We have a much much better chance of passing a major bill when we have three ingredients: When we have the support of environmental activists; when we have the support of organized labor; and when we have the support of Democrats and Republicans.
We are this close to reaching that agreement, and I am confident that we will get that done.
There are still some points of contention between two critical constituencies, between labor and the environmental activists. I believe they’re going to be continuing to meet as early as this evening to try to work out those differences and the Senate stands ready, willing and able to return as soon as an agreement is reached.
* More Harmon…
The caucus made it very clear to all of us that we don’t want to vote for something that puts us in the middle of a fight between friends, between key constituencies, between organized labor and the environmental community. There is a deal to be reached, and we just need to get them back at the table and push a little bit harder. I’m confident we’re going to be able to do tha. […]
I am confident that the bill as proposed would not have passed today.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
The following statement may be attributed to the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition:
“On May 31, there was a tentative deal on a comprehensive energy bill, but it was stopped at the last minute. On June 1, Senate President Harmon said he ’stand[s] with the Governor on de-carbonization targets that need to be in a final deal,’ but now the Senate is headed home without action on that plan. Thousands of union workers and solar installers may now lose their jobs, while the climate crisis worsens and Black and Brown communities continue to struggle. We are deeply disappointed the Senate adjourned without taking action on a carbon-free energy future, but stand ready to enact the Governor’s plan as soon as possible.”
* Back to Harmon…
I don’t think we’re gonna have to wait until August. I think parties are going to sit down again as early as this evening and recommence negotiations. And I think there’s a fairly clear path to a relatively rapid resolution. That said, Exelon is on the cusp of a $700 million subsidy. If they close plants out of spite tomorrow, they were going to close those plants anyway. So I think we have a little bit of time here. And if we don’t, it’s not because of the failure to act legislatively today. We’ll be back this summer I predict.
* Climate Jobs Illinois…
We agree with Sen. Harmon’s statement this evening that there is a deal to be reached on clean energy legislation that addresses climate change and protects Illinois workers. Like everyone involved in these discussions, we recognize that we collectively face the biggest challenge of our generation, and we cannot afford inaction. We applaud the hard work of everyone who has come to the table to debate these issues for months, and we remain committed to seeing through a comprehensive, equitable clean energy plan that protects good-paying union jobs, secures communities and allows for a just transition to a cleaner, fairer future for all Illinoisans.
* The Senate is now in session, so I highly recommend that you click here and keep an eye on the live coverage post to keep up with everything in real time.
* The Question: Your opinion about what Illinois should do with coal-fired power plants?
From Speaker Welch’s spokesperson Jaclyn Driscoll…
Allowing for remote participation is a temporary change. By no means is this option encouraged nor preferred, but it was a decision the Speaker’s Office came to after consulting staff and members. Some members have flagged urgent family or medical emergencies and cannot leave their loved ones or put them at risk, particularly since we cannot assure all members of the House have been vaccinated. While we are in Phase 5 of our state’s reopening plan, we are still very much in a pandemic that requires precaution. This is a sound option for a one-day session and we look forward to getting these final-action items across the finish line quickly, efficiently, and safely.
Today, after the completion of his first legislative session, Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch announced he has promoted Tiffany Moy to be his new Chief of Staff. Moy has served as the Issues Development Director since January and was the unit’s Deputy Director prior to that. In addition to having strong experience managing a wide range of people and functions, Moy brings the necessary institutional knowledge to help the Speaker operationalize a new leadership ethos within the Illinois House of Representatives. As Moy is also the first person of color in this position, this selection represents Speaker Welch’s continued commitment to uplift a new generation of leadership that reflects the diversity of our state.
“I am proud to announce Tiffany Moy as the new Chief of Staff. Tiffany has an incredibly impressive background and has fostered strong relationships within the Illinois House of Representatives. She understands the legislative process, but even more so, Tiffany knows the issues that matter most for working families throughout the state. I am so grateful for the work and service of our current Chief of Staff, Jessica Basham, and I know that she will help Tiffany grow into this role before she leaves the Office of the Speaker. I am excited for this fresh path forward as we continue fostering a new day here in Springfield.”
…Adding… Moy won the Golden Horseshoe Award in 2020 and in 2018.
To the Honorable Members of The Illinois Senate, 102nd General Assembly:
Today, I return Senate Bill 2800 with specific recommendations for change so that the various sets of appropriations included in the bill will take effect at the necessary time.
Senate Bill 2800 is the omnibus appropriation bill for Fiscal Year 2022. It includes the Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations for both the operating budget and the capital budget. In addition, it includes a number of necessary supplemental appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021. Appropriations to implement the Fiscal Year 2022 budget require an effective date of July 1, 2021 so that they take effect on the first day of the fiscal year. In contrast, supplemental appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021 require an immediate effective date so that they can be available for use during the remainder of Fiscal Year 2021.
Article 999 – the effective date provision in Senate Bill 2800 – references many of the bill’s articles and, depending on whether the particular article contains new appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022 or supplemental appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021, specifies either a July 1, 2021 or an immediate effective date for each article. However, as is evident from the language in the bill, some articles were assigned the incorrect effective date, and many articles of the bill were not referenced in Article 999 and thus were not assigned a specific effective date.
It is evident that the errors and omissions in the effective date provision of Senate Bill 2800 were inadvertent as all appropriations bills traditionally have effective dates that align with the language of the appropriations. I believe that the legislative intent for Senate Bill 2800 was for new appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022 to have a July 1, 2021 effective date and for supplemental appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021 to have an immediate effective date. Without this amendatory veto, many of the appropriations in the bill would not take effect until June 1, 2022, eleven months into Fiscal Year 2022.
