Politics Watch — March 30, 2009
Deaton, Watkins voice support for museum
MU Chancellor Brady Deaton and Columbia City Manager Bill Watkins issued a joint release today expressing their support for keeping the State Historical Society of Missouri in Columbia.
Click here to view the release.
SHS currently has a museum in the basement of Ellis Library at MU, but longtime concerns about space and accessibility to the museum set plans in motion to find a new location for the facility.
The city and SHS had long planned to build a new museum on property directly northwest of campus, which is bordered by Elm St. on the south, Locust St. on the north and Fifth and Sixth streets on the west and east, respectively. The property -- which contains Bengal's Bar and Grill, a laundromat and a private residence -- is owned by various private individuals, who expressed intentions to remain on the property.
According to a Mar. 29 report by the Columbia Daily Tribune, a real estate broker contacted the property owners on Friday and said the parties had found a new location.
The City Council will discuss this matter during a dinner this evening at City Hall, which begins at 5:45 p.m. and is located at 701 E. Broadway.
Groups continue to oppose CWIP
A coalition of consumer advocacy and environmental groups held a press conference in the state capitol today to voice their opposition to a bill that would allow a utility provider to charge ratepayers higher rates while nuclear plant is under construction.
The coalition, called Missourians For Fair Electric Rates, held a conference to oppose the bill, which would allow utility provider Ameren UE to charge customers for "construction work in progress" -- or CWIP -- while a second nuclear plant is built in Callaway County. In a news release, the group said ratepayers could see a 40 percent hike in their electric rates and could lead to job loss.
Susan Gallagher, a spokeswoman for Ameren, said pre-construction costs might drive rates up 1 to 3 percent before construction would begin in 2013. She said the biggest increase that ratepayers could see after the plant goes online might be as much as 12 percent.
The Senate version of the bill could come before the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee as early as tomorrow, according to a news release from Missourians for Fair Electric Rates. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Delbert Scott, R-Lowry City, and has been languishing in the committee since Feb. 10. A similar House bill, sponsored by Rep. Edgar Emery, R-Lamar, was referred to the House Rules Committee on March 9, but no hearing has been scheduled.
