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Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill weakening Kentucky groundwater and wetland protection passes, poised to become law
Kentucky lawmakers passed a bill expected to weaken the state's ability to protect groundwater, wetlands and some streams, lakes and springs from pollution, despite staunch opposition from Kentucky's environmental agency and scores of advocates. Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, who sponsored Senate Bill 89, said the legislation would ease the burden of environmental regulations and permitting for coal mines and other industries and align with federal water definitions — which were weakened in 2023 by the U.S. Supreme Court. Under the state's existing definition of "waters of the commonwealth," the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet has broad jurisdiction to regulate and protect groundwater, springs, marshes and other important water resources. Madon's bill would instead defer to the less protective federal water definitions, narrowing state regulators' jurisdiction over Kentucky waters. Lawmakers said they were flooded with thousands of calls and emails about the bill from constituents, many concerned about threats to drinking water, particularly in communities dependent on wells. Rep. Jim Gooch, R-Providence, said he "shared some of those concerns," and amended the bill in the House to restore some specific protections for sinkholes, wellhead protection areas and some springs. But Gooch's revisions still do not explicitly preserve the state's protections on groundwater and other key water resources around the commonwealth, according to regulatory officials. In a letter, cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman told lawmakers the amended bill "does not address groundwater aquifers and would provide no protection for the state's residents who have domestic use wells, including Kentucky's farmers, and those who rely on water systems whose source water comes from groundwater." Proponents framed the legislation as a means of curbing regulatory overreach and streamlining permitting. Supporters included prominent voices of industry, including the Kentucky Coal Association, the Home Builders Association of Kentucky, the American Petroleum Institute, the Kentucky Farm Bureau and the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers, according to Gooch. The bill's consideration came after some Republicans scrutinized the state's permitting of coal mining operations, The Courier Journal previously reported, based on emails between senators and cabinet officials last year. The cabinet took a remarkably firm stance against SB 89, and, in a statement, agreed with environmental advocates in calling the legislation "an irresponsible, dangerous and deliberate choice to cater to a few at the expense of many" — a perspective Gooch dismissed as "hyperbole" during committee. The Republican-led bill passed mostly along party lines, and now heads to the desk of Gov. Andy Beshear, who may veto it. But the Republican supermajority in the General Assembly would still have time to override his veto and pass the legislation into law, and its emergency clause would allow it to go into effect immediately. Under the amended bill passed by the General Assembly, Kentucky's Energy and Environment Cabinet said the following water resources would have inadequate protections: Groundwater aquifers; Lakes and reservoirs, including those used for drinking water and recreation, if they lack a "continuous surface connection" with protected waters Some springs, such as those not directly used as domestic drinking water sources. SB 89's passage would make Kentucky the only state "to cede its authority to define its waters to the federal government and jeopardize state regulatory primacy," the cabinet said. "This is not where Kentucky needs to be the exception." Impacts to groundwater were the chief concern expressed by the agency and environmental advocates. About 1.5 million Kentuckians rely on drinking water from private wells or public water systems drawing from groundwater, and opponents of the bill said water quality would be at risk under the narrowed protections. Groundwater and smaller, unassuming streams ultimately drain to or connect with major waterways. "Although groundwater and surface water are often thought of as two different things, groundwater is frequently the sustaining supply for surface water," according to the Kentucky Geological Survey. Kentuckians rely on the entire system for drinking water, agricultural use and more. "It's really frustrating for a scientist to work as a legislator," Rep. Al Gentry, a Louisville Democrat and geologist by trade, said on the House floor, "because I feel a lot of times we pass stuff without giving things a lot of thought." In the absence of regulatory oversight across Kentucky's sprawling hydrologic system, waters could be exposed to pollution from construction, unplugged oil and gas wells, septic systems, or other industrial contamination 'without recourse,' said Audrey Ernstberger, a Kentucky Resources Council attorney who advocated against SB 89. When the bill passed out of a House committee Wednesday, Eastern Kentucky Rep. Bobby McCool was the lone Republican vote in opposition. McCool, a former coal miner, represents Martin