House committee votes to send repeal of dormant weather-modification code to floor

Representative Tanya Burgoyne, District 29, told the House Revenue and Taxation Committee on March 25 that Senate Bill 1167 would repeal a section of state code concerning weather-modification districts.

The bill would remove language in “chapter 43, title 22 regarding weather modification districts,” a provision Burgoyne said was enacted in 1975 and last used in 1980. Burgoyne said only one district in the state — Oneida — had ever utilized the provision and that county commissioners she consulted were unaware of any current use or need for the code.

"This is basically undoing some of the work that somebody did before," Representative Tanya Burgoyne said in presenting the bill, adding that the text being repealed is short. Representative Raymond asked about future water needs and whether it would be harmful to leave the code in place. Burgoyne replied that she did not see a present need for the provision and that there was no current cost to citizens from keeping it.

Representative Bruce moved to send the bill to the House floor with a due-pass recommendation. With no public testimony taken, the committee voted to advance the bill. Committee members recorded as voting nay were Representative Cheatham and Representative Raymond; the chair announced the ayes carried the motion and the bill will be sent to the floor with a due-pass recommendation.

The committee took no additional action on implementation details; no amendments or directions to staff were recorded during the hearing.