Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Lawmakers hear hours of testimony on bill to let Covington County voters ban underground carbon storage
Summary
A House committee heard more than a dozen speakers for and against House Bill 61, which would let Covington County voters decide whether to ban Class VI carbon sequestration injection wells; after testimony the committee referred the measure to a subcommittee for further study and took no vote.
Representative Hammock, the bill sponsor, told the Economic Development and Tourism committee that House Bill 61 would put a countywide referendum on the November ballot allowing Covington County voters to ban all Class VI carbon capture and sequestration injection wells in the county. "I am asking that you vote yes today as a repeal of that project with the legislation that I presented last year," Hammock said, describing petitions, county resolutions and local opposition he brought to the desk.
The committee then opened a public hearing that drew a large turnout of residents, local officials and industry representatives. Blaine Wilson, a Covington County radio host, told lawmakers that "carbon sequestration is a scam" and urged them to protect landowner rights and local economies. Multiple residents and municipal officials said the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
