DECATUR - Two months after approving a resolution opposing a path for a high-speed natural gas pipeline through the area, the Macon County Board is scheduled to consider a resolution that would support a revised route for the pipeline through the county.

Board members are set to decide at the board's meeting at 7 p.m. today whether to support a new path for the Rockies Express East Pipeline that would run parallel with the proposed South East Beltway project.

At December's board meeting, state Rep. Bob Flider, D-Mount Zion, and County Engineer Bruce Bird were sharply critical of Rockies Express for not doing enough to take into consideration the opinions of citizens when drafting the plan for the Macon County portion of its 638-mile pipeline stretching from Missouri to Ohio.

Following the resolution, which had been submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as a public comment on the project, officials from the county and company began meeting to try to find common ground.

"We reached a basic agreement," Bird said. "What this resolution is going to do is basically say we support the pipeline and we support the alignment as given."

The regulatory commission is expected to make a final ruling on the alignment for the Rockies pipeline Feb. 29.

"When we get done passing the resolution, we will supply that to (the commission) and let them know this is where we as the county would like to see the pipeline," Bird said.

He said the county is finishing the first phase of its engineering work on the beltway road project.

In addition, the board is scheduled to consider a resolution expressing the county's support for the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

"It's just kind of a statement that we'd oppose any kind of changes in the law that would keep people from the right to bear arms," said board member Bryan Smith, D-Decatur, whose operations, personnel and legislative committee voted unanimously to forward the resolution for consideration by the full board.

Smith said the resolution had been sought by a citizen who spoke before the committee and noted many other county boards have approved similar resolutions.

But board Chairman Bob Sampson, D-Decatur, said he planned to oppose the resolution.

"It's a potentially troubling precedent because if we do this then there's no reason not to take up the proposals or causes of anybody who walks up to the county board," Sampson said.

He contended it could lead to the county getting dragged into fights over other issues beyond the scope of the board's authority such as the Iraq war or universal health care.

Mary Tallon can be reached at mtallon@herald-review.com or 421-7984.