Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

[John Mitton]

Re: Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

There is now a Substitute #3, which seems to just have a few insignificant changes:

http://le.utah.gov/~2014/bills/sbillint/SB0139S03_ComparedWith_SB0139S02.pdf

* No increase in registration fees for vehicles - except electric vehicles

* $83 registration fee for “electric vehicles”

* $10 for an “electric vehicle administration fee” which “shall be deposited in the Clean Fuels and Vehicle Technology Fund created in Section 19-1-403 to provide grants to establish charging stations for electric vehicles and other clean fuel vehicle technology initiatives.”

I think its time to thank our Senators for listening to us, and to support Senate Bill 139 Substitute #3

[CNGLO]

Re: Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

Neither the second substitute nor the third substitute has been adopted. If the third substitute is adopted, it will be as John has written, with no increase in fees for natural gas vehicles. Use this link to get a more readable version of the third substitute:

http://le.utah.gov/~2014/bills/static/SB0139.html

[flyguy]

Re: Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

Hi All,

The Third Substitute bill SB0139S03 2nd reading was PASSED 19 - 5 late this afternoon. It now goes to a third reading (vote) and if it passes there, it then moves to the House of Representatives. Please contact your senator and representative ASAP and tell them to support and pass SB0139S03.

YOU WILL GREATLY ENJOY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW to see Senator Harper tell the senators WHY HE NOW SUPPORTS THE THIRD SUBSTITUTE BILL and the actual vote this afternoon on the second reading. And for me personally, my own senator Todd Weiler gives a public endorsement and recommendation to support this better bill.


It's very satisfying to see the work that we all did to get Senator Harper educated on CNG and AFV. Senator Harper says, the senators have been "flooded" with email and contact regarding the CNG and AFV"...that's so awesome to have him confirm our efforts. We should work on those that voted no and those that didn't vote though we've got to feel very encouraged with today's vote.



Again, thanks so much for all you are doing! We're not to the finish line yet and if you want this bill passed, it's ESSENTIAL that you either call your legislators tomorrow, email them, or go to the capital and go upstairs to the senate area and there you will see a couple tables with two guys behind each. Ask them for a blue form to fill out and fill out your name, etc, and your senator name, and write them a note asking them to vote for and pass SB0139S03. Below you can see how they voted today so you can either tell them "thank you and please vote yes again" or if they are the five that voted no and the five that didn't vote, tell them why they should support the third substitute.

http://utahlegislature.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?clip_id=16884&meta_id=497252

SB0139 Substitute 3 - - Passed 19 - 5 - 5, 2/27/2014 4:53 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3SB 139

Transportation Funding Revisions

Harper

Anderson

Substituted

2nd Reading

Passage on Second

Yeas 19 Nays 5 Abs 5

Yeas - 19


Bramble, C. Christensen, A. Davis, G. Harper, W. Henderson, D.
Hinkins, D. Jenkins, S. Knudson, P. Okerlund, R. Osmond, A.
Reid, S. Shiozawa, B. Stephenson, H. Stevenson, J. Urquhart, S.
Valentine, J. Van Tassell, K. Vickers, E. Weiler, T.

Nays - 5


Dabakis, J. Dayton, M. Jones, P. Mayne, K. Robles, L.


Absent or not voting - 5


Adams, J. S. Hillyard, L. Madsen, M. Niederhauser, W. Thatcher, D.


Jeff D

[artbros]

Re: Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

Great reporting Jeff. Thanks.

When I talked with the Senate Transportation-Chair, Kevin Van Tassell (who recently bought a CNG powered pick-up) he was very much in the SB-139 Camp, where "Everyone has to pay their fair share."

By the time we got done, he seemed to have shifted away from that opinion to "you know... we do need to work to alter this bill." (I genuinely appreciate this willingness to listen.) At first he was asking, "What do you want? Pay the mile, or pay a little more at registration?" Here's my answer.

=================================================
Thanks, Kevin. Quick answer: Neither.

Tax dirty fuels at a higher rate. Tax clean fuels at a lower rate. Fairness has nothing
to do with it. The state should be actively pursuing a policy that moves folks to clean
fuels. Clean air is critical to the future of Utah. Jobs depend on it. Health depends
on it. Federal funding depends on it.

Diesel pickup registrations should be raised the most. Then regular gasoline vehicles.
CNG should be left alone or reduced. I can see doing a surcharge for electric and
hybrid. But hitting CNG with both is simply thoughtless.

CNG is locally produced. The money stays here. We have abundant supply. It helps the
air. It is a bridge fuel to hydrogen (the cleanest possible fuel). If we are SMART this
is what we will do.

Social engineering through taxation is common. You reward behaviors that benefit the
state and its citizens. You penalize those that don't.

