The ERRP, a coalition of civil rights groups, religious organizations, social service agencies, anti-nuclear power activists, and environmentalists, began in 1982 as a response to Union Electric's proposed rate increase. In 1984, Union Electric requested a 70% increase over a period of five years to pay for its nuclear power plant in Calloway County.
ERPP began a petition drive to place a voter-initiated proposition, called Proposition B, on the November 1984 ballot which would protect consumers from unfair rate hikes. The Missouri Public Service Commission had been given authority in 1984 by the Missouri General Assembly to phase in the rates over a period of years, but it refused to set a cap on rates as sought by Proposition B.
Efforts to educate electricity consumers about Proposition B included public speeches, radio, tv, newspaper ads, and public service announcements. The petition drive reached a peak on June 23, 1984 with "Super Market Saturday," an effort to collect signatures at grocery stores throughout the state. On July 5, 1984 over 84,000 signatures, more than twice the required number, were turned in to the Secretary of State in Jefferson City.
State Representatives Wayne Goode, Karen Benson, Jim Riley, and Jerry Cox sponsored House Bill #1169 to prevent electric companies from, 1) increasing rates more than 6% a year; 2) charging customers for nuclear power plants' electricity costs until a waste disposal site was built; and 3) charging customers for construction cost-overruns caused by mismanagement, accidents, and production of unneeded power. The proposed law would have ensured fair division of net-after-tax losses between ratepayers and company investors in the event of plant cancellation. Finally, the law would have prevented Union Electric from transferring its assets to a holding company without permission of the Missouri Public Service Commission.
After a long court battle, Proposition B was placed on the ballot on October 24, 1984 by the Missouri Supreme Court. The court battle involved Union Electric's claim that not enough legal voters had signed the ERPP petitions and that the proposed law was vague. Attorneys for the ERPP, Lewis C. Green and Rusty Green, argued that the initiative title adequately expressed the initiative's consent, and a petition recount proved that the required amount of signatures had been collected.
ERPP raised $100,000 in the campaign to pass Proposition B. Contributions came from business, industry, labor, religious groups, and other organizations. A coalition of civic and business leaders, "Missourians Against Irresponsible Government," former by Union Electric and other utilities, spent approximately 3 million dollars on the campaign against the proposition. The "No on B" campaign committee claimed Proposition B would force the shutdown of Calloway, prevent Missourians from receiving electricity from Kansas City Power and Lighting's Wolf Creek plant, and force ratepayers to pay for Calloway and Wolf Creek without receiving any electricity from them.
Proposition B was defeated by Missouri voters on November 6, 1984, by a 70% "no" to a 30% "yes" vote. Bob Jordan, spokesman for the "No on B" campaign committee considered the defeat a mandate for Calloway. Although the ERPP disbanded after the November defeat of Proposition B, its founder, Kay Drey, continued to be active in anti-nuclear activities.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The Electric Ratepayers Protection Project Records Addenda further document the campaign to place Proposition B on the ballot and its eventual defeat. The addenda is made up almost exclusively of newspaper and journal excerpts concerning the Proposition B battle (both pro and con sides), Wolf Creek, and the Calloway Nuclear Plant. Also included is a court brief on the Kansas law which was a precedent for Proposition B. For more information on related subjects, see the unprocessed collection, Missourians for a Consumers Utility Board.
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Series 1, General Information: This series contains research
information and supporting statistics for the campaign for Proposition B. All the information is from 1984. Folders 1 through 19.
Series 2, Pat Martin's Files: This series is simply the files which Pat Martin used as active files. The integrity of this series was maintained. Dates range from 1983 to 1984. Folders 20 through 31.
Series 3, Proposition B: This series contains all information pertinent to Proposition B. It consists almost exclusively of newspaper clippings relevant to the Proposition B campaign. Dates range from 1983 to 1984. Folders 32 through 53.
FOLDER LIST
Series 1: General Information
BOX 1
1. Alert, 1984
2. Ashcroft, 1984
3. "Bad Guys," 1984
4. Calloway Progress, 1984
5. Con--"Nuke," 1984
6. Correspondence, nd
7. Court Case--Ballot Fight, 1984
8. Kansas Bill #2927, 1984
9. Miscellaneous Paper, 1984
10. Missouri Voters Guide, 1984
11. Newsclippings, 1984
12. Newspaper Clippings, 1984
13. Newspaper Clippings, 1984
14. Newspaper Clippings, 1984
15. re: Unplanned Shutdowns, nd
16. Rothman, 1984
17. The Philadelphia Inquirer, 1983
18. Webster-Kirkwood Times, 1984
19. Wolf Creek Information, 2/12/84
Series 2: Pat Martin's Files
20. Clips re: HB1169, 1984 Legislature Session
21. Correspondence with Kay Drey, 1984
22. Miscellaneous Newsclippings, 1984
23. National re: HB1169, General Assembly, 1984
24. Newsclippings of Special Interest, 1984
25. News Releases and Other Public Relations, 1983-84
26. Press Clippings, 1984 (1of3)
27. Press Clippings, 1984 (2of3)
28. Press Clippings, 1984 (3of3)
29. Proposition B: Ballot Title, Ballot Fiscal Summary and General Information, 1984
30. Proposition B: Election Results & Post Election, 1984
31. Proposition B: Polls, Paid Interview Slips, 1984
Series 3: Proposition B
32. Articles, 1984
33. "Electrical Corporations Initiative," 8/2/84
34. Endorsements, Organizations for ERPP legislation, 1984
35. Favorable Editorials and Articles, 1984
36. Favorable Letters to the Editor, 1984
37. General Information, 1984
38. Kansas City Newspapers, 1984
39. Negative or Neutral Editorials, 1984
40. Negative Editorials, 1984
41. Negative letters and articles, 1984
42. Newsclippings, 1984
BOX 2
43. Newsclippings, 1984 (1of2)
44. Newsclippings, 1984 (2of2)
45. Newsclippings
46. Newsclippings from 3rd week in September, 1984
47. Newsclippings from last week in September, 1984
48. Newsclippings from first week in October, 1984
49. Newsclippings from second week in October, 1984
50. Newsclippings, Nov 1984
51. Neutral Articles and Editorials, 1984 (1of2)
52. Neutral Articles and Editorials, 1984 (2of2)
53. Official Petition Receipt, 1984
INDEX
Ashcroft, John f. 2
Proposition B, f. 32-53
Calloway County Nuclear Plant, f. 4
Wolf Creek Nuclear Facility, f. 19
Drey, Kay, f. 21
WESTERN HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION
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UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
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ST. LOUIS, MO 63121
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