Honesty in the Aquila debate
Let’s hear it for Sen. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, for a bit of straight talk on the Senate floor this morning. The Senate is debating the Aquila bail-out bill, HB2279, which would allow the investor-owned utility to keep its plant in Cass County even though it built it in defiance of a court order.
Sen. Joan Bray, D-St. Louis, is questioning why the legislature would support such blatant lawbreaking. Throughout the debate over the past few weeks, most lawmakers who have supported the bill have avoided answering the question about why the General Assembly should support breaking the law.
But not Engler.
Bray: “It’s OK to have broken the law, that’s what we’re saying?”
Engler: “Correct.”
Engler argues that it’s a bad deal, but it’s better than making a company tear down a $140 million plant and then rebuild it in the same place.
Stay tuned.
I don’t look at this so much as saying it’s okay to break the law, but sometimes a variance needs to be put in place after the fact. It happens with local jurisdictions constantly — why would anyone in their right mind want to suggest that the plant should be torn down then rebuilt over red-tape?
My suggestion — pass the bill (I haven’t read it) and charge them a stiff penalty for having moved forward without proper approval.