Wednesday, February 16, 2011
• State Sen. Al Melvin's SB 1548, which would create a Nuclear Recycling Public School Fund, passed out of the Commerce and Energy Committee on a 5-1 vote. The legislation calls for the the federal government to pay to build a nuclear-recycling facility, which would be run by the feds, the state and a private entity. The feds would pay the state to recycle the nuclear fuel, with the proceeds going to a fund that would pay for schools, reducing the need for education dollars in the state's general fund. So all you folks who want a dedicated funding source for education: Melvin, a Republican who represents Oro Valley and Catalina Foothills, wants to give you one that glows in the dark.
• SB 1545, which is Melvin’s effort to claim nuclear fuel mined and used in Arizona is not subject to federal regulation, was taken off agenda in Commerce and Energy.
• HB 2077, which would require federal regulators to register and pay fees to county sheriffs, passed out of the House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee today on a 6-3 vote. The bill also requires sheriffs to alert the targets of an investigation that the federal regulators were in town and requires that any fines leveled by the federal government be claimed by the state.
Tags: Al Melvin , nuclear , nuclear waste , education , Arizona Legislature , county sheriffs , federal regulations