Web posted
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Spending on coal fight topped $135,000 in April
By JOHN HANNA
Associated Press Writer
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Media campaigns surrounding two proposed coal-fired power plants in southwest Kansas continued in April, and lobbyists reported spending more than $135,000 during the month to influence legislators.
Most of the April spending -- nearly $124,000 -- was reported by supporters of the two plants. Sunflower Electric Power Corp., which wants to build them outside Holcomb, in Finney County, spent more than $70,000.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' administration has blocked the plants since October over their potential carbon dioxide emissions.
Since then, Sunflower, its allies and opponents have reported spending about $947,000 on lobbying, most of it on advertising or other campaigns designed to push Kansans to contact their legislators.
''There's never been an issue that's generated mass media to this extent,'' said Carol Williams, executive director of the state Governmental Ethics Commission. ''There's a lot at stake.''
Legislators passed three bills this year to clear the way for Sunflower's project and limit the power of the secretary of health and environment. Sebelius vetoed the first two and has hinted strongly that she'll do the same with the third measure, which was presented to her Tuesday.
When Secretary Rod Bremby denied Sunflower an air-quality permit last year, he said the state couldn't ignore the dangers of global warming, which many scientists link to man-made greenhouse gas emissions. But Sunflower's project enjoys bipartisan support because many lawmakers view it as economic development.
The Alliance for Sound Energy Policy, which Sunflower helped found, reported spending $44,000 in April, all on media advertising.
The bulk of opponents' spending in April -- about $12,000 -- was by the Great Plains Alliance for Clean Energy. Again, most of it was on advertising.
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LAWMAKER HOSPITALIZED: Republican Ted Powers, a veteran House member from Mulvane known for bringing a bit of levity to debates, has suffered a stroke, the speaker's office said.
He is in Via Christi Regional Medical Center in Wichita. Maria Loving, a spokeswoman for the medical center, said Powers was listed in critical condition but that she couldn't provide any additional information about him.
Powers, 73, has served in the House since 1993 and filed Feb. 4 for re-election.
''We're just waiting to hear more and are praying for him and his family and that he will be able to bounce back,'' said Sherriene Sontag-Jones, spokeswoman for the speaker's office.
Powers, a retired music teacher, sometimes breaks the tension in the chamber during heated debates by offering a humorous comment or an impromptu song.
He serves on the Agriculture, Education and Environment committees.
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PICKING DELEGATES: The state Democratic and Republican parties plan to finish picking delegates this month to their national presidential nominating conventions.
Kansas has 41 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, scheduled for Aug. 25-28 in Denver.
After February caucuses, Barack Obama captured 26 delegates to Hillary Clinton's 10. Five remain uncommitted.
The state has eight superdelegates -- party leaders and elected officials who automatically go to the convention because of the positions they hold. Three have endorsed Obama and one has backed Clinton.
In April, Democratic committees in the state's four congressional districts named 21 delegates -- 15 committed to Obama and six to Clinton.
The Democratic State Committee plans to meet 2 p.m. Saturday in Topeka to name the remaining 12 delegates. Eight will be committed to Obama and three to Clinton, with one officially unpledged.
Meanwhile, the Republican State Committee plans to meet at 1:30 p.m. May 31 at Emporia State University to pick 24 of Kansas' 39 delegates to the GOP National Convention, scheduled for Sept. 1-4 in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
In theory, all 24, as well as another 12 picked at congressional district meetings in March, are committed to Mike Huckabee, who won the state caucus elections in February. But Huckabee has urged his delegates to support the presumed GOP nominee, John McCain.
The other three Kansas delegates are party leaders, two of whom have endorsed McCain.
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ON THE BALLOT: At least two-thirds of the Legislature's incumbents are seeking re-election.
Twenty-one of 40 senators and 91 of 125 House members had filed as of Tuesday, according to the secretary of state's office.
The filing deadline is June 10.
The last senator to file was Tim Huelskamp, a Fowler Republican. He did so Friday.
The last House members to file were Lance Kinzer, an Olathe Republican.
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