To: The Nebraska State Senate
Tell the Unicameral: Vote No on TransCanada’s LB1161, Stop the “Pipeline Six”
Dear Nebraska Unicameral members,
The state of Nebraska pulled together behind Governor Heineman’s call for a Special Session last November, and you answered the call by passing laws to govern pipeline routing and siting in our state.
Now, certain members of the Natural Resources Committee have thrown that progress by the wayside by passing LB1161 on to general file.
Please stand with Nebraskans who believe we have a right to control our own destiny when it comes to pipeline routing and siting.
Honor the laws we have on the books. TransCanada does not deserve special legislation just for them, just because they do not like our current laws.
Please vote “No” on LB1161. Tell the “Pipeline Six” to get out of TransCanada’s pocket and get back to working for Nebraska.
Why is this important?
Six of the eight members of the Nebraska Unicameral’s Natural Resources Committee have become pro-pipeline activists, voting through their committee a bill that would give TransCanada a free pass to determine a pipeline route through Nebraska and to seize private property through eminent domain on a “fast track.”
LB1161 circumvents existing Nebraska state law that would require any major oil pipeline project to first obtain approval through a Nebraska Public Service Commission process. LB1161 would set a dangerous precedent by allowing a foreign corporation (which currently has no pending permit for a pipeline) to enact immediate powers of eminent domain, as if they were a public utility with the proper authority and permits.
The unicameral worked hard during the special session in November to pass laws that would give Nebraskans input and oversight over where and how pipelines would cross our state. Now, following the lead of TransCanada-loving Jim Smith (LD14), five other Natural Resources Committee senators Tom Carlson (LD38), Mark Christensen (LD44), Chris Langemeier (LD23), Beau McCoy (LD39) and Ken Schilz (LD47) are taking their pro-pipeline activism to the rest of the unicameral for a vote.
It seems the “Pipeline Six” are in TransCanada’s pocket, doing anything they ask rather than representing Nebraska citizens and our natural resources.
Nebraskans deserve better. We deserve leaders who represent our interests, not the interests of a foreign corporation. We demand leaders who will take necessary action to protect and preserve our state’s land and water--not corporate puppets that will do anything in their power to ensure this pipeline is built. We will not allow this political pandering of a few state senators willing to sell out our state’s natural resources and our people’s personal property rights to their Big Oil buddies.