Therefore, pursuant to Article IV, Section 9(e) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 2800, entitled, “An ACT concerning appropriations,” with the following specific recommendations for change:
On page 3088, delete lines 8 through 12 and insert in lieu thereof the following:
“ARTICLE 999
Section 999. Effective Date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law, except that Articles 25 through 129, Articles 137 through 173, and Article 997 take effect July 1, 2021.”
With this change, Senate Bill 2800 will have my approval. I respectfully request your concurrence.
Sincerely,
JB Pritzker
GOVERNOR
Suffice to say it was a massive error in a tiny paragraph.
…Adding… Press release…
In response to Governor Pritzker issuing an amendatory veto on the state budget, SB2800, Deputy Minority Leader Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) released the following statement:
“Governor Pritzker’s amendatory veto once again highlights the need for an honest and transparent process in budgeting. Dropping a massively flawed budget in the last minutes of session is unfair to democracy and the residents of Illinois. Instead of working to fix a budget that increases lawmaker’s salaries, hikes taxes on businesses and has over $1 billion in new unvetted pork spending, the Governor chose to just make sure the law goes into effect sooner.”
* As we’ve all seen, viruses start small, but they can spread pretty darned fast. A reminder from the Wall Street Journal…
The Covid-19 virus infected people in five U.S. states in December 2019 and early 2020 before those states reported their first cases, according to a large new government study, providing new insights into the first, unseen weeks of the nation’s deadly epidemic.
Scientists analyzing blood samples taken for a National Institutes of Health research program identified seven people in states from Mississippi to Wisconsin to Pennsylvania who were infected with the new virus days or weeks before the first cases were confirmed in their areas. At least a couple had mild symptoms. […]
Two samples, one taken from a person from Illinois and another from a person from Massachusetts, date to Jan. 7 and 8, 2020, respectively, the researchers said. Antibodies found in the samples appear about two weeks after a person has been infected, the researchers said.
The number of Covid-19 cases found in the frozen, stored blood samples is small, suggesting the early cases in the U.S. were sporadic.
All told, the researchers found evidence of infection in just nine out of 24,079 participants whose blood samples were taken between Jan. 2, 2020, and March 18, 2020, for the NIH research program.
More than 90% of Covid cases in the UK are now down to the coronavirus Delta variant first discovered in India, data has revealed, as the total number of confirmed cases passed 42,000.
Also known as B.1.617.2, the Delta variant has been linked to a rise in Covid cases in the UK in the past weeks. It is believed to spread more easily than the Alpha variant, B.1.1.7, that was first detected in Kent, and is somewhat more resistant to Covid vaccines, particularly after just one dose. It may be also associated with a greater risk of hospitalisation.
June 21 was supposed to mark England’s “freedom day,” when the country’s remaining coronavirus restrictions would end, but the government has opted to keep them in place at least through July 19 because of concern over rising cases and a fast-spreading variant.
Boris Johnson announced the delay late Monday. “I am confident we will not need more than four weeks and we will not go beyond July 19,” he said. “But now is the time to ease off the accelerator.”
In the U.S., cases caused by the variant are roughly doubling every two weeks, according to former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and now account for at least 10% of new cases, he told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
The Delta variant of the coronavirus, which was first discovered in India and believed to be highly transmissible and more dangerous, is present in Illinois, state health officials told WTTW News.
More than 107 cases of the COVID-19 variant, also known as B.1.617.2, have been discovered in Illinois since the end of March, concentrated in the northeastern and central parts of the state, said Melany Arnold, a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Public Health.
* Watch it goooooooo!…
2) We are expecting the #DeltaVariant to continue growing in the US, outpacing all other variants just like it has in India 🇮🇳 and UK 🇬🇧, and become dominant in US by end of July, if not earlier.
* GISAID is a public/private partnership that promotes the rapid sharing of data. But the current GISAID data, which the IDPH has also relied on, is a bit high, according to the CDC. The CDC has changed how it classifies B.1.617.2 to a “variant of concern” from a “variant of interest” and is now sending its own data to states. The updated IDPH numbers will show 64 cases of the Delta variant in Illinois when its site is updated today.
Again, while still very small, we’ve seen how these things can spread enough times to know we have to keep an eye on things. And wide swaths of this state have horribly low vaccination rates, which means the potential for spread is quite real. Use common sense, and for crying out loud, get your shots.
* Related…
* If you want to avoid the ICU, get a COVID-19 shot, doctors say: “There are five people clinging to life in our ICU who did not get vaccinated,” said Dr. Jeff Huml, medical director of critical care at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield. “The pandemic is definitely not over. Vaccination is the only way that we’re going to close the door on this pandemic. What causes me grave concern is the number of individuals who consciously make the decision not to get vaccinated. What they have to realize is when they make that decision, they are potentially putting their life in jeopardy, the lives of their loved ones in jeopardy, and the lives of (others) they come into contact with in jeopardy.”
Facing almost certain defeat, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday threw the kitchen sink of arguments against a proposed 21-member elected board to run Chicago Public Schools — a plan favored by the Illinois General Assembly. […]
“A lot of the conversation that has been had over the course of this last legislative session is about dividing up the spoils of CPS. It’s about power. It’s about paying back somebody’s political patron. But it’s not been centered around our children. That’s telling. But it’s also frightening.”
