Advocacy in Action Throughout the legislative session, The Nature Conservancy’s government relations committee, which includes staff and trustees, participate in various activities to support our policy efforts. Here’s a peek at some of the activities from the 2021 legislative session.
several provisions related to tax increment financing, or TIFs, and restricts the use of TIFs to subsidize new developments in areas designated as a floodplain by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. TIFs are used to benefit companies and developers by refunding or diverting a portion of their taxes to help finance the development of an area or project site. “Floodplains are a crucial part of our river systems,” says Holly. “Not only do they provide much needed habitat for fish and wildlife, but they also give natural flood and erosion control while increasing water quality.” With bipartisan support, this bill passed the Senate with a vote of 31-0 and the House with 147-2. “We were excited to see this bill signed,” Holly says. “Protecting our floodplains will have a positive impact for nature and our communities.” Renewable Energy The Missouri Electricity Bill Reduction Assistance Act (House Bill 734 and Senate Bill 202) enables a financial process known as securitization. Often compared to loan refinancing, securitization helps reduce utility debt to minimize financial burdens
on utilities and consumers. Utility securitization legislation is implemented in some form in 25 other states where it has been used to save consumers hundreds of millions of dollars. “This bill is important because it provides a new tool to support Missouri’s transition to cleaner and diversified energy,” says Holly. “This process has been used to help retire coal plants and increase a state’s development of more sustainable energy such as wind and solar.” This bill was sponsored by Rep. Michael O’Donnell, R-Oakville, and Sen. Mike Cierpiot, R-Lee’s Summit, passing the Senate with a vote of 33-0 Sometimes playing defense is harder than passing a bill. Every year, TNC must also work to defeat potentially harmful pieces of legislation that threaten our natural resources or wildlife. “In Missouri, we are constantly reviewing bills that are filed and assessing their impact on conservation,” says Holly. “It’s really important to not only pursue new legislation that improves the planet, but to also be ready to react to legislation that can cause harm.” and House with 146-1. Victories in Defeat
We hosted a Virtual Advocacy Day and met with state representatives and senators to speak up for nature and our priority bills.
We tracked 66 House and Senate bills on a weekly, and often daily, basis.
We strengthened relationships with organizations including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Missouri Energy Initiative, Missouri Local Science Engagement Network and more.
We conducted virtual field trips and site visits for legislators to see the work in action.
We submitted written testimony in support of our priority bills and against bills we opposed.
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