There are 13,000 CNG vehicles out there. Think of how much more money you could raise by
taxing diesels more heavily. Gradually, people would start getting rid of them. Each
older diesel pickup pollutes at least fifteen times more than a gasoline powered vehicle.
Further, studies indicate that 65% of pollution from exhaust comes from diesels. Here's
the URL those stats came from:

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2012/10/24/uc-berkeley-yes-diesel-is-dirtier.html

Let's make Utah the leader. SB-139 puts us squarely at the back of the pack. It is
myopic and counter-productive. It damages our state's eco-system and its economy.

Please do what you can to end dumb rules that are based on what someone deems to be
"fair." It isn't fair. Not in the least. Not if I've forked out thousands of dollars
to make less pollution (which benefits everyone). Where's the fairness in that?

We need to help folks make intelligent decisions. This one is an epic fail.

Thanks for writing and inviting comment.

Art
============================================
Glad they worked out an alternative. SB-139 sub 3 is a good, but not great alternative. Great will be when we start taxing dirty diesel out of existence. But that's labor for another day.

LET'S GET TO WORK and help them get sub 3 adopted.

[flyguy]

Re: Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

Art, what you said is so dang good! Super well said.

And here's an update from my State Senator tonight as to what we should all do the next 13 hours: Start at the bottom and read up.


I'm comfortable but maybe you should email the five.

Todd Weiler
801-599-9823


On Feb 27, 2014, at 7:52 PM, "Jeff Donovan" <[email protected]> wrote:


Thanks...should we email senators tonight and tomorrow or are you comfortable with the 19 to 5 vote today carving over and passing tomorrow?

On Feb 27, 2014 7:22 PM, "Todd Weiler" <[email protected]> wrote:


It's our procedure and a constitutional requirement. It will probably be tomorrow.

Senator Todd Weiler
801-599-9823


On Feb 27, 2014, at 6:03 PM, "Jeff Donovan" <[email protected]> wrote:


With second reading approved today, why a third reading vote?


When third reading?


Should our community contact our senators still ?

[flyguy]

Re: Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

I just sent this email to each of the five senators who voted NO to SB0139S03.

Everyone, and get the word out, PLEASE write each of these five by tomorrow morning.

Senator Debakis,



Once our AFV community met with and further educated Senator Harper this past week and weekend, Senator Harper made a second and third amendment as you know and learned today. I have been working with my state senator Todd Weiler and since Senator Harper substituted the bill, I let Senator Weiler and Senator Harper know that the majority of AFV (alternative fuels vehicles) community of which I have been working closely with (leaders of the AFV community are copied on this email) are now in support of SB0139S03.



It's not exactly what we all want but we feel the overall compromise is good, reasonable, acceptable, and the CNG community is very happy about it. And we are very appreciative that Senator Harper was sensitive to our requests.



Can you help me understand why you voted no to the substitute bill this afternoon? Can we do anything to help you and the four others who voted nay today to support the substitute bill in the third reading?



Please vote YES to SB0139S03 in the third reading.



Your friend,



Jeff Donovan

[flyguy]

Re: Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

Here are the five we need to email and call immediately:

Nays - 5


Dabakis, J. Dayton, M. Jones, P. Mayne, K. Robles, L.

[SingerGuy]

Re: Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

Since I had written Senator Bramble asking him to vote against the initial bill, I just wrote to him and encouraged him to do all he could to support substitute three. I CC'd Representative Stratton since this bill may be heading his way soon. Wish I had more time this morning to write to the five, but work beckons and there is a timeclock to be punched.

[flyguy]

Re: Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

Thank you very much SingerGuy. FYI - Your senator did vote YES yesterday afternoon.

[flyguy]

Re: Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

Senator and President Niederhauser,

Once our AFV community met with and further educated Senator Harper this past week and weekend, Senator Harper made a second and third amendment as you know and learned today. I have been working with my state senator Todd Weiler and since Senator Harper substituted the bill, I let Senator Weiler and Senator Harper know that the majority of AFV (alternative fuels vehicles) community of which I have been working closely with (leaders of the AFV community are copied on this email) are now in support of SB0139S03.


It's not exactly what we all want but we feel the overall compromise is good, reasonable, acceptable, and the CNG community is very happy about it. And we are very appreciative that Senator Harper was sensitive to our requests.


Can you help me understand why you didn't vote on yesterday's substitute bill? Can we do anything to help you (and the four others who abstained) today to support the substitute bill in the third reading?



Please vote YES to SB0139S03 in the third reading.







Jeff Donovan

[flyguy]

Re: Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

YEAH....YEAH....YEAH....YEAH....CONGRATUATIONS EVERYONE, THE SENATE BILL SB0139S03 JUST PASSED 22 TO 3...WAY TO GO

PLEASE WRITE YOUR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE THIS THIS WEEKEND AND LET THEM NOW THE SENATE PASSED 22 TO 3 AND ASK THEM FO THEIR VOTE.