County, where a coal slurry spill in 2000 and years of mismanagement and system failures amounted to a crisis for drinking water quality. "I just cannot take a risk of hurting the water system, when I'm dealing already with public water, and we can't get that taken care of," McCool told the committee, "and we're talking about private wells ... I'm just not confident that has been taken care of." Many of Kentucky's small and rural water systems are already struggling to maintain reliable, affordable water services while managing underfunded and aging infrastructure, The Courier Journal previously reported. Diminished water quality could necessitate increased treatment costs for public water systems, in turn increasing costs for ratepayers, the cabinet and other opponents of SB 89 said. With the passage of SB 89, Kentucky opts to defer to federal definitions on waterway protections — even as protections at the federal level continue to shrink. Following the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 ruling on Sackett v. EPA, several state legislatures took on the issue of defining their own protected waters. Some, like Indiana, moved to loosen protections, while Illinois attempted to bolster them. Some opponents of Kentucky's SB 89 took issue with the idea of ceding definitions of Kentucky's waters to the federal government. Those definitions are once again facing uncertainty, as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Donald Trump recently announced it would revise the rules to "cut compliance costs" and "reduce cost of living." "I personally do not want somebody in Washington, D.C., making these decisions for me," said Rep. Adrielle Camuel, D-Lexington, on the House floor. "There's nobody there that knows Kentucky, knows our waterways, knows our environment the way that we do." Connor Giffin is an environmental reporter at The Courier Journal. Reach him directly at cgiffin@ or on X @byconnorgiffin. Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@ This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky General Assembly approves weaker water pollution rules
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Public water supplies gain protection but opponents say bill still puts wells, wetlands at risk
Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, left, tells a House committee he worked with the Louisville Water Co. on amending Senate Bill 89. Clay Larkin, an attorney with the Kentucky Coal Association, sits next to him. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Liam Niemeyer) FRANKFORT — A bill that would limit state regulation of water pollution in Kentucky picked up an amendment in a House committee Tuesday morning, but opponents say the changes don't do enough to protect against groundwater contamination while small streams and wetlands would still be stripped of state environmental protections. Audrey Ernstberger, an attorney and lobbyist for the Kentucky Resources Council, told the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee on Wednesday the amended SB 89 'exposes rural communities to pollution risks that could devastate local economies and health.' Senate Bill 89 sponsor, Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, and Rep. Jim Gooch, R-Providence, the chair of the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee, said they worked with various groups to add an amendment to SB 89 after fielding concerns the legislation didn't adequately protect against groundwater pollution, leaving private water wells vulnerable in particular. Madon, speaking before the House committee next to a lawyer representing the Kentucky Coal Association, reiterated his reasoning for SB 89 arguing that industries from farming to manufacturing to coal mining would benefit from a limited definition of what waters the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet can regulate. 'The more I learned, the more I realized this isn't just a coal industry issue. These issues are affecting a wide variety of businesses and job creators across the Commonwealth,' Madon said. The amended bill is expected to come up for a House vote Wednesday afternoon. Madon pushed back on criticisms that the bill would threaten groundwater, saying he worked with the drinking water utility Louisville Water Company on changes to the bill. Vince Guenthner, a senior utilities consultant for the Louisville utility, told the Lantern he worked with Senate President Robert Stivers, Gooch, Madon and Kentucky House leadership on changes to SB 89. Guenthner said he believed the changes protected Louisville's water supply along with 'a vast majority' of public drinking water supplies in the state. He said his conversations with lawmakers did not discuss private drinking water wells. The amended SB 89 passed the House committee with all Republicans except one voting in favor of the bill. Democrats opposed the bill, citing concerns from environmental groups that the bill could harm the private drinking water sources of rural Kentuckians. Gooch said he met with the Energy and Environment Cabinet on changes to the bill but that it was his understanding the cabinet believed the changes did not go 'far enough' with water protections. The secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet expressed 'grave concerns' about the original version of the legislation. A cabinet spokesperson did not immediately provide a comment on the amended version of SB 89. Gooch said he expects the full House to vote on SB 89 on Wednesday. If approved, it would go back to the Kentucky Senate to accept or reject the changes. When asked about concerns from environmental groups about the amended bill still not adequately protecting groundwater, Gooch told the Lantern lawmakers would be willing to revisit the issue if 'a well is not being protected, especially private wells.' 