Governor’s Power Line Tax Back in Extended Session
Here are the first two paragraphs from this morning’s Charleston Gazette article on Gov. Manchin’s agenda for the extended legislative session that starts today:
May 27, 200917 items on list for special sessionCHARLESTON, W.Va. — A transmission tax for high-voltage power lines and changes in liquor-license bidding are among issues legislators could take up when they finish work on the state budget.Gov. Joe Manchin has not yet released his agenda for the special session that will follow the Legislature’s budget work. But according to a list given to lawmakers Wednesday, he is considering 17 bills.
Manchin’s power line tax is back. It looks like we will have to go back to making our phone calls to legislators on this issue.
Here is what I wrote on this blog back on March 2:
The Martinsburg Journal has an update this morning on the status of Governor Manchin’s latest effort to get PATH and TrAIL built. Here is a link to the article. The Governor is holding back on introducing his new tax legislation until he thinks the public isn’t looking.
It is clear from the Journal article that legislators are aware that the Governor’s office is cooking up something. Unfortunately, it sounds like some legislators are willing to accept the idea that West Virginians can be thrown a few crumbs and that will shut them up.
As you follow the Governor’s power line tax gambit, remember a few things:
- Allegheny Energy and AEP will pass the cost of the new tax on to us in the form of new electricity rate increases.
- Once the WV PSC approves PATH, there is little that WV citizens can do to stop the problems the power line will cause in our state. The power lines will be here for 50 years or more. A tax passed by the legislature can be repealed next year if the power companies bring enough pressure to bear.
- The electricity flowing through PATH is going to other states. Over the years, the US Supreme Court has struck down hundreds of state laws that put “restraints on interstate commerce.” There is a very good chance that sometime in the near future, the power companies will challenge the new tax in court and have it removed. We’ll still be stuck with the power lines.
The Governor is asking the Legislature to play games with the future of our state to win a big prize for Allegheny Energy and AEP. Contact your legislators and let them know that we are smarter than the Governor thinks we are.
All of my March 2 post applies to Manchin’s push for a new tax in the extended session.
Since March 2, two other huge power line projects in the PJM transmission build up have started in the regulatory process, the MAPP line on the eastern shore of MD and the Susquehanna-Roseland line in PA and NJ. If WV puts a tax on PATH then it is quite likely that MD and PA and NJ will retaliate and AEP/Allegheny customers will be paying power line taxes in those three states. Fair is fair. Rate payers in those states will be paying the WV power line tax. Still think Manchin’s power line tax is a good idea?
For more information on how bad this tax will be, and how it is part of Manchin’s plan to promote massive new power lines, read these posts on The Power Line from the regular legislative session:
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