Your input mattered! With almost 600 emails sent, our collective message was heard loud and clear. Delegate Hugo was a strong advocate for this community! His bill to require undergrounding the Haymarket Transmission line will now be included in a larger bill which will proceed to the next steps in the General Assembly process.
Delegate Kilgore has included undergrounding language in his more expansive bill, HB 1558, which is likely to pass through the House. BUT – This is NOT the end, there is still much, much more to do.
If Del. Kilgore’s HB 1558 (with undergrounding language to help the Haymarket transmission case) is passed by the House, we All will have to remain vigilant and involved to ensure that undergrounding legislation passes intact through the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor, then through the Senate, and then is finally approved by the Governor.
In addition, Delegate Danica Roem’s Intervenor bill, HB 556, to put in place a process whereby grass-roots and other groups could apply to the state to be reimbursed for costs incurred from being a participant in a utility proceeding, will also be coming up for review in the next week or so. (Access the latest status on all bills affecting our case: http://www.protectpwc.org/2018/01/31/legislation-proposed-in-2018-general-assembly/)
This entire process will not be over until the end of Spring, or early Summer. We will reach out to you again to step up with other messages to our legislators when appropriate.
The good news is that this first hurdle has been accomplished – legislation helping our case made it out of the House subcommittee. Now on to the next steps. STAY TUNED!!!!
Please thank Delegate Hugo for his steadfast advocacy for our community by sending your own message to this email address: DelTHugo@house.virginia.gov
Thanks for your continuing involvement!