Opinion > Columnists > Randy Scholfield

  Randy Scholfield  

Swenson feeling heat over Holcomb

State Rep. Dale Swenson has never felt this popular or in demand. And he's not sure he likes it. No, Swenson didn't win the lottery or make it into the finals of "American Idol."

The Wichita Republican is getting lots of attention because he's among a handful of lawmakers who are "on the fence" regarding a bill to approve Sunflower Electric Power Corp.' s coal-fired plant expansion near Holcomb.

He is, in short, the potential 84th vote in the House -- the magic number needed to override Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' veto of a bill authorizing the new plant.

In an interview Wednesday, Swenson told me his phone rang off the hook last week, with both supporters and opponents of the Holcomb plant trying to sway his vote.

He's voted against the massive coal-fired complex in the past. And he voted "no" late last week, when the House approved one version of the Holcomb bill, 83-41 -- one vote short of veto-proof.

It's far from over. Swenson knows the pressure to approve the plant will only get more intense when lawmakers return from break at the end of April.

He told me that he's been wrestling with his decision, seeking out different points of view.

He's not dead set against a new coal plant, but he's not convinced, either, that Holcomb is the right project.

"I've heard that we don't need the power for 15 years, but supporters say the legislation has to pass now," he said. "Why the rush now?"

He sees warning signs on the horizon.

"If the federal government begins to regulate carbon in the atmosphere," he said, "Kansas taxpayers and ratepayers could be complaining" about the unexpected higher costs of a new coal-fired plant.

He's doing his best to represent his constituents' interests, he said. Still, it's not easy being on the hot seat.

He's received calls from House leaders saying, in essence, "We thought we could count on you."

Some of the push back is getting nasty.

The Kansas Republican blog had a post Thursday titled, "Dale Swenson, the man who killed jobs, economic growth and the critical Holcomb coal bill."

The post went on to suggest that Swenson was holding out for a job from House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls (Swenson was laid off from his Boeing job in 2005).

Swenson said there's no truth whatsoever to that rumor. He and his family are getting by just fine.

This is the kind of attention he could live without.

For now, he's still leaning against the plant.

We're at the doorstep of new technology, he thinks.

He pointed to Sebelius' creation of a new energy policy board to chart a clean-energy path for Kansas.

"Maybe it would be good to wait and see what they come up with," Swenson said.

What could change his mind? I asked him. He said if Kansas got more of the power, that would be good (Kansas would receive only about 15 percent of the Holcomb plant's electricity). A smaller, less-polluting plant might also sway him.

But those compromises aren't on the table at present.

He said proponents of the plant have some good-sounding arguments, too.

"I've got friends on both sides of the issue," he said. "I don't want to lose friends over it, but I might have to when I go back."

He paused, then added, "I want good public policy for Kansas. I don't want people 20 years from now talking about 'that damn coal plant' -- and I helped them pass it."

I'm glad Swenson is taking the long view. This is a plant that will pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere for 50 years or more. This is a decision that will affect our children's children and the world they inherit.

Lawmakers need to follow Swenson's lead by slowing down, asking more questions and looking at Kansas' long-term energy needs.

It might be true that Neufeld will find one more person to go along for the coal ride. But it won't be easy being that 84th vote, the person responsible for approving what could turn out to be a costly environmental and economic boondoggle.

To his credit, Swenson understands the seriousness of his vote.

It might not make him popular in the short term, but I hope he holds fast and does the right thing.

Randy Scholfield is an Eagle editorial writer. His column appears on Fridays. Reach him at 316-268-6545 or rscholfield@wichitaeagle.com.