- Jun 13, 2005
- 565
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Tenn. lawmaker joins Wright fight
12:38 PM CDT on Tuesday, July 5, 2005
By ROBERT DODGE / The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — A Tennessee lawmaker has rejoined the fight to lift Wright amendment flight restrictions at Dallas Love Field.
Any proposal to abolish the 25-year-old Wright amendment faces difficult opposition.
But rather than sign on to a pending bill that would immediately repeal all limits on long-distance flights from Love Field, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., has introduced her own legislation. Her proposal would simply add Tennessee to the list of seven states outside Texas where flights from Love Field are permissible.
The legislation is nearly identical to a proposal Ms. Blackburn proposed last year, which was co-sponsored by all of Tennessee's House members.
This time, Ms. Blackburn's bill, which was introduced June 16, has just one cosponsor: Rep. Jeb Hersarling, R-Dallas, who along with Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Plano, filed the Wright repeal bill on May 26. Ms. Blackburn is not a cosponsor of that proposal.
"Obviously, Rep. Hensarling has made his opinion about the Wright amendment pretty plain: It needs to go," said spokesman Mike Walz.
Either proposal, if passed, would mark the first changes to the Wright amendment since 1997. That year, Congress enacted the Shelby amendment, which expanded Love Field flights from the contiguous states to also include Alabama, Kansas and Mississippi.
Any proposal to abolish the 25-year-old Wright amendment faces difficult opposition.
Ms. Blackburn's proposal was referred to the House Transportation Committee. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, chairman of the committee, has said the Wright amendment is a Texas issue and wants lawmakers to resolve their differences before asking the committee for change.
Proposals to end flight restrictions also are opposed by Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. And in the Senate, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, also is opposing any changes.
Staff Writer Suzanne Marta contributed to this report from Dallas.
Read more in tomorrow's Dallas Morning News or at DallasNews.com.
12:38 PM CDT on Tuesday, July 5, 2005
By ROBERT DODGE / The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — A Tennessee lawmaker has rejoined the fight to lift Wright amendment flight restrictions at Dallas Love Field.
Any proposal to abolish the 25-year-old Wright amendment faces difficult opposition.
But rather than sign on to a pending bill that would immediately repeal all limits on long-distance flights from Love Field, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., has introduced her own legislation. Her proposal would simply add Tennessee to the list of seven states outside Texas where flights from Love Field are permissible.
The legislation is nearly identical to a proposal Ms. Blackburn proposed last year, which was co-sponsored by all of Tennessee's House members.
This time, Ms. Blackburn's bill, which was introduced June 16, has just one cosponsor: Rep. Jeb Hersarling, R-Dallas, who along with Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Plano, filed the Wright repeal bill on May 26. Ms. Blackburn is not a cosponsor of that proposal.
"Obviously, Rep. Hensarling has made his opinion about the Wright amendment pretty plain: It needs to go," said spokesman Mike Walz.
Either proposal, if passed, would mark the first changes to the Wright amendment since 1997. That year, Congress enacted the Shelby amendment, which expanded Love Field flights from the contiguous states to also include Alabama, Kansas and Mississippi.
Any proposal to abolish the 25-year-old Wright amendment faces difficult opposition.
Ms. Blackburn's proposal was referred to the House Transportation Committee. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, chairman of the committee, has said the Wright amendment is a Texas issue and wants lawmakers to resolve their differences before asking the committee for change.
Proposals to end flight restrictions also are opposed by Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. And in the Senate, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, also is opposing any changes.
Staff Writer Suzanne Marta contributed to this report from Dallas.
Read more in tomorrow's Dallas Morning News or at DallasNews.com.