*** UPDATE *** One of the compromises being proposed by House members is to run a trailer bill later to try and address some of the mayor’s concerns. From the above story…
“We fought too long and too hard over the course of many, many years to make sure that we’re providing real supports for people who have come to the city who want to raise their families, do the right thing, contribute to our tax base. Yet, we’re gonna vote on a bill that disenfranchises them and then say, ‘We’ll take care of it on a trailer bill?’” said Lightfoot, her voice rising as she referenced plans to pass followup legislation to address issues like how undocumented parents could vote, among other issues.
“Too little, too late. If you know that the bill is flawed, wait. Fix it.”
As a lobbyist on another issue said to me last night, “If you don’t pass a bill, you can’t fix it later.” Just sayin…
In the years since a man who should not have been able to legally have a gun in Illinois fatally shot five people at a manufacturing plant in Aurora in early 2019, state legislators have failed to reach a consensus on legislation to help prevent similar incidents.
That may change come Wednesday, when the Illinois House is set to debate legislation (House Bill 562) that would establish a structure for law enforcement to remove guns from people whose Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) cards have been revoked.
The Aurora shooter’s FOID card had been revoked when a background check found he’d previously committed a felony, making him ineligible for a gun license in Illinois. But police never confiscated his guns.
State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, said he plans to call the measure for a vote when the House returns for what’s scheduled to be a one-day special session.
“This I believe will save lives, and provide for a way to eliminate the (FOID card) backlog by modernizing it, and will encourage fingerprinting so you’re more easily able to have your card renewed,” Hoffman said. “It goes a long way to making sure that guns are kept out of the hands of non law-abiding citizens.”
Hoffman said it’s the first time in memory that a gun measure has the blessing of principal gun-control groups like the Gun Violence Prevention Action Committee and the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, even as the Illinois State Rifle Association, a gun rights group, is neutral.
Tuesday, Jun 15, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Prairie State is the largest single source of planet-warming carbon pollution in Illinois (and in the top ten polluters in the country when it comes to CO2). Its closure would provide significant benefits to public health and the climate.
According to the report, Prairie State’s emissions each year are equal to “2.7 million typical passenger cars—more than twice as much CO2 as any other point source in Illinois.”
It’s also the state’s top emitter of many pollutants that harm human health: it “emits more methane, SO2, and NOX than any other power plant in the state,” according to RMI’s report. Those toxins take a toll on Illinoisans: Prairie State causes about one premature death every week.
It’s time for Illinois to support a just transition away from the disastrous, dirty, Prairie State coal plant. Our wallets, our lungs, and our climate will be better off.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The Senate has apparently given up on a comprehensive bill and is now working on what’s being called a “skinny bill” which would address “time sensitive matters.” Provisions include a moratorium on nuclear plant closures (which would certainly prompt a court challenge), some Exelon ethics provisions and a “solar cliff fix” with related equity issues. “Yep, so a bill that cuts out everything environmentalists want,” said one top enviro lobbyist.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Senate President Pro Tempore Bill Cunningham is confirming to the Senate Energy and Public Utility Committee that the decarbonization process is still the sticking point. The enviros and the Pritzker administration, he said, want “descending caps” that could lead to plant closures before 2035 and 2045.
*** UPDATE 3 *** From Jordan Abudayyeh…
Reporters—
Since Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell was not called to testify in committee this afternoon, I’ve attached his remarks as prepared for delivery here. The latest draft of the bill is also attached. The administration has not seen any other language that has been presented at this time.
We can’t understand why those who oppose this measure would ignore the jobs I’ve just listed to try to preserve jobs that may go away decades in the future
*** UPDATE 4 *** It doesn’t sound like the “skinny” bill has any real support outside the Senate, including with labor.
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* From Gov. Pritzker’s policy advisor…
See attached for the last draft of the energy proposal, reflecting the Governor’s most recent offer on decarbonization, in response to labor’s continued requests. A summary of the new structure is as follows:
• Prairie State and CWLP: no unit-specific emissions cap; with IEPA approval of carbon capture and sequestration (must capture and store at least 90% of greenhouse gas emissions) by 2034, they can stay open until 2045
• Declining caps with a 20% aggregate emissions reductions requirement over a 5-year period (does not apply to specific units)
• Units with best available control technology can stay open longer than dirtier units
• Ripcord provision allows a plant to stay open if the RTO deems it necessary for reliability purposes
• IEPA rulemaking must consider the impact on the ability of resources to meet reliability requirements
• Phase out coal by 2035 (except PS/CWLP w/ 90% capture)
• Phase out natural gas by 2045
The two other substantive changes are: insertion of two low income pilot solar projects in Peoria and East St. Louis, as requested by Ameren Illinois and approved by the legislative workout group, and a clarification that the 10% set aside for equity eligible contractors applies specifically for those with that designation (responsive to a request by members of the black caucus).
There are a few other technical changes caught by various parties, including a telecom clarification requested by AT&T.
We stand by for questions, but believe this bill is ready for passage, and the Governor is ready to sign it.
The 2035 deadline for coal was a huge sticking point for organized labor, their legislative allies and some Republicans, particularly when it came to two coal-fired plants, Prairie State Energy and Springfield’s CWLP. Then they raised the natural gas issue, which was a big issue during last night’s negotiations.
* Organized labor still won’t budge, however. “If a plant is clean — why should they be forced to shut down?” texted a top labor leader to me this morning when I asked about the status of the proposal.
