This year, the Swamp Dwellers in Charleston are making another attempt to pass a Right to Trespass bill for their out-of-state gas company donors—HB 4168. If it is passed, this bill will allow any natural gas firm, corporation, or company to enter private property without the property owner’s permission.

Adding insult to injury, not only will the bill allow representatives of a gas company to enter your land without permission, it will also redefine the action as “neither a trespass nor a taking. Such entries shall be considered a minimal intrusion.”

HB 4168 is currently in the House Energy Committee. Unfortunately, four out of the six sponsors of the Right to Trespass bill are members of the House Energy Committee, and three out of the six (Anderson, Kelly, and Zatezalo) are the Chair and Vice Chairs.

We need to send a strong message to our legislators on the House Energy Committee (especially the Swamp Masterminds of this bill) that HB 4168 is absolutely unacceptable. Out-of-state gas companies and their imported workers entering our land without our consent or even against our wishes IS trespassing, plain and simple. These unauthorized entries would be more than simply minimal intrusions—they would be a severe and dangerous violation of our most basic property rights.

Please take a few minutes to contact the House Energy Committee and tell them No Right to Trespass and No HB 4168. Remember that calls are most effective.

House Energy Committee Members

Right to Trespass Lead Sponsor, Bill Anderson, Chair: (304) 340-3168

Right to Trespass Sponsor, John Kelly, Vice Chair (Oil and Gas): (304) 340-3394

Right to Trespass Sponsor, Mark Zatezalo, Vice Chair (Coal): (304) 340-3120

Dave Pethtel, Minority Chair: (304) 340-3158

Jeff Eldridge, Minority Vice-Chair: (304) 340-3113

Brent Boggs: (304) 340-3142

Mike Caputo: (304) 340-3249

Bill Hamilton: (304) 340-3167

Jason Harshbarger:  (304) 340-3195

Kenneth Hicks: (304) 340-3155

Right to Trespass Sponsor, Joshua Higginbotham: (304) 340-3118

Kayla Kessinger: (304) 340-3197

Dana Lynch: (304) 340-3916

Justin Marcum: (304) 340-3126

Patrick Martin: (304) 340-3123

Zack Maynard: (304) 340-3152

Tim Miley: (304) 340-3240

Tony Paynter: (304) 340-3163

Rupert Phillips: (304) 340-3174

Roger Romine: (304) 340-3226

Joe Statler: (304) 340-3900

Erikka Storch: (304) 340-3378

Terri Sypolt: (304) 340-3160

Jill Upson: (304) 340-3366

Guy Ward: (304) 340-333

You’ve called the committee members… why not email them, too?
bill.anderson@wvhouse.gov
john.kelly@wvhouse.gov
mark.zatezalo@wvhouse.gov
dave.pethtel@wvhouse.gov
jeff.eldridge@wvhouse.gov
brent.boggs@wvhouse.gov
mike.caputo@wvhouse.gov
bill.hamilton@wvhouse.gov
jason.harshbarger@wvhouse.gov
ken.hicks@wvhouse.gov
joshua.higginbotham@wvhouse.gov
kayla.kessinger@wvhouse.gov
dana.lynch@wvhouse.gov
justin.marcum@wvhouse.gov
patrick.martin@wvhouse.gov
zack.maynard@wvhouse.gov
tim.miley@wvhouse.gov
tony.paynter@wvhouse.gov
rupert.phillips@wvhouse.gov
roger.romine@wvhouse.gov
joe.statler@wvhouse.gov
erikka.storch@wvhouse.gov
terri.sypolt@wvhouse.gov
jill.upson@wvhouse.gov
guy.ward@wvhouse.gov

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