'Too many people in the state depend on those, and we'll be looking at that,' Gooch said. 'It might be in a couple years we may have to come back and tweak something.' Gooch characterized one environmental lobbyist's testimony as 'hyperbole' during the Wednesday committee hearing. Environmental groups and a representative of a Letcher County nonprofit law firm in Eastern Kentucky in testimony honed in on strong concerns they still had about the bill's impacts on groundwater and the state's water resources at large, asserting the changes didn't go far enough to protect Kentuckians from potential water pollution. The amended version of SB 89, like the original, still changes the definition of 'waters of the commonwealth' by removing 'all rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, ponds, impounding reservoirs, springs, wells, marshes, and all other bodies of surface or underground water, natural or artificial.' The state definition is changed to instead mirror the federal definition of 'navigable waters.' The bill also still sets bonding requirements for coal companies seeking permits for long-term treatment of water leaving mine sites. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2023 that drastically cut the federal government's ability to regulate bodies of water and wetlands led to the Biden administration weakening federal rules on water pollution. Litigation over how expansive protections are under the Clean Water Act has continued over decades as various federal administrations have tried to define 'waters of the United States' in more broad, or restrictive, terms. The bill's amendment expands the definition of regulated state waters beyond the weakened federal standard in specific, limited cases, though not in ways that alleviate concerns from environmental groups. The amendment would add to the state definition sinkholes with 'open throat drains;' naturally occurring 'artesian or phreatic springs' and other springs used as water supply sources; and wellhead protection areas, which are surface and subsurface areas surrounding a water well or wellfield supplying a public drinking water system. Ernstberger in an interview with the Lantern said the specific examples included in the bill's amendment don't account for the variety of geological features involving groundwater such as karst aquifers. In testimony before the committee she said tens of thousands of agricultural wells along with private drinking water wells in rural Kentucky remain vulnerable to pollution. 'SB 89 also excludes off-stream ponds, reservoirs and headwaters. To say that none of these water resources require the same level of protection as our rivers and lakes is not just irresponsible. This is dangerous,' Ernstberger said. Nick Hart, a water policy director for the Kentucky Waterways Alliance, in testimony called on the legislature to preserve the existing definition of regulated state waters and instead take time to study the economic and statutory impacts of SB 89. Rebecca Shelton, the director of policy at the Letcher County-based Appalachian Citizens' Law Center, told lawmakers about how she uses a filter for a water well on her Eastern Kentucky property because the water contains heavy metals and bacteria. She said she's paid thousands of dollars to install the filter and maintain it and worries how SB 89 could impact other private well owners. 'I'm fortunate to have had these choices and the ability to pay for them. Yet I know there are still areas of Letcher County that do not, where households do not even have the option of hooking up to the public water system because the lines don't run to their house,' Shelton said. Rep. Bobby McCool, R-Van Lear, the only Republican to vote against the modified bill passing the committee, cited concerns about private water wells and impacts on utilities for his opposition. McCool represents Martin County that has for years dealt with infrastructure woes with its public drinking water utility. 'I certainly appreciate the efforts in trying to help with the coal industry,' McCool said. 'I just cannot take the risk of hurting the water system.' He said he wasn't confident concerns about private wells were 'taken care of.' Rep. Suzanne Miles, R-Owensboro, who voted in favor of the bill advancing, said the amendment came about from multiple people working on the changes. 'I think it's very important for all of us to recognize we all want clean water, and that is the intent of amending and just reassuring that we've protected the water,' Miles said.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rollback of KY mine safety law advances even as Republicans voice concerns
Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, voted against House Bill 196 which would rolli back part of a state mine safety law. (LRC Public Information) FRANKFORT — Despite reservations voiced by some Republicans, state senators advanced a bill Thursday that would weaken a safety protection for coal miners put in place almost two decades ago after the death of a Harlan County miner. House Bill 196, sponsored by Rep. John Blanton, R-Salyersville, advanced from the Kentucky Senate Economic Development, Tourism and Labor Committee by a vote of 7-4. Two Republicans, Sen. Matt Nunn, R-Sadieville, and Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, joined the two Democrats on the committee in opposing the bill. Other Republicans voiced concerns about the bill but voted to advance HB 196 with the understanding it may be changed. 'This is a very difficult bill because there's arguments on both sides,' said. Sen. Phillip Wheeler, R-Pikeville, who presented the bill to the committee and voted to advance it. 'If I felt that this would substantially impair the safety of our working miners, I would be the first to come out against it.' Wheeler echoed Blanton's reasoning for the bill, saying he wanted to keep small coal mines in business. The legislation would reduce the required number of trained and certified coal miners able to respond to medical emergencies, known as mine emergency technicians (METs), depending on how many miners were working a shift. Under HB 196, a shift with 10 or fewer miners would be required to have only one MET, down from the current requirement of two. METs are trained to provide emergency medical care and stabilize a miner's condition. A father died mining coal. His son warns KY bill would endanger other miners. The requirement to have two METs was spurred by the 2005 death of a Harlan County miner, David 'Bud' Morris, who didn't receive proper first aid to stop bleeding after a loaded coal hauler nearly amputated his legs. The only MET on site failed to give Morris necessary medical care. The requirement for two METs on a mining shift was intended to ensure a backup MET is available if one MET is not able to provide aid. Courtney Rhoades, an organizer for the Letcher County-based legal organization Appalachian Citizens' Law Center, told lawmakers in testimony the group has seen 'no evidence' that coal companies are unable to maintain two METs on mining shifts. At least one small coal mine operator has said it's been a struggle to have two METs on site. Both Morris' son, Landen, and his wife, Stella, have spoken out against the bill, arguing the need for a backup MET is a vital protection and that they don't want other families of coal miners to go through the loss they went through. On Thursday, Stella Morris testified against the bill through a video conference call with the legislative committee. 'It's not about wanting to put anybody out of business. It's all about wanting to keep their miners that we have underground safe at all times,' Morris told lawmakers. Nunn, one of the Republicans who voted against the bill, said he had a 'lot of food on the table because of coal' and didn't want to harm the industry. 'I have concerns about this bill and the impact on safety for our miners, the ones who ultimately do put that food on the table,' Nunn said. Senate Majority Floor Leader Max Wise, R-Campbellsville, who voted for the bill, said he had 'some consternation' with the legislation and that senators 'may have to work on' the bill before it reaches a Senate floor vote. The Senate could change HB 196 through a floor amendment, which would send it back to the House to concur or disagree with the changes.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
KY Senate approves bill removing state protections for wetlands, groundwater, small streams
Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, presents his bill that would significantly limit what state waters are regulated. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Liam Niemeyer) FRANKFORT — Republicans in the Kentucky Senate advanced a bill Friday that would limit state regulation of water pollution to a weakened federal standard as GOP lawmakers said industries from housing development to coal mining need bureaucratic relief. The minority of Democrats in the GOP-controlled chamber who opposed Senate Bill 89 echoed strong concerns from environmental groups that the legislation could open the door to more pollution of groundwater, wetlands and small headwater streams across the state. SB 89 passed the Senate 30-5, with all Republicans and one Democrat, Sen. Robin Webb, D-Grayson, voting in favor. Webb said sportsmen's groups had expressed concerns about the bill but that she supported the legislation's premise of removing barriers to industry. Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, the bill's primary sponsor, reiterated his criticism of 'government overreach' by the state's environmental protection cabinet in its decisions about coal-industry permits. 'God put coal under our feet so that we can use it. It's one of the greatest natural resources, and it's our job to push back on unelected bureaucrats,' Madon said on the Senate floor. SB 89 changes the definition of regulated 'waters of the commonwealth' to a significantly narrowed federal standard. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2023 drastically cut the federal government's ability to regulate bodies of water and wetlands; it led to the Biden administration weakening federal rules on water pollution. The bill changes the definition of regulated state waters by removing 'all rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, ponds, impounding reservoirs, springs, wells, marshes, and all other bodies of surface or underground water, natural or artificial.' The definition would be changed to directly refer to the federal definition of 'navigable waters.' The bill also designates bonding requirements for coal companies seeking permits for long-term treatment of water leaving mine sites. Sen. Keturah Herron, D-Louisville, who voted against the legislation, said she understood coal's role in the state but was worried about broad, unintended consequences the bill would have on water quality, specifically groundwater across the state. 'I hope that we can work together to find solutions that are a little bit more narrow that will assist and help the energy, the coal industry but will also make sure that all waters in Kentucky are protected,' Herron said. Sen. Steve West, R-Paris, said the 'fight' over the federal Clean Water Act's reach has been going on for 'years and decades.' Litigation has stretched over decades as various federal administrations have defined 'waters of the United States' in more expansive or restrictive terms. West characterized the bill as moving the state from more expansive protections for water to the current federal standard, regulation that, he said, impacts not just coal mining but also agriculture and construction. 'The way it stands now,' West said, 'government can roll into your farm, roll into your construction site at any time and write you up because something went' into a ditch. West said he shared concerns about potential impacts to groundwater but that those concerns could be addressed in an amendment to the bill or another bill yet to be filed. Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, on the Senate floor said he brought the issue to Madon when the freshman senator was elected last fall. But Stivers said that the issues originally came to his attention from LaJuana Wilcher, a former secretary of the state's environmental protection cabinet under former Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher who also served as the assistant administrator for water in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Geroge H.W. Bush. Wetlands, groundwater, small streams would lose KY protection under advancing bill 'She came to me not because of coal but because of business interest and farmers' interest in south, southern central Kentucky,' Stivers said, criticizing the notion that the bill was supported primarily by coal interests. 'This is a good piece of legislation, and it needs to be passed.' Wilcher, a partner at the law firm English Lucas Priest & Owsley, LLP and a supervisor for the Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District, did not immediately respond to an email asking about her involvement with the legislation. According to a fact sheet from the Kentucky Geological Survey, more than 1.5 million Kentuckians are served by over 100 public water systems that rely on groundwater, and about 416,000 Kentuckians use water wells or springs. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency previously estimated that of Kentucky's 79,752 miles of streams and rivers, about 65% of them are ephemeral or intermittent. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wetlands, groundwater, small streams would lose KY protection under advancing bill
Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, raises his hand Jan. 7 as the Senate is sworn for the 2025 legislative session. Madon's predecessor, the late Sen. Johnnie Turner of Harlan, started work on Senate Bill 89, which is supported by the coal industry. (LRC Public Information) A bill that would limit regulation of water pollution in Kentucky to a weakened federal standard advanced Wednesday from a state legislative committee, lawmakers touting it as relief from bureaucracy for industry. Environmental advocates and a former state environmental attorney lambasted the measure, Senate Bill 89, saying it could degrade water quality across the state, particularly wetlands, groundwater and waterways considered to be headwater or ephemeral streams. Headwaters are the origins and smallest parts of streams farthest from the endpoint of waterways, and ephemeral streams have running water only part of the year. SB 89 passed out of the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee with votes from all present Republicans and one Democrat, Sen. Robin Webb, D-Grayson. Sen. Keturah Herron, D-Louisville, cast the only vote against the bill. The bill's primary sponsor, Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, said the late Sen. Johnnie Turner began work on SB 89. Turner died less than a month before last year's general election. Madon, the former mayor of Pineville, won the seat as a write-in candidate. Madon, presenting the bill alongside representatives of the Kentucky Coal Association, described it as a 'common sense approach to energy policy,' saying the coal mining industry has been hampered by permitting barriers over water regulation. Madon in his testimony referenced a 2023 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that sharply limited the federal government's ability to police water pollution for bodies of water and wetlands that don't have a continuous surface connection to larger, regulated waterways. 