob Marshall rocks. Wish someone like him would step up to challenge the RINO Frank Wolf who voted for both.
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