A while back we told you how the Kansas state legislature approved the construction of two new coal-fired power plants in the Southwest corner of the state that if built, would emit more than 11 million tons of CO2 per year.

Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius said at the time she would veto the legislation, while proponents of the measure said they had the necessary votes to overrule such a move. Well today, Sebelius did indeed veto the bill, and it looks as though lawmakers might not have the support they once thought to overturn it.

The bill would have allowed Sunflower Electric Power Corp to add two 700-megawatt units at an existing facility by stripping the authority of the Kansas health and environment secretary, who rejected the $3.6 billion project last year, citing environmental and health concerns.

Supporters of the legislation need the support of two-thirds of the house and senate to override the veto. Officials say it could be tough to round up that many votes in the house.

Sebelius, who said she is willing to negotiate a compromise, is fast becoming a star in the Democratic party. You may recall she delivered the Democratic response to the State of the Union Address this year, and her name is often thrown about when talking about VP candidates.

Thanks to moves like this, she's also becoming a friend of environmental groups like the Sierra Club, whose spokesman delivered the day's best quote: "Kansas is sort of ground zero right now for the global warming debate." Wow, who would have thunk it. These days, erhaps nothing is the matter with Kansas.