Legislator seeks help from constituents

By GWEN ALBERS Western News

Libby state Rep. Chas Vincent said he feels he has a 50-50 shot at getting $2 million for helping asbestos victims with medical bills despite a vote against the bill.

That's why Vincent wants to give the bill a last-ditch effort.The Republican lawmaker told The Western News Wednesday from Helena, where the Legislature remains in session, that he needs help from constituents. Vincent would like Libby area residents to contact Democrat state senators, who voted along party lines against the bill.

"Every Democrat in the Senate voted against this bill," said Vincent, who sponsored the legislation. "This is not my bill. It's for the constituents of Lincoln County. This is not a cat and dog bill - carried for own pet projects. This should not be a partisan issue."The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency since 1999 has been cleaning up asbestos-contaminated vermiculite in Libby, which was mined and processed here from the 1920s to 1990. More than 200 have died from the contamination and some 2,000 suffer from related illnesses.W.R. Grace and individual defendants were indicted by a grand jury in early 2005 on charges of conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act and endanger others by knowingly releasing asbestos into the air as well as conspiring to defraud the government by impeding the efforts of regulatory agencies. Vincent is carrying a bill to provide support for the Libby Asbestos Medical Plan, which was initially funded by a $2.75 million court settlement between the EPA and W.R. Grace over access issues. The bill made it out of committee by a "squeaky vote"with funding cut from $3 million to $2 million. "We're still waiting for federal legislation to be settled, but there will be a window of time when some folks will be without medical services," Vincent said.So far, the state has allocated $175,000 to help asbestos victims with medical treatment, he said. That was two years ago.

"The Libby Asbestos Medical Plan is going to run out of funds, and there's going to be people who suffer," Vincent said.The bill was initially tabled, with Republicans voting for it and Democrats against."They didn't even give it consideration," Vincent said. "There was no discussion of its merits. They took action immediately without saying a word."An attempt was then made to blast the motion from the floor; that requires a majority vote. It was initially deadlocked 25-25. One a second vote, 26 Democrats voted against while 24 Republicans voted in favor.Vincent is know trying to find a different way to amend the bill. He feels he has a 50 percent chance of success.To get a list of the Democratic senators in Montana and their telephone numbers, go to www.mt.gov Web site. Type in "Senators" in the search field.