Senate Bill 201, which was designed by House & Senate Republican leadership as a compromise measure on the CO2 pipeline issue which has roiled state politics over the last year, as opponents of ethanol companies taking steps to stay competitive in the current economy have fought their efforts and tried to kill the various pipeline projects.
It’s a strong showing for House Majority Leader Will Mortenson as one of the measure’s chief architects in an attempt to bridge the gap between landowners and pipeline companies.
Now the bill will head back to the Senate for concurrence with the amendments that were done in House Commerce and Energy; which will either trigger the measure going to conference committee, or possibly to the Governor for her action.
Watch for this vote to also serve as a potential flashpoint in the upcoming primary elections, depending where people ended up on the bills, and how strongly ethanol supporters and pipeline opponents get involved and continue to try to keep fires stoked up.
Stay tuned. It still has a ways to go, but this was one of the larger hurdles it had to cross.