Colonial Pipeline Bill Bites the Dust

Yes!!! SB 173, the bill that would've allowed companies like Colonial Pipeline to take your property without having to make the case that it was really necessary, just failed in committee. The vote was 7 - 4, and the motion to reconsider failed as well. I have it on good authority that Colonial was shocked. Chalk one up for Georgia property owners.

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Pipe Hype

Please, nobody say, "boo!" No telling what Georgia Republicans might give away. As reported yesterday in the Telegraph, Colonial Pipeline wants the legislature to pass SB 173 so that, in the future, when they want to build new pipeline, they will be able to condemn private property without actually proving the pipeline is needed. We should just trust that they will use these rights only as a last resort.

The bill would expose up to 150,000 acres in Middle Georgia and a million acres statewide to the potential of condemnation. To hear Colonial tell it, they need to build pipeline quickly and if we do not get rid of our irritating protections for landowners, well, maybe Georgia just won't have the fuel we need. Talk about bold. Sen. Staton said that we 'have to have fuel.' Does he really think that we won't have fuel? Isn't it his job to stand up to these corporate bullies on behalf of Georgia property owners?

Evoking memories of Katrina in an effort to scare us into giving up protections for private property owners, Colonial has teamed up with the GOP to sell this bill. Haven't we learned to be cautious when big government and big business team up with an agenda to scare us into giving up our civil liberties?

The thing is, as Fain reports, Colonial wants to build this pipeline in Georgia by 2010, but even in the article, they fail to make the case for why the line is needed and why time is of the essence. Colonial has been heavily fined for spills in nine states including Georgia. One of the spills near Athens, Georgia created a cloud of gasoline fumes that caused Colonial employees to flee. Apparently, the Governor's floor leader in the House, Rep. Rich Golick is not concerned about the history of spills. He said:

"if somebody's on a tight time frame, it just might not be convenient (to go around populated areas)," said state Rep. Rich Golick, a Smyrna Republican and Gov. Sonny Perdue's senior floor leader in the House.

Well, we wouldn't want Colonial to be inconvenienced, would we? It is amazing how Republicans talk about protecting private property rights during election season and then turn tail and run during session.

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