February 1, 2008
February 6, 2008 ~
WV-SORO Day; Surface Owners' Bill of Rights May Receive Public Hearing
in House
We learned this week that the Surface Owners' Bill
of Rights (HB
4286) may be taken up by the House
Committee on Industry &
Labor/Economic Development & Small Business on February 6 -- WV-SORO
Day at the Legislature. We’ll know Monday if
the bill will be on
the agenda and plan to request a public hearing so the committee can
hear from
WV-SORO members. We hope you can attend and
take advantage of
this opportunity to share your story. Legislators
will only be impressed by a
strong turnout. Please e-mail info@wvsoro.org or call
(304) 346-5891 by Monday, February 4, if you
plan to attend WV-SORO Day -- we want to be sure to have plenty of
refreshments on hand.
We'll gather in Governor's Press Conference Room (located in the
Secretary of State's Office, Room 157-K beginning at 8AM. A press
conference on the Surface
Owners' Bill of Rights is scheduled for 10AM
and the remaining time will be dedicated to meeting with legislators.
Our lobby team will be available to direct and guide you to the right
places.
If you can’t make it Charleston
next week, please be sure to educate your
legislators. Tell them what happened to you
and what you
think should be done to protect surface owners from industry abuses. Tell them to support the Surface Owners' Bill
of Rights. If your legislator serves on one of the committees where
the
Surface Owners’ Bill of Rights was referred, it's especially critical
they hear
from you. Legislators can be contacted toll free by calling
1-877-565-3447.
The Surface Owner’s Bill of Rights was
introduced in the Senate earlier this week.
SB
482 sponsors are Senators Larry Edgell, Jon Blair Hunter, Brooks
McCabe, Randy White and Jeff Kessler. Like
our House sponsors, they deserve a big “thank you” from citizens for
standing
up for property owners’ rights. In the Senate, the bill has been sent
to the Committee
on Energy, Industry
and Mining.
Surface
Owners' Bill of Rights in the News
Measure
offered to protect landowners in gas, oil drilling (the Beckley
Register-Herald)
Legislature
Taking on Surface Owner’s Bill of Rights (Barnestorming, Senator
Clark Barnes' column in the [Elkins] InterMountain.
Regional Town Hall
Meetings Update & Thanks Yous
WV-SORO held its second Regional &
Information meeting
Thursday, January 31, 2008 at the Heritage Park
Community Center
in Spencer. We had a great turn out (more than 100 people)
and got folks
fired up to help us push for passage of the Surface Owners’ Bill of
Rights. Thanks to everyone who attended.
Special thanks to: Chuck Wyrostock for
helping with
logistics and getting the word out; Robin Wilson for getting us there
and back,
and for other behind the scenes support and assistance; and John
Snyder, founding
member, citizen organizer & researcher extraordinare. John has put
together
a great informational CD covering a variety of topics affecting surface
owners.
Get in touch if you would like a copy.
We’re still planning a meeting for the
Boone, Lincoln, and Logan County areas in the near
future.
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