There are only two full weeks of the legislative session left before the May 31 deadline, and the IEC team is working overtime with our partners to ensure that our priorities cross the finish line. Next week is the deadline for bills to receive a full floor vote by both the House and Senate, a key milestone in the process. Get up to speed on the latest developments.
Farewell to Foam!
It’s all hands on deck for SB1531, a bill to phase out toxic foam foodware in Illinois. If you haven’t contacted your lawmakers using our action page, please do it today! This bill has passed the Senate and moved out of House committee. Its last hurdle is passage out of the full Illinois House. Additionally, we are closely monitoring the prospects of the bills to phase out single-use plastic bags (SB1872) and make plastic utensils only available by request (HB1600). We’re keeping hope alive for those bills and will continue pushing for them to come up for a vote, even in these final days of session.
PFAS ban set to move out of the Senate.
PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have been shown to have many negative health impacts. HB2516 would prohibit the use of this toxic chemical in the manufacturing of children’s products, cosmetics, intimate apparel such as sleepwear or underwear, menstrual products, and dental floss. While we still will work to remove this chemical in its most prevalent use cases, food packaging and cookware, this is important progress. We’re closely tracking committee activity, and HB2516 is set to be considered any day now.
Important conservation bills advance in the Senate.
While we are disappointed that wetlands protection legislation may not move forward this session, last week, the bill to ensure that Indigenous tribes can be a party to a land protection agreement (HB1605) moved out of the Senate Judiciary committee unanimously, moved to third reading, and awaits a vote on the Senate floor. If you haven’t yet, click here to send a note of support to your Senator!
In addition, Township Open Space (HB1367) passed the Senate Executive Committee and is on third reading, ready for a Senate floor vote. This week, a bill to add rewilding as a conservation strategy available to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources passed the Senate Environment and Conservation Committee. Rewilding is the process of restoring ecosystems by reintroducing native species, particularly keystone species, and by allowing natural ecological processes to recover. This strategy has been used effectively in other states and regions to increase biodiversity, improve ecosystem health, and build resilience against climate change and habitat degradation. There was also a resolution filed to celebrate TNC’s Emiquon’s 25th Anniversary – HR 337 (Hammond).
Accelerating Illinois’ clean energy progress in the power sector.
FEJA created energy efficiency and solar programs, CEJA set goals and forged clean energy transition pathways, and the CRGA Act will bring our grid infrastructure into the 21st century. Through a series of working groups, important conversations are happening related to the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act (SB2473/HB3779), and we expect the ongoing negotiations process to produce updated bill language before Climate Action Lobby Day next week.. We want to see this energy omnibus bill:
- Increase energy efficiency requirements for both ComEd and Ameren customers
- Increase access to solar for municipal utility and rural electric cooperative customers who’ve long faced red tape
- Require energy modeling so that the state adequately plans for our energy needs
- Improve infrastructure by increasing transmission and fixing interconnection issues to deploy renewable energy more quickly
- Require data centers to bring their own new clean energy to the grid, a.k.a. “BYONCE”
Fix it and fund it! We’re getting closer to transforming transit.
Alongside our partners in the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, we’re working around the clock to negotiate a transit bill that overhauls transit leadership and invests $1.5 billion annually in a transit system that’s safer, cleaner, and more reliable. Working alongside lawmakers and labor is only half the battle – once we reach agreement on proposed legislation, which we hope to do early next week, we’ll need to convince all members of the Illinois General Assembly that this package has to pass by the end of the month. Some lawmakers are wavering on the need for a $1.5 billion investment to not just plug the hole caused by the transit fiscal cliff, but to truly transform our transit system. It’s more important than ever that your lawmakers hear from you – send a note to them today that they must support a $1.5 billion investment in transit and significant reforms by the end of May.
Things are moving extremely quickly as the final weeks of session approach. We will continue to keep you informed when significant movement occurs on our key priorities and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone at Climate Action Lobby Day in Springfield next week!
