Submitted by Up Goose Creek on Sun, 2008/02/03 - 8:13pm

This bill to ban mountain top removal coal mining (SB3822) will face its first committee hearing before the Tennessee Senate Environment, Conservation, and Tourism Committee on Feb. 6, 2008 at 11:30 in room 12 of the Legislative Plaza in Nashville.

Committee members are Tommy Kilby , Chair;
Dewayne Bunch, Vice-Chair; Doug Jackson, Secretary; Raymond Finney, Roy Herron, Bill Ketron, Steve Roller, Steve Southerland and Mike Williams.

You can find out more about this effort by visiting http://www.tnleaf.org/. The Lindquist Environmental Appalachian Fellowship was established by members of Church of the Savior, United Church of Christ, as a memorial to Kathy Lindquist’s deep religious faith and her dedication to environmental stewardship.

For those among us who may be put off by the religious tone of this effort I'd like the opportunity to assure you that Kathy Lindquist was very open minded and tolerent as well as deeply concerned about the environment. By reaching out for support from Christians concerned about environmental stewardship this cause has really broadened the bill's base of support and has a good chance of passing. But I understand one more swing vote is needed to get it out of comittee so your phone calls & e-mails are crucial before Wednesday. Links are available at the LEAF website.

The House Comittee on Environment and Conservation consists of Frank Buck, Chair
John Tidwell, Vice-Chair; Brenda Gilmore, Secretary; William Baird, Willie Borchert, Richard Floyd, George Fraley, David Hawk, Mike Kernell, Joe McCord, & Frank Niceley. Please note that Mr. Nicely Represents many South Knoxvillians.

Your support will be very much needed and appreciated.

29
vote
Bbeanster's picture

Dawn Coppock wrote the

Dawn Coppock wrote the bill.

http://www.shoppernewsnow.com/aBean.aspx

Up Goose Creek's picture

Link

BB, that link goes to a story about the McClung Fire.

____________________________________
Less is the new More - Karrie Jacobs

Bbeanster's picture

hec k -- try this: Link...

Elrod's picture

Rare saving grace for Finney

Raymond Finney, our infamous Senator in Maryville, is actually responsible for this bill to a large extent. I can't stand the man in general, but I give him full praise for this effort. Yes, the Christian notion of stewardship is genuine, real, and significant. I just didn't think RIO churches would be into it. I'm glad to be proven wrong.

Pam Strickland's picture

Huh?

RIO churches

Pam Strickland

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." ~Kurt Vonnegut

smalc's picture

I assume he means the

I assume he means the churches in Blount County, http://riochurch.com/main.html

But I don't readily see the connection to LEAF, which seems to be founded by the UCC.

Pam Strickland's picture

OK. I'd, obviously, never

OK. I'd, obviously, never heard of RIO churches. And, from research on a writing project I'm in the midst of, LEAF is a foundation set up by the Church of the Savior, which is one of the local UCC congregations. It's in memory of their late youth director.

Pam Strickland

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." ~Kurt Vonnegut

Bbeanster's picture

Not sure why y'all are so

Not sure why y'all are so confused. Goosecreek's original post laid out the facts and provided a link.

This is politics at its purest and best -- the art of the possible.

Finney wants to protect the mountains, and so does Tuke. IMO it is a testament to Dawn's intellect, personality and powers of persuasion that she was able to bring such disparate forces as Finney and Bob Tuke together for a cause. It is a brilliant strategy. And note that she doesn't mention environmentalism -- she uses a term invented by Kathy Lindquist -- "creation care."

smalc's picture

Yes, but I don't see the

Yes, but I don't see the connection to the RIO churches (quite different from UCC) referenced by Elrod. It doesn't really matter, just wondering.

Elrod's picture

Finney is a deacon at RIO

Sorry. I should have chimed in with the details earlier. Raymond Finney is a deacon at the RIO (Restoration International Outreach) church in Maryville. They are a network of deeply conservative, Pentacostal churches.

smalc's picture

Ok, I get it now. Those RIO

Ok, I get it now. Those RIO churches look pretty scary to me.

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