Legislation watch
2003 Senate Bill 854: Create "statewide recycling coordinator" position
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- Introduced by Sen. Patricia Birkholz (R) on December 2, 2003, to create a "statewide recycling coordinator" office. The coordinator office would be required to gather information about recycling processes, markets, and rates; review local recycling programs; conduct and submit a study of the capacity, feasibility and ability of the state to sustain markets for products containing recycled content; and submit to the legislature recommendations for improving and expanding recycling in the state.
- Referred to the Senate Natural Resources & Environmental Affairs Committee on December 2, 2003.
- Reported in the Senate on December 11, 2003, with the recommendation that the substitute (S-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
- Substitute offered in the Senate on August 4, 2004, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that revises details but does not change the substance of the bill as previously described. The substitute passed by voice vote in the Senate on August 4, 2004.
- Referred to the Senate Natural Resources & Environmental Affairs Committee on December 2, 2003.
- Passed 22 to 14 in the Senate on August 4, 2004.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No" - Received in the House on August 4, 2004.
- Referred to the House Land Use and Environment Committee on August 4, 2004.
- Reported in the House on November 10, 2004, without amendment and with the recommendation that the bill pass.
- Amendment offered by Rep. Kathleen Law (D) on December 2, 2004, to tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4802, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. SB 172 would to expand the state bottle deposit law (“bottle bill”) to include all other carbonated and noncarbonated beverages except for dairy based products. The amendment failed by voice vote in the House on December 2, 2004.
- Amendment offered by Rep. Paul Gieleghem (D) on December 2, 2004, to change the name of the proposed "Office of Statewide Recycling Coordinator" to the "Cubicle of Statewide Recycling Coordinator". The amendment failed 33 to 55 in the House on December 2, 2004.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
- Referred to the House Land Use and Environment Committee on August 4, 2004.
- Failed 51 to 44 in the House on December 2, 2004.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No" - Received in the House on December 7, 2004. Passed 58 to 44 in the House on December 7, 2004.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No" - Vetoed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on December 28, 2004.
Comments
1) Rep. Law's "no vote explanation" by Admin003 on December 8, 2004Rep. Law, having reserved the right to explain her protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
I voted no on SB854 due to the lack of funding. Without new funding or policy changes, the bills simply put off actions that could be taken to improve the state's low recycling rate. The administration also says the bills infringe upon the authority of the executive branch. SB 854 establishes a specific job description for an existing executive branch position, which should be the province of the DEQ Director."
Rep. Bieda, having reserved the right to explain his protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
Certainly, the apparent intent of this bill -- to encourage recycling -- is a good one. Good intentions, however, don't always translate into good policy. I voted 'no' on Senate Bill 854 because the new office created by the bill, that of a Statewide Recycling Coordinator, is entrusted with an enormous amount of work, but with no funding and essentially no staff. And although the bill makes the office sound rather grandiose, this bill essentially creates a new cubicle at the Department of Environmental Quality -- one that is not funded, and would draw from already scarce and limited resources of the department."
"The department, as recommended by the statewide
5 recycling coordinator, may employ assistants and make
6 expenditures necessary to implement this part and perform the
7 powers and duties of the statewide recycling coordinator." ADD, "With approval of the Director"
WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT ONTARIO, NEW YORK, ETC?
Rollie B.
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