Senator Lowe Finney did not get a motion for the Scenic Vistas Protection Act to be heard Wednesday by the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

It is not the first failure of the proposal. Previous similar forms of it have died over past years.

Finney said he would “keep working on this bill” and bring it back for the next senate year.

“It is a jobs bill that directly affects the tourism of this state, one of the biggest industries that we have if not the biggest industry,” he said.

“I’m disappointed that the committee wouldn’t at least want to talk about that and hear about that. I understand there are concerns on the other side, the committee should at least be willing to talk.”

The act would have prohibited the alteration or removal of ridgelines above 2000 feet in elevation for surface coal mining.

Underground mining and surface mines with current permits would not have been affected by the regulation.