Tennessee Legislators Dodge Vote on Mountaintop Removal Although a bill to protect Tennessee’s mountains received broad citizen and political support — and media attention from around the world — state legislators chose to deny public testimony on the measure and instead let the Scenic Vistas Protection Act die without a vote. Appalachian Voices Tennessee Director…

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What We Weren’t Allowed to Say

In this legislative session, Tennesseans’ voices were silenced. Here’s what I would have said. Yesterday, I was honored to be called to testify before the Tennessee State Senate Committee on Energy, Agriculture, and Natural Resources, along with a friend, hero and colleague, Ann League. Ann is a property owner and resident of coal-bearing areas in…

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Protecting Tennessee’s mountains? Not worth the Senate’s time.

Despite broad citizen and political support for a bill protecting Tennessee’s mountains, the state Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee today decided to not even allow public testimony on the measure and instead killed the bill. SB99, the Scenic Vistas Protection Act, was slated to be heard by the committee during its usual meeting…

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Lawmakers to hold hearings on Scenic Vistas bill on heels of ad campaign from conservatives

Press Advisory Appalachian Voices March 19, 2013 Contact: JW Randolph, Tennessee Director, 202-669-3670; jw@appvoices.org Nashville – Tennessee Senate and House panels are scheduled tomorrow to consider bi-partisan companion bills that protect mountain forests on the Cumberland Plateau by effectively prohibiting new surface coal mining on ridgelines above 2,000 feet. The Scenic Vistas Protection Act is…

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Tennessee Votes on Scenic Vistas Tomorrow. CALL TODAY!

Call today and Urge Tennessee Legislators to Protect the Beauty and Economic Vitality of the Cumberland Plateau. Tennessee legislators are scheduled to take up a critical vote tomorrow on the Scenic Vistas Protection Act — a good bill with broad, bipartisan support that would help one of Tennessee’s most important assets – our mountains. Representative…

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“I’m Here Because I Love Mountains:” Watch a speech by Appalachian Voices’ JW Randolph

On Feb. 8, Appalachian Voices Tennessee Director, JW Randolph, spoke to members of the state legislature, the media and the environmental community. Below is a video and the transcript of his speech in support of the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act, a bill to protect the state’s virgin ridgelines from mountaintop removal coal mining. Hello,…

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Critical Vote Today in Tennessee Legislature

Mountaintop Removal Makes Us Sick, Takes Away Our Jobs, and Destroys Our Mountains. What Else is Left to Study? The Scenic Vistas Protection Act is closer to passage than ever before. TODAY (Mar. 27) at 12 p.m. CST, the Tennessee House Environment Subcommittee will vote on whether or not to protect Tennessee’s mountains from the…

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WOW! More than Two Dozen Republicans, Democrats, and Independents Cosponsor Scenic Vistas Act

New Cosponsors Swarming as Advocates Prepare for Critical Test Tuesday Tonight a host of House Republicans, Democrats, and the state’s sole elected Independent signed on as cosponsors of the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act, signaling an unprecedented shift in momentum for our efforts to protect Tennessee’s Mountains. The bill is scheduled for a critical vote…

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Tennessee Senate Dodges Historic Vote on Mountaintop Removal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 13, 2012 Tennessee Senate Dodges Historic Vote on Mountaintop Removal Scenic Vistas Act Delayed, House Subcommittee Vote Up Next – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – CONTACT: JW Randolph, Tennessee Director, 615-592-6867, jw@appvoices.org Molly Moore, Public Outreach Associate, 828-262-1500,…

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