If they won’t bite on 2045, then I don’t know how much further the enviros can move. From an enviro lobbyist…
If in 2045 we have technology that allows for 100% CCS, then we can change the law in the next 25 years and they’ll be able to stay open. But why shouldn’t we plan for the likelihood (if not inevitability) that such technology is not feasible and/or affordable?
The carbon capture technology is at least four times as expensive as a carbon tax, which the governor proposed and the unions and the Senate President both opposed. WBEZ…
The Prairie State Energy Campus is represented by the lobbying firm that once employed Harmon’s chief of staff, Jacob Butcher, a relationship that has drawn scrutiny and questions about a potential conflict of interest from within some political circles at the statehouse.
But Harmon sharply defended his top aide in his first public comments on the issue and insisted Butcher’s past association “does not factor in at all” in the push by Senate Democrats to find some way to keep Prairie State from the green-energy chopping block.
“Jake Butcher left lobbying behind when he returned to public service at my request, and he works for me and he gives me good advice and I appreciate his wealth of knowledge. But his prior representations of anybody, including renewable companies, has no bearing on energy policy in the Senate Democratic caucus,” Harmon said.
And when asked about how he viewed some at the statehouse questioning Butcher being in the room as Prairie State’s future is debated, Harmon said going after legislative staffers is off-limits.
“I’m trying to bite my tongue,” Harmon said. “I would not call out the governor’s staff or the speaker’s staff for decisions or actions that the governor or the speaker take. Our caucus operates as a collection of elected representatives of the people who send us here to Springfield. We couldn’t do our jobs without an incredibly able staff. But we don’t throw staff under the bus. We’re the ones who are accountable to the people who send us here.”
Dykota Morgan, a 15 year old from Bolingbrook, IL, was tragically taken from her parents and family within 72 hours of exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. She contracted COVID-19 and passed away one week before the vaccine was approved for use in children ages 12-17. Listen to her parents, Krystal and Rashad tell her story and why it is so important to them to ensure children get vaccinated.
* This public service ad is now running on cable TV in the county. Watch it…
Tuesday, Jun 15, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Nominations are open now for the inaugural Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award. Inspired by the service of former U.S. Senator Paul Simon, a Democrat, and former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, a Republican, the award will affirm and celebrate the best traditions of Illinois politics and government.
The Simon-Edgar Award will be presented each year to an elected Illinois official at the state or local level who has demonstrated a pattern of public service characterized by vision, courage, compassion, effectiveness, civility, and bipartisanship.
We seek guidance from fellow Illinoisans and urge citizens from the Prairie State to nominate someone from local or state government who has displayed exceptional leadership. We are not seeking the perfect public servant, but a leader who has consistently endeavored to serve the public good and prepare their constituents for future challenges and opportunities.
* Letter to Gov. Pritzker today signed by leaders of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, BOMA, Illinois Municipal League, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Chemical Industry Council of Illinois and several others…
In 1997, Illinois deregulated the energy market resulting in billions of dollars in savings for homeowners and businesses. Our low-cost energy prices and reliable grid have been cited by governors time and again as reasons why businesses should stay in or relocate to Illinois.
Twenty-four years later, instead of building on this strength, the proposed energy legislation being circulated will be the largest rate hike on consumers and businesses in history. At least as it has been described to us by several of those who have been fortunate enough to be included in the discussions.
This legislation not only includes a rate hike for low-income families in every part of this state, but also on every business and organization large and small. Lobbyists for the environmental community and many others appear to have had unfettered access in writing a bill that imposes massive costs on others. On several occasions we have requested economic, reliability, and rate impact studies and the raw data inputs that undergird them. Those requests have been ignored. These are landmark energy changes will upend Illinois’ competitive energy marketplace. Ironically, as the state and Chicago proudly announced the Phase 5 reopening many of those same businesses and organizations are going to be saddled with significantly higher electricity costs, as reflected by those industries that have signed this letter.
At a minimum, we project the first installment of the cost increase on businesses and municipalities to be $700 million annually; including an additional $215 million to pay for new programs paid for by ratepayers without their input. Due to the lack of transparency and accountability in this process – meaning there is no data provided to outline the costs of every fee, mandate, and regulation in this bill – we are calling this legislation an installment because this legislation will only keep sending higher bills every step of the way. In a nutshell, this legislation will be a credit card that keeps spending money without any accountability. Period.
Since 1997, there has never been energy legislation subject to less transparency or accountability. Given the lack of transparency under which it has been developed, rate payers and policy makers deserve the benefit of full disclosure and independent verification of the cost impacts.
On behalf of the people most impacted by this legislation, we urge you to delay this legislation and meaningfully engage the consumers, business owners, organizations and municipalities that will be saddled with the costs.
I’ve asked the governor’s office for a response.
*** UPDATE *** Jordan Abudayyeh…
The Governor’s Office involved the business community in over 30 working group meetings that informed the clean energy package. Transparency and accountability have been nonnegotiable for the Governor, which is why the legislation contains critical ethics reforms, such as restitution, tax repayment, and more robust reporting requirements.
The latest draft of the energy bill also contains policy proposals that IMA and IRMA voiced support for, such as an option for large commercial and industrial users to opt out of energy efficiency requirements and increased support for combined heat and power.
The Governor also heard loud and clear that the business community did not want a new ratemaking structure to compromise reliability. That’s why, under the new system, reliability will be a performance metric. That means that ComEd and Ameren will be rewarded for improved reliability and penalized for decreased reliability.
* Meanwhile, here’s a weekend press release from Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…
After more than three years of community organizing and leadership, today the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC) announced its support for the nation’s most comprehensive and equitable climate and energy plan proposed by Governor Pritzker.
