Ever cancel a vacation four days before take-off?
Among the crowd of state representatives and senators headed to Jefferson City, I’d bet lunch money that a couple – maybe a couple of handfuls – start the special session upset that Governor SEAL ordered them back to work on four days notice.
“We are fighting to bring more jobs to the people of Missouri. Some career politicians failed to do their jobs and then went home. That’s wrong. We’re cancelling their summer vacations and calling a special session to get this done,” Missouri Governor Eric Greitens stated in his call for the special session – on May 18th.
[ https://governor.mo.gov/news/archive/governor-eric-greitens-calls-special-session-jobs ]
Too bad the special session presents the governor and the lege with a lose – lose guarantee.
First, a technical point. The legislators went home because, per that pesky state constitution, their session had to end. They didn’t arbitrarily walk away, leaving work on the desks (though that happens every May).
Now, it’s more than a bit disingenuous for Governor SEAL to say the special session is about jobs: the real reason is to largely free Ameren Missouri from the regulatory control of the Missouri Public Service Commission and review by the Office of Public Counsel on electricity sales to super users.
If enacted, the proposal would allow Ameren Missouri to force the PSC to approve the sale electricity “not based on the electrical corporation’s cost of service” for up to ten years to huge electrical users such as an aluminum smelter or a rolled steel processor. [ http://themissouritimes.com/41005/greitens-calls-special-session-next-week-pass-steel-mill-bill/ ]
In other words, Ameren would give electricity to some companies below cost and every other rate payer in Missouri would pay for that gift because the PSC must insure that Ameren achieves a set rate of return (profit).
Remember, at its height the Noranda smelter in New Madrid County used about one of every five watts Ameren produced.
True, talk about the special session centers just on the Boot Heel. The gov’s Proclamation doesn’t place limits on where the special rates could be used. And, the text mentions an aluminum smelter and a steel ‘works’ but goes on to say, “or other similar facility.” What facilities would be ‘similar?’ My guess would be anything big enough to hire lobbyists or contribute to A New Missouri [ https://www.facebook.com/ANewMissouri/ ]
Remember too how many times variations of “dysfunction” appeared in press accounts of the Missouri Senate this spring? The last days particularly embraced broken promises, questionable procedures, yelling, and abandonment of the gentile traditions of the upper chamber. They tried singing “Kumbaya” [http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/the-buzz/article148508929.html ] : it didn’t help. Those deep wounds heal slow.
If the Senate leadership forces the Ameren measure through over the objection of members, well, expect prolonged payback. The Senate might not pass another bill till after the 2018 elected members are sworn-in.
Put it all together and this will be a lose – lose situation for Governor SEAL, the legislature, and, Missourians. Not to mention any legislators who had to cancel their vacations.
Submitted by Glenn Koenen, WCD Member