SB0139 Substitute 3 - - Passed 22 - 4 - 3, 2/28/2014 2:40 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3SB 139

Transportation Funding Revisions

Harper

Anderson

Substituted

3rd Reading

Final Passage

Yeas 22 Nays 4 Abs 3

Yeas - 22


Adams, J. S. Bramble, C. Christensen, A. Dabakis, J. Harper, W.
Henderson, D. Hinkins, D. Jenkins, S. Knudson, P. Madsen, M.
Niederhauser, W. Okerlund, R. Osmond, A. Reid, S. Shiozawa, B.
Stephenson, H. Thatcher, D. Urquhart, S. Valentine, J. Van Tassell, K.
Vickers, E. Weiler, T.

Nays - 4


Davis, G. Dayton, M. Jones, P. Mayne, K.

Absent or not voting - 3


Hillyard, L. Robles, L. Stevenson, J.

[flyguy]

Re: Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

Please take a minute and email Senator Jim Debakis [email protected] and let him know how much you appreciate him for being the only democrat senator to support SB0139S03. He voted no two days ago and voted yes today after I and others contacted him. It takes great courage to go against your party and be the sole voter for this bill. PLEASE email him and thank him.


Thank you very much Senator Debakis for voting yes this afternoon for SB0139S03. It took much courage to vote different than the rest of your party and I really appreciate your doing so and respect you greatly for it. I would like to know sometime when you have time what helped you make this decision to support this bill and I would like the opportunity to meet with you sometime in the near future and get to know you better. If I am up at the capital in the near future, I will fill out a card and see if we can meet.


Your friend,



Jeff Donovan

[flyguy]

Re: Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

Wayne Harper via bounce.secureserver.net

3:24 PM (24 minutes ago)


to Jeff


Thank you for your support. It will retain its number.


From: Jeff Donovan <[email protected]>
Date: Friday, February 28, 2014 3:20 PM
To: Wayne Harper <[email protected]>, Todd Weiler <[email protected]>
Subject: Congratulations Senator Harper SB0139S03

Congratulations Senator Harper and again thank you for your willingness to amend your bill to meet the CNG and AFV interests. Thank you Senator Weiler for your support and helping move the third substitute through.

When will this bill go to the House and will it be called SB0139S03?

Our community is ready to write their representatives this weekend and
ask them to support your bill.

Please reply to all with your response.

[Adaptation]

Re: Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

I really don't understand why all you patsy's are suddenly in support of a bad bill just because it's not your neck in the noose. Natural gas vehicles are remarkably clean burning however electric vehicles have no direct emissions whatsoever. You'r arguments for why this bill is bad hold true to electric vehicles.

With half of our local air pollution coming from vehicles we should not be penalizing people who are at the forefront of reforming public habits. Utah has wonderful scenery but it comes at an exceptional cost in terms of air quality. We cannot mirror clean air policies of other similarly sized cities, we must make exceptional policies to protect our air. And for being a conservative state I think we have been quite exceptional; our solar incentives are quite good, or electric and ng vehicles are as well. Products and services which significantly benefit air quality deemed merit goods, they have positive externalities and there use is promoted by government; a similar situation is observed in some cash strapped communities sidewalks are not provided by the municipality, but instead they provide free cement for land owners who wish to install sidewalks themselves. If the air quality is worth the tax incentives we issue at purchase I just don't understand why we would send a schizophrenic message that we want to punish people for doing so exactly what we wanted them to do.

There are serous sacrifices in excess of those seen in dedicated NGV's, electric vehicles have absolute range restriction and very limited refueling options. Electric also has problems with resale value, the only natural counter to these is cost per mile driven. Even the perception of eroding that benefit will negatively impact consumer choices which will impact air quality.

To go from opposing the bill to being apathetic when your are no longer targeted I totally get But why on earth would you now support it? Just like a jock beating up the debate kids, you make the football team and drop debate. Now suddenly you hate debate kids. That's what you guys look like to me. Just a bunch of hypocrites, your no longer targeted so you start attacking.

Kill the bill, it was bad before, it's still bad.

[exLeaf]

Re: Utah SB 139 to Quadruple CNG Vehicle Fees!!!

Dear Adaptation,
I owned Leaf for quite a while, I sold it because range was not sufficient for my daily trip, and there was not possibility to recharge at work. Situation now change, and I am actively looking to add EV again. Unfortunately protecting wallet and environment are two different things. Owner of EV in UT can get more than $8K in federal and state rebates comparing to max $2.5K for cng. Owner of Civic NG in UT driving 10KM yearly pays about $77 in state and federal cng taxes, owner of EV pays $0 and both using same roads. There are about 150K cng vehicles and around 185K of plug-ins in USA as of now. In 2012 Honda sold 1,907 Civic NG, while Nissan sold 22,610 Leaf. Who really need help?

We all use roads and infrastructure and we all should pay for it, however figure out fair share is hard or impossible. I am still participating in MNL and $100 EV tax in WA was consider fair by owners from that state.