The Swamp is bubbling over with vicious creatures today. Introducing HB 4268—Forced Pooling

This bill is 2018’s version of Forced Pooling— the Swamp Dwellers in Charleston are trying to rebrand it as the “Cotenancy Modernization and Majority Protection Act.” Delegate Bill Anderson is the lead sponsor of this attack on property owners; Delegates Kelly, Zatezalo, Westfall, Fast, Higginbotham, Ward, Hollen, Atkinson, Foster and Lane are cosponsors. All of these legislators are fighting hard to deliver exactly what out-of-state gas and oil companies want—the right to force West Virginians to give up their property rights.

Gas lobbyists have already admitted that Cotenancy is just the newest spin on Forced Pooling. Even industry publications have referred to it as “Forced Pooling Lite”. The Swamp Dwellers seem to be making an appeal for “Majority” rights, but this is just a distraction tactic. The fact is that the majority of consenting co-tenants in a would-be unit for development are already protected. Currently, they are within their rights to take a deal, negotiate for the best price, and let big out-of-state gas and oil companies develop on their property.

This bill would allow companies to force non-consenting property owners into a development unit against their will. If the consenting co-tenants owning 75% of the rights in a would-be unit make a bad deal, the owners of the other 25% would be forced to accept the same deal… Even if they wanted to hold out for a better price. Even if they never wanted their property developed in the first place.

The owners of that 75% of the property are completely protected in their right to strike bargains with gas and oil developers. What they shouldn’t be allowed to do is help gas and oil companies steal their neighbor’s property. This bill claims to “protect” these greedy folks, but what it actually does is force the minority owners to submit to the tyranny of the majority

HB 4268 would allow out-of-state gas and oil companies to force property owners to give up their rights without their consent.

That’s not protection, that’s Majority-Rules Theft. That’s Forced Pooling

We need you to call the members of the House Energy Committee and the House Judiciary Committee TODAY!

Nobody should be writing laws or taking votes allowing companies to steal your property.

Tell House Energy and Judiciary members that West Virginians are not fooled. HB 4268 may be called cotenancy, but it is Forced Pooling— and Forced Pooling is theft. Tell them to stand up for property rights, not attack them.

Some of the Swamp Dwellers who sponsored this bill are on these committees—they need to hear from real West Virginians, because apparently all they’re hearing these days are campaign contributions from out-of-state gas and oil companies and their lobbyists.

House Energy Committee Members (Swamp Dwellers Indicated in Bold)

Forced Pooling Lead Sponsor Bill Anderson, Chair: bill.anderson@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3168; (304) 375-7880

Forced Pooling Sponsor John Kelly, Vice Chair (Oil and Gas): john.kelly@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3394; (304) 428-2846; (304) 340-3394

Forced Pooling Sponsor Mark Zatezalo, Vice Chair (Coal): mark.zatezalo@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3120; (304) 748-1624; (304) 491-0937

Dave Pethtel, Minority Chair: dave.pethtel@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3158; (304) 775-5472

Jeff Eldridge, Minority Vice-Chair: jeff.eldridge@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3113; (304) 756-3817; (304) 928-9728

Brent Boggs: brent.boggs@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3142; (304) 364-8411

Mike Caputo: mike.caputo@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3249; (304) 278-5419; (304) 363-7500

Bill Hamilton: bill.hamilton@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3167; (304) 472-1966

Jason Harshbarger: jason.harshbarger@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3195; (304) 659-2203; (304) 669-5007

Kenneth Hicks: ken.hicks@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3155; (304) 453-3523; (304) 525-3201

Forced Pooling Sponsor Joshua Higginbotham: joshua.higginbotham@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3118; (no home number given); (304) 881-1864

Kayla Kessinger: kayla.kessinger@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3197; (304) 719-7636

Dana Lynch: dana.lynch@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3916; (304) 847-7233

Justin Marcum: justin.marcum@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3126; (304) 235-1475

Patrick Martin: patrick.martin@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3123; (304) 613-2327

Zack Maynard: zack.maynard@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3152; (304) 885-1555

Tim Miley: tim.miley@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3240; (304) 848-0102; (304) 326-1800

Tony Paynter: tony.paynter@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3163; (304) 894-4647

Rupert Phillips: rupert.phillips@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3174; (304) 687-9793; (304) 687-9793

Roger Romine: roger.romine@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3226; (304) 771-0018

Joe Statler: joe.statler@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3900; (304) 376-7336

Erikka Storch: erikka.storch@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3378; (304) 232-9494; (304) 233-2575

Terri Sypolt: terri.sypolt@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3160; (304) 290-1122

Jill Upson: jill.upson@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3366; (304) 728-9904

Forced Pooling Sponsor Guy Ward: guy.ward@wvhouse.gov; 304) 340-3331; (304) 366-2990

 

House Judiciary Committee Members (Swamp Dwellers Indicated in Bold)

Chair John Shott (Chair): john.shott@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3252; (304) 325-7534; (304) 327-0573

Roger Hanshaw (Vice Chair): roger.hanshaw@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3252 (note, this is the same number as the Chair); (304) 587-9947; (304) 347-2115

Barbara Evans Fleischauer (Minority Chair): barbaraf@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3127; (no home number given); (304) 296-7035

Shawn Fluharty (Minority Vice-Chair): shawn.fluharty@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3270; (304) 281-8195; (304) 340-3270

Andrew Byrd: andrew.byrd@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3362; (304) 741-3083

Joe Canestraro: joe.canestraro@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3151; (304) 280-5400

Moore Capito: moore.capito@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3340; (304) 552-8986

Frank Deem: frank.deem@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3137; (304)-295-6593

Forced Pooling Sponsor Tom Fast: tom.fast@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3170; (304) 574-0777

Forced Pooling Sponsor Geoff Foster: geoff.foster@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3121; (304) 561-4229; (304) 561-4229

Jason Harshbarger: jason.harshbarger@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3195; (304) 659-2203; (304) 669-5007

Forced Pooling Sponsor Ray Hollen: ray.hollen@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3136; (681) 236-2090

Phil Isner: phil.isner@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3145; (304) 636-7681

Kayla Kessinger: kayla.kessinger@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3197; (304) 719-7636

Forced Pooling Sponsor Charlotte Lane: charlotte.lane@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3183; (304) 964-1159

Chad Lovejoy: chad.lovejoy@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3280; (304) 638-7415

Rodney Miller: rodney.miller@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3184; (304) 369-6022; (304) 345-2232

Riley Moore: riley.moore@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3248; (304) 707-5838

John Overington: john@overington.com; (304) 340-3148; (304) 274-1791; (304) 274-1791

Mike Pushkin: mike.pushkin@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3106; (304) 344-4339; (304) 989-6856

Ben Queen: ben.queen@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3171; (304) 709-2013

Andrew Robinson: andrew.robinson@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3156; (304) 545-7378

Kelli Sobonya: kelli.sobonya@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3175; (no home number given); (304)-417-0869

Amy Summers: amy.summers@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3139; (304) 842-7958

Forced Pooling Sponsor Mark Zatezalo: mark.zatezalo@wvhouse.gov; (304) 340-3120; (304) 748-1624; (304) 491-0937