NASHVILLE -- A bill aimed at banning so-called "mountaintop removal" coal mining appeared to fail in a House subcommittee Tuesday when the panel adjourned for the year before voting on the measure.
Earlier, House Environment Subcommittee members voted unanimously for an amendment by sponsor Rep. Mike McDonald, D-Portland, that strengthened the bill. But then, acting on a motion by Rep. Joe McCord, R-Maryville, the panel moved to adjourn on a 6-4 vote.
"Tennesseans should be outraged that tactics like this are used to kill legislation after members of the committee voted for the amendment that makes the bill," Rep. McDonald later said.
Among those voting to adjourn was Rep. Mike Bell, R-Riceville.
Rep. McCord, chairman of the full Conservation and Environment Committee, sought to lay blame on the Senate, saying, "we've made it very clear that we're not going to take action on bills that are not moving in the Senate."
Senators last week delayed the bill to see what the House would do. But Tennessee Conservation Voters Executive Director Chris Ford said the two committees "don't want to be on record with this issue."
The subcommittee chairman, Rep. John Tidwell, D-New Johnsonville, said he doesn't support the bill because of legislation that passed last year. That should be given time to work, he said. But Rep. Tidwell said he is willing to reopen the panel if the Senate moves.
The bill would ban mining on mountain summits or ridges above 2,000 feet.
Nashville's WTVF-TV recently reported that while coal mines employ fewer than 400 people, coal-related companies since 2009 have contributed more than $300,000 to Tennessee politicians including $195,000 to Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, or his political action committee.
In other legislative action Tuesday:
n House Transportation Committee members approved legislation by Rep. Eric Watson, R-Cleveland, that requires all driver's license exams be given only in English.
The measure was amended to exempt foreign nationals who are legally in Tennessee for what their U.S.-issued visas say are business reasons. Companies ranging from Volkswagen, which is building a $1 billion auto assembly plant in Chattanooga, to Nissan, which has its U.S. headquarters near Franklin, have raised concerns about the legislation.
But Rep. Watson's amendment does not go as far as a Senate provision that includes the spouses of executives who are in the U.S. on business.
He said officials with Wacker Chemical Co., a German manufacturer building a plant in Cleveland, have indicated to him they have no problem with the bill.n The full House Conservation and Environment Committee delayed acting on a bill by Rep. Richard Floyd, R-Chattanooga, which seeks to address disputes between homeowners and other owners of surface property and owners of mineral rights who argue they are entitled to take mountain stone from their property.
Former Dunlap Mayor Carson Camp told the panel the legislation is needed to protect the interests of property owners who never dreamed that owners of mineral rights would claim the mountain stone was a mineral. He supplied the committee with photos of devastation he says was wreaked by so-called rock harvesters.
"This is something new," said Mr. Camp, who estimated only about 10 percent of property owners in Sequatchie County own mineral rights.
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Article: Tennessee: Anti-mountaintop mining bill killed, environmentalists say