Senate Leaders Plan to Tackle Natural Gas Bill

by State House News Service

Natural gas safety and infrastructure won't be part of the suite of climate policy bills the Senate is debating Thursday, but a handful of senators said leadership has pledged to bring a separate gas safety bill to the floor later this session.

Senators withdrew their natural gas-related amendments from consideration Thursday afternoon, telling their colleagues and the public that they are satisfied with the commitment from Senate President Karen Spilka and others to address the state's gas infrastructure in standalone legislation.

"I am really pleased the Senate president, the chair of Ways and Means and the senator I share Lexington with have agreed to do a natural gas bill to address all the issues that come up in these amendments," Sen. Cindy Friedman said as she withdrew an amendment that would have established gas worker and safety reforms.

Sen. Paul Feeney, who withdrew amendments that he said would have addressed issues with the state's gas infrastructure, said he was comfortable with leadership's "commitment to taking up legislation related to gas utilities and pipelines in the coming months."

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