“After years of hard work and community collaboration, the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition is proud to support Governor Pritzker’s energy proposal, the only plan which takes a monumental leap forward on climate change and equity. ICJC welcomed the opportunity to work with the Governor, legislators, and community stakeholders to help bring this plan to fruition.
“The Governor’s proposal is a bold, equity-centered plan that shares the goals, vision, and values of the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA). This will put Illinois on a path to a 100% clean energy future with hard dates for phasing out coal and gas in the power sector while providing a just transition for workers and communities historically dependent on dirty fossil fuels, enacting some of the toughest utility accountability measures in the nation, and creating thousands of jobs and wealth in Illinois’ communities of color.
“This is an overdue victory for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities who are often the first to suffer the negative consequences of pollution but the last to reap the health and economic benefits of a clean energy future.
“The plan also saves 1,000 union jobs at nuclear plants without giving Exelon the huge bailout they demanded, a giant subsidy which would have cost ratepayers nearly $5 billion more over 10 years. And, it holds utilities like ComEd and Ameren accountable by ending formula rate increases that burden consumers and small businesses, and places an independent ethics monitor inside all utility headquarters to prevent another ComEd-type scandal.
* Illinois PIRG…
Omnibus energy legislation under consideration by the Illinois General Assembly this week maintains key formula rate policies, the value of which could be higher than the legislation’s reported Exelon subsidy, according to new analysis published today by Illinois PIRG.
The legislation maintains a key formula rate policy that guarantees utility profits, while also increasing utility profit margins, providing what could be a significant windfall for ComEd and Ameren.
The report analyzed a scenario based on projections ComEd’s parent company Exelon presented to its shareholders, using a profit level in line with recent Illinois practice, to calculate an indicative view of potential ComEd profits under the legislation. Under such a scenario, ComEd would swiftly be authorized to collect over $1 billion in annual profits from customers, resulting in an additional $664 to $893 million in profits over four years.
“Completely ending formula rates is the bare minimum we should expect from our elected leaders in response to the ComEd scandal. This legislation fails to,” said Abe Scarr, Illinois PIRG Director. “Illinois needs to marshall all its resources to reach our climate and clean energy goals, not direct billions of dollars in excess profit to ComEd and Exelon.”
Drafts of the omnibus legislation circulated last Thursday allow the current formula rate law to continue through the end of 2022, meaning proposed ComEd and Ameren rate increases will go through this year, and both can file for an additional formula rate increase next year.
Additionally, the legislation would allow ComEd and Ameran multiple end-of-year formula rate true-ups, or “reconciliations” based on actual costs, the key policy that guarantees their profits, beyond formula rate’s 2022 sunset.
The legislation’s new rate-making structure also includes an annual reconciliation based on actual costs, called an ‘Annual Adjustment” in the proposed legislation. The Annual Adjustment includes two of three accounting practices codified by a 2013 law ComEd advocated for after not getting its desired outcomes from regulators.
Because the formula created in 2011 tied profit margins to interest rates, which have remained historically low, profit margins under formula rates have been relatively low. Under the proposed legislation, utility profit margins would be set by regulators who typically set higher profit margins than those set by formula rates.
Illinois PIRG is calling on Governor Pritzker and legislative leaders to amend the legislation to immediately end formula rate increases and to completely remove key formula rate policies from future ratemaking structures.
A Pritzker spokeswoman defended the measure, saying in an email that the “absolute worst parts of formula rates are gone.”
In an emailed statement, ComEd took aim at PIRG, saying it didn’t understand the regulatory process and hadn’t participated in most of the ICC’s regulatory reviews of ComEd rates over the past decade.
“Our review of the public draft of the governor’s energy bill shows that if it’s enacted, Illinois will return to a traditional process for setting rates, with the ICC determining utility compensation based upon performance,” ComEd said.
Utility rates go up as they invest in the power grid. ComEd originally won support for the formula in return for a promise to spend $2.6 billion to install smart meters in every home and business and make the grid more reliable. It’s done that. But its capital spending budget for the next four years is at levels equivalent to the highest-spending periods during the smart-grid period. Given the higher returns ComEd is expected to earn on that investment, the effect on rates will be more dramatic than they were under the formula rate that all the parties now supporting the Pritzker bill profess to abhor.
A bipartisan group of 52 lawmakers from the House and Senate have signed a letter to Gov. JB Pritzker in opposition to plans to prematurely close not-for-profit coal-fired power plants, warning such a move would raise utility bills on consumers, eliminate jobs, place new financial burdens on communities forced to find replacement sources of power and threaten energy grid reliability.
Lawmakers are asking not-for-profit plants operated by City Water, Light & Power in Springfield and the Prairie State Energy Campus in Marissa to be excluded from the 2035 premature closure date proposed in energy legislation under consideration this week by the General Assembly. This will allow for a more responsible transition to a cleaner energy future that gives communities time to put in place new power sources, train and develop workers, keep utility costs stable and protect grid reliability.
The letter follows similar request to exempt the plants by organized labor and mayors from across the state led by the Illinois Municipal League.
