Latest news with #HB490
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Montana Legislators offer utilities looser liability laws in exchange for increased wildfire mitigation strategies
Mar. 7—The Montana House has unanimously passed legislation to enforce stricter wildfire mitigation standards and reduce liability for utility companies and cooperatives. House Bill 490 requires all electric utilities to prepare and follow a wildfire mitigation plan detailing the company's strategies for inspecting and updating electric facilities and maintaining vegetation in utility rights-of-way. Utility companies that "substantially followed" an approved wildfire mitigation plan may not be found civilly liable for damages resulting from a wildfire. "The main purpose of this bill is for electric co-ops and public utilities to demonstrate their commitment to reducing fire risk by requiring fire mitigation plans," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Amy Regier, R-Kalispell. Regier introduced HB 490 after victims of the Eaton Fire filed upwards of 40 lawsuits against Southern California Edison, alleging that sparks from the utility company's transmission lines ignited the blaze. Regier referenced California's unique strict liability laws in her opening remarks on the bill, arguing that the policy has caused "bankruptcy, layoffs and skyrocketing utility rates." "We need to prevent this from occurring in Montana. Electric co-ops and public utilities have an obligation to serve Montana homeowners, landowners and businesses" said Regier. Researchers predict fire seasons in the western United States will lengthen as climate change disturbs precipitation patterns and drives temperatures up, making events like the Eaton Fire more likely. Rep. Tom France, D-Missoula, pointed to the 2021 West Wind Fire, which incinerated 25 homes during a particularly dry winter, as evidence of the growing threat in Montana. "This is really a climate change bill," said France. "Ten years ago, our utilities were not fearful of these wildfires that we've seen, not only in California, but also in Montana when the town of Denton literally burned down in December because conditions were so extreme." Officials suspect the West Wind Fire broke out after strong winds downed a power line owned by NorthWestern Energy. The company is currently litigating three lawsuits related to the fire. At the time, NorthWestern did not have a wildfire mitigation plan, though it did implement some "targeted wildfire mitigation programs." "Sometimes things happen," said Alan Olson, NorthWestern's director of Montana government affairs, at a Feb. 19 hearing for HB 490. "We have to run transmission, distribution services through timberland, grassland. But if we are at fault, if we've been proven negligent, we don't have an issue with making things right." NorthWestern Energy voiced support for the bill, alongside Flathead Electric Cooperative and other major electrical providers throughout the state. Home insurance providers initially opposed the bill, claiming the blanket immunities provided in the legislation's first iteration would drive up rates for homeowners. Subsequent amendments addressed these concerns by strengthening mitigation requirements for utility companies and introducing language that would allow negligent utility companies to be held liable. The House unanimously passed the bill on March 5, days ahead of the final transmittal date. The legislation will likely appear for a vote in the Senate in the coming months. Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at hsmalley@ or 758-4433.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Where do Missouri lawmakers stand on ending daylight saving time?
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Missourians will be setting their clocks forward on March 9, losing an hour of sleep as daylight saving time begins. But some state lawmakers are trying to 'lock the clocks' and end the time change, with five bills currently introduced regarding the twice-a-year ritual, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Multiple legislators have filed these bills, with some attempting to exempt the Show-Me State from the time change altogether and others seeking exemption only if the federal government adopts daylight saving time as the new standard time: HB 490 (Rep. Dean Van Schoiack, R-Savannah) and HB 701 (Rep. Aaron Crossley, D-Independence): exempts the state from daylight saving time unless the federal government adopts daylight saving time as the new standard time. HB 1179 (Rep. Jame Gragg, R-Ozark) and SB 534 (Sen. Joe Nicola, R-Grain Valley): exempts the state from daylight saving time unless a change to federal law is made. Establishes the daylight saving as new standard time pact. SB 596 (Sen. David Gregory, R-Chesterfield): exempts the state from daylight saving time. Missouri is one of at least 31 states that are considering ending daylight saving time for good, but these are just the latest attempts at ending the time change. Past efforts In 2024, 31 bills proposing to end daylight saving time were introduced across the country. In Missouri, three bills (sponsored by Gragg, Van Schoiack and former Rep. Chris Sander) failed to make it out of the state House. The bills from Gragg and Sander would have established a new 'Daylight Saving as New Standard Time Pact', consisting of Missouri and any other state hoping to eliminate daylight saving time. It would have exempted the state from daylight saving time and made standard time permanent unless the federal government adopted daylight saving as the new standard time. Van Schoiack's bill would have prohibited Missouri from participating in daylight saving unless federal law is modified. Former Rep. Michael O'Donnell also attempted to create a 'Daylight Saving as New Standard Time Pact' in 2023. Either way, Show-Me State residents will be setting their clocks ahead come Sunday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