'The effects of this decision was that small, [ephemeral] drains and many wetlands — places that are not really waters but rather are just wet when it rains — are no longer subject to federal permitting. This decision was huge, was a huge win for industries and the private landowners,' Madon said. He said the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet is still regulating 'streams and wetlands that are no longer subject to federal regulation, causing delays and unnecessary red tape for the coal industry.' Madon did not offer specifics about the permitting challenges when asked by the Lantern, though he said permitting barriers have arisen under both Democratic and Republican governors. A spokesperson for the Energy and Environment Cabinet didn't respond to a request for comment about the permitting challenges Madon referenced. Litigation over how far reaching protections are under the Clean Water Act has stretched over decades as various federal administrations have tried to define 'waters of the United States' in more expansive, or restrictive, terms. More than 1.5 million Kentuckians are served by public water systems that rely on groundwater, and about 416,000 Kentuckians use water wells or springs, reports the Kentucky Geological Survey. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that of Kentucky's 79,752 miles of streams and rivers, about 65% of them are ephemeral or intermittent. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2023 that drastically cut the federal government's ability to regulate bodies of water and wetlands led to the Biden administration weakening federal rules on water pollution. Madon said his bill would align the state's water regulations to that standard SB 89 changes the definition of 'waters of the commonwealth' by removing 'all rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, ponds, impounding reservoirs, springs, wells, marshes, and all other bodies of surface or underground water, natural or artificial.' The state definition is changed to instead refer to the federal definition of 'navigable waters.' The bill also sets bonding requirements for coal companies seeking permits for long-term treatment of water leaving mine sites. Environmental groups and a former state attorney who litigated cases of environmental damage strongly criticized the bill as having wide-reaching consequences, not only for the state's ecology but also for costs communities would have to bear to deal with water pollution. 'What he's calling red tape I would put forward is actually the process and the enactment of protections of waterways from hazardous pollutants and from damages to their integrity,' said Michael Washburn, the executive director of the nonprofit Kentucky Waterways Alliance. 'What SB 89 is really looking to do is just further tie the hands of the state.' Washburn said groundwater and other sources of water for private wells and public water systems could be threatened by the change in definition. he destruction of wetlands, he said, could remove a potential natural control mechanism for flooding in Eastern Kentucky. According to a fact sheet from the Kentucky Geological Survey, more than 1.5 million Kentuckians are served by over 100 public water systems that rely on groundwater, and about 416,000 Kentuckians use water wells or springs. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency previously estimated that of Kentucky's 79,752 miles of streams and rivers, about 65% of them are ephemeral or intermittent. Audrey Ernstberger, an attorney with the environmental legal group Kentucky Resources Council, told the committee groundwater could be polluted by underground storage tanks, septic systems, unplugged oil and gas wells and landfills without recourse from state officials, who clean up spills of hazardous substances and enforce pollution controls on industry. Ernstberger also advocated for the value of protecting ephemeral streams, saying they filter pollution and provide habitat for aquatic wildlife. 'The economic consequences of this bill could be severe. Public water treatment costs could increase as utilities struggle to manage higher contamination levels,' Ernstberger said. 'We all live downstream of something, and all rivers start somewhere.' Madon said in an interview after the committee approved the bill that environmentalists were trying to say 'the sky is falling' and that he didn't want state regulation to overreach what's established by federal regulations. 'I just think we need to let our coal companies go to work and put our coal miners back to work and let's harvest our coal,' Madon said. Kathryn Hargraves, an attorney who worked from 1981 to 2003 in the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet, now known as the Energy and Environment Cabinet, told the Lantern the bill would mean water quality standards for permits issued by the cabinet would no longer protect wetlands and ephemeral streams. She said having spent her career litigating 'environmental cleanup messes' for the state, the impact of pollution takes a long time to fix once it's been done. 'This bill is catastrophic,' Hargraves said. 'It's easy to enact stuff. You know, you can sign it with a pen, but the results on the ground you can't fix, you can't fix it with the stroke of a pen.'