— Eyewitness News WTVO/WQRF (@MyStateline) June 14, 2021
* Press release…
Gov. Pritzker Activates State Emergency Operation Center, Deploys National Guard to Respond to Chemical Fire in Winnebago County
Residents Within Two-Mile Radius Evacuated, Encouraged to Wear Masks Out of an Abundance of Caution
State Officials from Multiple Agencies Coordinating with Local Authorities to Keep People Safe
ROCKTON – Governor JB Pritzker has activated the State Emergency Operation Center to mobilize emergency response personnel and operational facilities to monitor a large chemical fire in Winnebago County. Upon notification of the emergency, the State notified authorities in Winnebago, Stephenson and McHenry counties. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) dispatched crews to the area to assist local jurisdictions to expedite assistance and resources. The Illinois State Emergency Operations Center in Springfield was activated and members of the Illinois National Guard and mobile response vehicles were dispatched to the area
Out of an abundance of caution, local authorities have evacuated a two-mile radius around the Rockton facility. Residents are encouraged to seek shelter at Roscoe Middle School, 6121 Elevator Road in Roscoe. State health officials are recommending that residents within the evacuation zone to northern part of Rockford utilize the use of masks or face coverings for the time being. This is to prevent the inhalation of particulate matter (soot). As this emergency progresses, it is important for residents to stay informed by monitoring local media for changing instructions.
“I am monitoring this situation closely and will make all resources available to the surrounding communities as we work to keep people safe,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Teams from multiple state agencies are on the ground and coordinating closely with local authorities and we will continue to make additional information available as soon we have it. To those impacted, please listen to guidance from emergency officials and know that the state of Illinois is doing everything possible to protect you and your loved ones.”
Shortly after 7:00 a.m., a large fire broke out at Chemtool, 1165 Prairie Hill Road in Rockton. Chemtool is the largest manufacturer of grease in the United States. Chemtool participates in the Tier II program. Tier II is an annual federal report that is mandatory for companies that store hazardous materials. This report is used by state and federal authorities to track and enforce rules related to the storing of hazardous materials in a facility. It also helps local authorities in the event of an emergency, such as a fire.
Personnel from the following State agencies and organizations are responding to this emergency:
Illinois Emergency Management Agency
Illinois State Police
Illinois Department of Transportation
Illinois Department of Public Health
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Office of State Fire Marshal
Illinois National Guard
Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS)
American Red Cross
Salvation Army
In addition, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency has activated its Radiological Emergency Assessment Center (REAC) and the Illinois National guard Civil Support Team to monitor the environment to establish air monitoring to validate plume modeling. These teams are used to make environmental recommendations to keep the general public safe.
The plant sits next to the Rock River, so they’re letting it burn for fear that contaminated water could flow into the river.
Note: On Friday, June 11, Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a significant modification to the state’s eviction moratorium, which is the most restrictive moratorium in the nation. The change allows county sheriffs to execute orders of possession that were issued by a judge prior to the pandemic. These pre-Covid orders of possession are the last-step in a months-long eviction process. They will affect residents who stopped paying rent or otherwise violated the conditions of their lease in 2019 or at the beginning of 2020, but who have remained in their units throughout the pandemic. The Governor has indicated the moratorium will be completely lifted by August. For additional background material please click here.
June 14, 2021 (Chicago, Ill.) As the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago enters Phase 5 of its recovery plan, the Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance (NBOA) thanks those residents who worked with their housing providers to meet the housing challenges of this pandemic.
The Governor’s modified executive order is limited to those residents who have clearly been taking advantage of the moratorium. This action will help to stabilize housing after such a difficult year when housing providers were required by law to provide a public service but were rarely if ever provided with public support.
Michael Glasser, president of NBOA, said, “As we join all of Illinois in celebrating the many sacrifices that led to the lifting of pandemic restrictions, we especially thank those neighborhood housing providers who, often at great personal cost, kept all their tenants housed and safe during this long year.”
NBOA research indicates that housing providers are owed over $1 billion in delinquent rent. It also shows most housing providers had to cut spending on repairs and maintenance, and one-third of neighborhood housing providers lack the funds for basic building expenses such as the mortgage, property taxes, utilities, and payroll.
Fortunately, rental assistance programs were eventually created to assist tenants and housing providers with these problems. Glasser added, “We are grateful to the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, and the Chicago Department of Housing for administering the federal rental assistance programs which provided funding for those who had fallen behind on their rent.”
Evictions are always a last resort for any housing provider. Not only are they emotionally draining, they are also time consuming and expensive. As the statewide eviction moratorium is lifted, it is important that residents know most housing providers are willing to negotiate an amicable solution to their problems.
The NBOA is asking members of the media to inform the public that should they continue to have difficulty in paying their rent, they should not wait to contact their housing provider to ask for assistance. In most cases a housing provider and resident can come to an amicable solution if the lines of communication are open. Moreover, the City of Chicago’s emergency rental assistance program is still open for applicants through Tuesday, June 15, 2021.
* Conservative all-white Downstate editorial board which serves a liberal and diverse university/health care community quotes Martin Luther King, Jr. in its lede about the pandemic, tosses in a reference to chains (and, later, handcuffs) for effect and then mocks people with legit anxiety…
Free at last? Let’s hope so.
The chains are off — mostly.
People — finally — are going about their business in a normal way, save for the relatively few having trouble coming to grips with independence.
* Related…
* Experts: ‘Reopening Anxiety’ is Real, Widespread and to Be Expected
…Adding… Yep…
1) 15 months, not 16. 2) We were never in "lockdown"; the stay-at-home order lasted 2.5 months and didn’t include a curfew or punishment? 3) Mitigations have been gone and everything’s been back open since February with expanded capacity since May. 4) Masks aren’t handcuffs. https://t.co/7nV4RTWJ2qpic.twitter.com/r0ATNmmDuD
* Mark Palmer asks: “Any insight on which IL Bill re: Juneteenth will @GovPritzker sign this week (SB1965 or HB3922)? Or is there a process where they are combined, or otherwise?”
