- The United States Senate Environment and Public Works
Committee (EPW Committee) yesterday, April 25, met IN SECRET and voted
to approve S. 975, the Federal Zoning Act!!!
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- Because of growing public opposition to S.975, the committee
leadership decided to HIDE from the public and meet in a closed session!!!!!!
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- This is the SAME committee that hid from the public
last December and approved S. 990, the "Son of CARA" land acquisition
bill. When the public doesn't like what they are doing, the EPW Committee
shuts out the public and votes in secret!
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- HOWEVER, this time around, information has leaked out
about how it happened. Here is the story of this disgraceful episode,
along with ACTION ITEMS below: 8:00am, Thursday, April 25:
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- The general public and lobbyists start lining up outside
the door of Room 406 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. This is where
the EPW Committee gave public notice several days ago that the "markup"-the
final debate and committee vote-on S. 975 would be held, at 9:30am that
morning.
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- For controversial bills like S. 975, it is usually a
good idea to get in line early, because there is sure to be a big crowd
and there is limited seating. 9:15am:
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- A committee staff person announces to the people in line
that the committee "markup," due to start at 9:30, has been moved.
He was asked WHERE and said, "I don't have room number."
He was asked WHEN and said, "I don't know, sometime after 10 o'clock."
He was asked WHY and said, "The Senators are busy."
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- He finally admitted that the meeting was being moved
to a small office in a part of the Capitol Building that was CLOSED to
the general public!!! But he still insisted that it was a public meeting,
just being held in a room that was closed to the public. Yes ladies and
gentlemen, this kind of doubletalk does go on in Washington, DC on a daily
basis!
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- The EPW Committee, at about 10:30am, met IN SECRET
and voted to approve S. 975, the Federal Zoning Act. The vote was twelve
in favor to seven against. We were able to get ahold of the roll call
vote, even though the committee leadership wanted to keep it secret and
hide their actions from the public. Here it is:
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- TWELVE IN FAVOR of S. 975:
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- Senator Jim Jeffords, Vermont Senator Harry Reid, Nevada
Senator Max Baucus, Montana Senator Bob Graham, Florida Senator Joe Lieberman,
Connecticut Senator Barbara Boxer, California Senator Ron Wyden, Oregon
Senator Tom Carper, Delaware Senator Hillary Clinton, New York Senator
Jon Corzine, New Jersey Senator Lincoln Caffee, Rhode Island Senator Arlen
Specter, Pennsylvania
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- SEVEN OPPOSED to S. 975:
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- Senator Jim Inhofe, Oklahoma Senator Bob Smith, New Hampshire
Senator John Warner, Virginia Senator Kit Bond, Missouri Senator George
Voinovich, Ohio Senator Mike Crapo, Idaho Senator Pete Domenici, New Mexico
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- HEROES AND ZEROES:
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- FORTUNATELY, there are some HEROES who tried to stop
this sham and defend local government and private property rights.
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- NUMBER ONE HERO: Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma.
Inhofe objected to the last minute switch from open to the public to a
secret session, but was overruled. He was also the only Senator who filed
a written statement objecting to S. 975.
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- ACTION ITEM: Please THANK Senator James Inhofe!!!
See his excellent statement below. Here is his contact information:
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- Senator James Inhofe 453 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510 202-224-4721 phone 202-228-0380 fax james_inhofe@inhofe.senate.gov
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- ZEROES:
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- Here are the three Senators who conspired to jam S. 975
through the Environment and Public Works Committee in secret and attempted
to avoid having a roll call vote in order to hide their actions. Their
top level staff people who are responsible for this sham are listed here.
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- ACTION ITEM: Tell these three Senators and their top
staff what you think about the federal government mandating local zoning
codes, and what you think about them canceling the public meeting at the
last minute and holding the votes in secret!!!
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- Senator Jim Jeffords (Independent of Vermont). Phone
202-224-5141, fax 202-224-1273 ken_connolly@epw.senate.gov, sean_donohue@epw.senate.gov
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- Senator Harry Reid (Democrat of Nevada). Reid is THE
WORST of them. Reid led the charge to sneak the "Son of CARA"
Land Grab bill out of the EPW committee in secret last December, and he
is primarily responsible for arranging this secret meeting as well. Phone
202-224-3542, fax 202-224-7327 susan_mccue@reid.senate.gov, nathan_taylor@reid.senate.gov,
david_mccallum@reid.senate.gov
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- Senator Lincoln Chaffee (Republican of Rhode Island).
Phone 202-224-2921, fax 202-228-2853 david_griswold@chaffee.senate.gov,
jeff_neal@chaffee.senate.gov, deborah_brayton@chaffee.senate.gov
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- You may call any Senator at the Capitol Switchboard --
(202) 224-3121 or the temporary FREE NUMBER (800) 648-3516.
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- Statement of Senator James Inhofe on S. 975, Federal
Zoning Act:
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- INHOFE: I would like to express my strong opposition
to S. 975. I believe this bill raises potential constitutional questions
under the Tenth Amendment, where powers not expressly granted to the federal
government in the Constitution, like zoning and land-use decisions, are
reserved to the local and state governments. This legislation threatens
to usurp local jurisdictions ability to make their own decision on economic
development, housing and transportation - all of these being unique to
different localities.
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- By voting this legislation out of committee we are saying
it is "OK" for the federal government to get involved in state,
local and tribal land use planning and further more local land use planning
is not important. This sets a dangerous precedent.
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- I have grave concerns with the notion of the Secretary
of Commerce evaluating a state's need for federal funds and then prescribing
the criteria for the content of the state plan, an area where the Secretary
of Commerce can claim no particular expertise or authority.
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- In the "findings" section of this bill it states
that "comprehensive land use planning and community development should
be supported by the Federal, State, and tribal governments." There
is no mention of support by local governments. For those of us who were
local elected officials we must recognize that successful community development
and comprehensive planning needs to be supported and driven by the local
government. As a former Mayor this type of statement concerns me deeply.
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- The federal government should respect the authority and
expertise of these localities to make land-use decisions without dangling
a "carrot" so that they adopt planning legislation acceptable
to the federal government.
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- THANK YOU SENATOR INHOFE!!!
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- Current situation:
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- S. 975 is now ready to go to the Senate floor, to be
voted on by the entire Senate. It is unclear when that may happen. It
will be at least a few weeks, and may be put off for several months, depending
on how strong support and opposition becomes.
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- Please forward to your entire list. Thank you.
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- American Land Rights Association - Land Rights Network
PO Box 400 - Battle Ground WA 98604 360-687-3087 360-687-2973 fx alra@landrights.org
http://www.landrights.org Legislative Office: 508 First St SE - Washington
DC 20003 Phone: 202-210-2357 - Fax: 202-543-7126 - Email: landrightsnet@aol.com
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