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“People and Planet First Agenda” announced

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Illinois

* Press release…

House Majority Leader Greg Harris, Chair of the Appropriations I Committee State Senator Heather Steans, State Representative Will Guzzardi and Latino Caucus Chair State Senator Omar Aquino joined leaders with Fair Economy Illinois in Springfield to announce a People and Planet First Agenda for the new legislative session. A trio of bills will bring transparency in use of fracking chemicals and raise $433 million in new revenue by closing corporate tax loopholes.

“Today we are focused on bringing adequate revenue to fund education, human services, capital investment and good public safety across the state,” said Majority Leader Greg Harris. “While we are all working towards a fair tax along with Governor JB Pritzker, the needs in education, public safety, new roads and bridges, support for seniors and childcare are immediate and they need funding now.”

“Although there is a new landscape in Springfield, Illinois is still in crisis. The social service sector, public education and environmental enforcement need urgent attention and investment in this legislative session,” says Bea Westrate, a leader with Fair Economy Illinois and a resident in Harris’ district. “Passage of these environmental and revenue bills would be an important downpayment on the governor’s promise to make our state safer and our tax system fairer.” […]

HB282 is a transparency bill giving Illinois residents the right to know whether an oil or gas well transects their property, possibly polluting drinking water. State Senator David Koehler (46) and State Rep. Robyn Gabel (18) are the primary sponsors in their respective chambers.

HB2085/SB1115 reigns in offshore tax sheltering and would generate $318 million annually in revenue for the Illinois General Fund. Majority Leader Rep. Greg Harris (13) and State Senator Heather Steans (7) are the primary sponsors in their respective chambers.

HB2079/SB1132 amends the “Retailers’ Discount” tax break, to claw back $115 million in consumer-paid sales taxes kept by big corporations. Corporate giant Walmart keeps over $8 million each year through this tax break. State Rep. Will Guzzardi (39) and State Senator Omar Aquino (2) are the primary sponsors in their respective chambers.

Discuss.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 6, 19 @ 11:12 am

Comments

Make Illinois Great Again.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 6, 19 @ 11:20 am
The Dems are taking the Greens’ platforms names:
“The Green New Deal” was lifted directly from the Greens and “People and Planet” sounds like a state version of the Greens “People, Planet, Peace” platform. Both of these have been overwhelmingly rejected by the media and voters for years. It will be curious to see how they fare now.

Comment by Duopoly Wednesday, Feb 6, 19 @ 11:28 am
My state agency is in crisis because a of Rauners anti-union appointments are still in place.

Seriously, I was told Monday by my agencies HR(Rauner appointee) that I could have had so many bonuses had i left the union? That’s a straight up lie.

JB needs to clean house of these people. She was hanging stuff in her office too which tells me she thinks she is staying around.

Comment by The Dude Wednesday, Feb 6, 19 @ 11:32 am
HB2085/SB1115 reigns in offshore tax sheltering and would generate $318 million annually in revenue for the Illinois General Fund.

Is just the contribution from the Prtizker accounts in the Caymans or are other billionaires in Illinois going to pony up too?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, Feb 6, 19 @ 11:49 am
What is this Retailer’s Discount thing? I’m assuming this is when retailers miscalculate the sales tax that is charged to a consumer, then the retailer keeps the remaining revenue after the sales tax is paid to the State?

Comment by California Guy Wednesday, Feb 6, 19 @ 12:27 pm
I don’t know anyone supporting People and Planet last - so I call bunk on all of it.

And there’s a change in governor and attorney general out of hundreds of elected offices. So this government is about as new as a 1966 VW Beetle.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Feb 6, 19 @ 12:51 pm
I read this post after the one immediately above regarding Sterigenics, and all I could think is that a “People and Planet First” agenda should encompass shutting that facility down.

Comment by Notorious RBG Wednesday, Feb 6, 19 @ 1:05 pm
==What is this Retailer’s Discount thing?==

If a retailer remits the sales tax they collected on behalf of the state on time, they get to keep a small portion. I think this was put in place to offset the costs of doing the work to file the forms. Guessing most large retailers have software that does this automatically.

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Feb 6, 19 @ 1:38 pm
I believe “People and Planet First” was the name of the half-time act at Super Bowl XX.

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Feb 6, 19 @ 1:42 pm
=I don’t know anyone supporting People and Planet last - so I call bunk on all of it.=

I do. All those people wearing MAGA hats.

Comment by Duopoly Wednesday, Feb 6, 19 @ 2:24 pm
HB 282 is kind of a head scratcher. The Illinois oil industry and legislature came together a few years ago with a compromise law that resulted in the most strict (without an outright ban) regulation of high-volume fracked horizontal wells in the United States. Governor Quinn even touted it as such when he signed it, I believe.

A combination of that legislation and low oil prices effectively shut down the drilling of “shale wells” in Illinois. Also, it appears the geology and economics are better in states like Texas, New Mexico and North Dakota for those types of wells anyway.

Only one permit was ever issued for one of the horizontal shale wells in Illinois and it was withdrawn by the oil company prior to the well being drilled. No “shale well” has ever been drilled in Illinois since the law was enacted.

The legislators sponsoring HB 282 are from Peoria and the Chicago burbs. I wonder who alerted them that even more regulation is needed? Is someone leasing land to drill horizontal shale oil wells near Peoria, Naperville or Evanston?

Comment by BCOSEC Wednesday, Feb 6, 19 @ 3:31 pm