The differences between the two bills include the effective dates and the days off if June 19th falls on a Sunday or Saturday. From SB1965…
Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Provides that Juneteenth National Freedom Day shall be observed on June 19 of each year as a holiday throughout the State (currently, not a holiday and is observed on the third Saturday of June of each year). Provides that when June 19 falls on a Sunday, the following Monday shall be held and considered the holiday. … Effective immediately.
Provides that when June 19 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, neither the preceding Friday nor the following Monday shall be held or considered as a paid holiday (rather than the following Monday being considered a holiday). Effective January 1, 2022.
Juneteenth falls on a Saturday this year.
* The only hint the governor’s office gave me was pointing to the Statute on Statutes…
Two or more Acts which relate to same subject matter and which are enacted by the same General Assembly shall be construed together in such manner as to give full effect to each Act except in case of an irreconcilable conflict. In case of an irreconcilable conflict the Act last acted upon by the General Assembly is controlling to the extent of such conflict. The Act last acted upon is determined by reference to the final legislative action taken by either house of the General Assembly
Final passage for SB1965 was May 27th. Final passage for HB3922 was May 31st. So if he signs them both, HB3922 becomes controlling and there will be no Monday off this year and it won’t take effect until next year (when it falls on a Sunday).
Nearly a year to the day after ruling it out as too costly, Mayor Lori Lightfoot declared Monday that Chicago will recognize June 19th, known as Juneteenth, as an official city holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
The mayor’s surprise announcement came during an event at Daley Center Plaza that kicked off a week-long Juneteenth celebration. […]
On Monday, the mayor explained her change of heart just days before Gov. J.B. Pritzker is set to sign a bill declaring Juneteenth a state holiday.
* Sheldon H. Jacobson, Ph.D., professor of computer science at the University of Illinois, writing in the News-Gazette…
However, when evaluating the likely outcome in the next election, the new maps position Democrats to win two additional Senate districts and four additional House districts, everything else being equal. This is something that the committee did not want you, the voters, to know.
Although Republicans fight against gerrymandering in Illinois, in neighboring states like Wisconsin or Indiana, Republicans hold the redistricting power and draw maps to serve their interests. However, with a Democratic governor holding veto power in Wisconsin, that division of power will create more balance in their final maps.
These remapping efforts also serve as a precursor to when Illinois’ congressional district map is redrawn later in the year. There is nothing to prevent the same partisan process being followed and the same egregious results achieved.
Gerrymandering is not a Democrat or Republican problem, it is an ethical problem, and any political body or people that willfully gerrymanders or is complicit with such activities is exhibiting questionable ethics. Are these the people you want running the state?
Now that these maps are law, the stage is set for Illinois to have another 10 years of dysfunctional government, a structurally imbalanced tax system and other artifacts of gerrymandering, effectively excluding voters from the democratic process. It is no surprise that people are fleeing Illinois en masse.
Numbers are numbers, but tossing in a screed on the “Illinois Exodus” is kind of a tell. Jacobson told me he used 2016 election results as a basis for these claims.
My ratings of the new Illinois state senate districts for the 2022 elections. Republicans will likely pick up 1 or 2 seats, but Democrats still retain a supermajority. The only toss-up is a Metro East district that voted twice for Trump with a D incumbent #twill#ElectionTwitterpic.twitter.com/6L2s3tth4A
Calabrese told me today that the key to rating these races is to plot the addresses of the incumbents. “I don’t think these other people did that. It takes a long time.” He did say, however, that he thought the House Democrats have a shot at as many as 5 more seats. But, as with everything, it will take some effort, the right candidates and could depend on what happens in DC.
*** UPDATE *** Good point…
I am skeptical of any analysis that attempts to predict the outcome of the 2022 elections based on geography and top of the ticket past performance alone, too many other factors will also matter.https://t.co/JaaOMIm24P
Monday, Jun 14, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Prairie State is the largest single source of planet-warming carbon pollution in Illinois (and in the top ten polluters in the country when it comes to CO2). Its closure would provide significant benefits to public health and the climate.
According to the report, Prairie State’s emissions each year are equal to “2.7 million typical passenger cars—more than twice as much CO2 as any other point source in Illinois.”
It’s also the state’s top emitter of many pollutants that harm human health: it “emits more methane, SO2, and NOX than any other power plant in the state,” according to RMI’s report. Those toxins take a toll on Illinoisans: Prairie State causes about one premature death every week.
It’s time for Illinois to support a just transition away from the disastrous, dirty, Prairie State coal plant. Our wallets, our lungs, and our climate will be better off.
It offers a glimpse at how Covid-19 ravaged the psyche of the mayor’s office. She and staffers worked 24/7, trying to respond to one crisis after another. That January week in particular was strenuous.
She sent the email Jan. 28, the same day that Chicago Public Schools and its teachers union were in the throes of a battle to get children back in classrooms. In an interview that evening, the mayor told WTTW’s Brandis Friedman that the CTU had just proposed “defunding police and having the CTU dictate housing policy in the city. Neither of those two things are appropriate for bargaining a teachers’ contract.” Lightfoot looked tired and frustrated.
Earlier that week, the mayor was on the phone with the Biden administration pressing for more vaccines. The day before she sent the email, Lightfoot headed a six-hour City Council meeting that focused on a disturbing number of car-jackings in the city. On top of all that, the mayor’s spokesman, Michael Crowley, resigned, a move that by all accounts had been known for two months. Still, it couldn’t have made the week any less stressful.
