Bills
Seawalls
Bill #: H.3700
Session: 2019-2020
Topics:
Land
H.3700 sought to allow the placement of wingwalls at the ends of existing erosion control structures, like seawalls.
This bill was referred to the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee. The Conservation Community had no position on the bill as drafted because it did not allow for the construction of new seawalls or erosion control structures on our coast.
In the final days of the 2019 legislative Year, however, Rep. Davey Hiott sponsored and passed an amendment to the bill that would have allowed the gated DeBordieu community to build a new seawall to protect 17 homes. This special interest provision would have undermined a 30-Year prohibition on new sea walls along our coast and would have made it difficult to uphold critical legal protections for our coast. As a result, the conservation community opposed the bill as amended.
- + Pro Conservation Vote
- - Anti Conservation Vote
- EA Excused Absence
- NV Not Voting
- NA Not in Office
- A Abstained (Conflict of Interest)
H.3700 Seawalls (Sustaining of the Governor’s Veto)
Without the time in the final hours of the legislative session to stop or amend the bill, the conservation community worked with Governor McMaster to veto this dangerous legislation. We applaud the Governor for taking this position in support of smart shoreline and coastal management protections. Supporters of the seawall legislation needed 2/3 vote of the House to over-ride the Governor’s veto.
With passionate remarks from Rep. Mandy Powers Norrell and Rep. Justin Bamberg (and work from even more legislators behind the scenes), the conservation community was able to sustain the Governor’s veto with a vote of 43-60, ensuring our state’s seawall prohibition remained intact.
- This is a Pro-Conservation Vote.
- Legislators did not have enough votes to override the Governor’s veto, and it was sustained.