“A lot was coming down on her that week,” a source close to the mayor’s office told Playbook. “A lot was happening. Her intentions were good,” though there were times during the most stressful days of the pandemic that Lightfoot was “completely awful” as a manager.
Yeah, OK.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Oh, this is rich…
I took a look at Lightfoot’s January calendars this morning and she usually had office time on her schedule.
…Adding… I didn’t notice this at the end of the Politico story…
The mayor’s job is tough. It’s not hard to imagine her predecessors — Rahm Emanuel or Richard M. Daley — erupting similarly. Hers was just memorialized in an email.
Um, no.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Response…
Lightfoot on this: "Obviously to write an email like that comes after a lot of conversation and born of frustration. We got beyond that and solved the challenges that were at the heart of that email which was written five-plus months ago so I think we’re in a better place." https://t.co/Xsn4Jjgc1q
*** UPDATE 3 *** MLL should probably read this morning’s subscriber edition because this fight is pretty much ovah…
On the elected school board bill in Springfield, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she's quoting Gen. MacArthur, "I have not yet begun to fight!" It was actually Captain John Paul Jones.
On Nov. 19 last year, the number of Illinois House Democrats who had publicly stated they would not vote to reelect Speaker Michael Madigan grew from 12 to 17, meaning that Madigan at that point did not have enough votes to win. By Dec. 1, two more House Democrats, including a member of Madigan’s own leadership team, had turned against him. “The 19” became a real force in Illinois politics.
The fight didn’t end there, of course. Unions, the Black Caucus, the Latinx Caucus and others tried to reverse the tide, but it was no use. Madigan couldn’t reach the 60 votes he needed to win reelection and he eventually stepped aside. Rep. Chris Welch was quickly elected to replace him, becoming the first Black House Speaker in Illinois history.
Almost all of the media analysis of Speaker Welch’s first spring session has centered around the opinions of Republicans. Members of the super-minority party didn’t say too many nice things about their chamber’s new leader.
But I was curious what those 19 House Democrats had to say about Speaker Welch’s freshman session. Not everyone initially supported him, after all, and Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) didn’t vote for him when the House formally cast its votes.
All 19, down to a person, gave Welch glowing reviews on his first session. Even Cassidy said Welch “did really well” during the session.
Rep. Cassidy also said she agreed with a statement sent to me by Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-Naperville). Stava-Murray said she’s been “impressed” with Welch’s leadership, saying that he brought their diverse caucus together, which was also reflected in his leadership team.
“There were wins that seem small but were huge, like having digital access to our bill analyses anywhere beyond the House floor,” she said, adding that the remap and budget processes went “relatively smoothly,” and concluded, “All in all, I’m proud of what we’ve been able to get done for the people of Illinois under the leadership of Speaker Welch.”
One member of Welch’s new leadership team is Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston), who was also one of the 19. “I think he performed very well,” Assistant Majority Leader Gabel said. “We were able to pass significant legislation. The new speaker is accessible and fair to all.”
“He made real strides on building a new house that has some bad muscle memory,” said Rep. Lindsey LaPointe (D-Chicago). Like a lot of her colleagues, Rep. LaPointe praised Welch’s accessibility. “He seems to care about us as humans and our success, instead of as just cogs in a larger machine,” LaPointe said, noting that small things like “the use of a shared Google drive” has made life easier.
Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) was the only Black Caucus member to openly break with Madigan. “I think he’s doing a fine job thus far,” West said of Welch. “Morale is different than it was before. It feels good to have a speaker who is accessible.”
Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) made a bid for the chamber’s top post, but said Welch has done a “great job” during a difficult period, “both with regard to managing caucus dynamics and empowering individual members to have an enhanced role in policymaking, which I’ve not experienced before.” Williams said later that she didn’t realize how little input she had until Welch became speaker and opened up the process so that member priorities were addressed.
Rep. Kathy Willis (D-Addison) was the 19th person to register her opposition to reelecting Madigan and was on Madigan’s leadership team at the time. She also ran for Speaker herself, but said she thought Welch did an “excellent” job this spring. Like most everyone else, she praised his openness and willingness to listen and singled out his caucus management skills as a big plus.
Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) also made her own bid for the top job. I talked to Rep. Kifowit last and told her that not one member of the “19” had said a bad thing about Welch and asked if that surprised her. It didn’t.
“I think that the caucus had been starved for so long that a fresh glass of water is just thrilling,” she said. “We were treated so horribly that it is a breath of fresh air to have somebody that respects you enough to meet you where you’re at, or to actually listen to you, look you in the eye and listen to you, not gloss over it.”
I honestly expected at least a little criticism from at least some of those 19 people. I heard none.
Monday, Jun 14, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Nominations are open now for the inaugural Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award. Inspired by the service of former U.S. Senator Paul Simon, a Democrat, and former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, a Republican, the award will affirm and celebrate the best traditions of Illinois politics and government.
The Simon-Edgar Award will be presented each year to an elected Illinois official at the state or local level who has demonstrated a pattern of public service characterized by vision, courage, compassion, effectiveness, civility, and bipartisanship.
We seek guidance from fellow Illinoisans and urge citizens from the Prairie State to nominate someone from local or state government who has displayed exceptional leadership. We are not seeking the perfect public servant, but a leader who has consistently endeavored to serve the public good and prepare their constituents for future challenges and opportunities.
* We raised over $23K to help this young lady pay some of her college expenses after her father died. There’s no doubt that Wordlsinger would’ve been so proud of Emma…
