“According to Jennifer Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, its senate sponsor, Michael Hastings (D–19), plans to discuss elements of the bill with her organization, the AFL-CIO, and the IMA over the summer, which suggests it may be reintroduced the next legislative session in a revised form…Its passage would mean that “if a protestor trespasses onto a facility just to put up a sign, or blockade a road, they would go from a night in jail to a one- to three-year jail sentence,” Walling says. Damaging or tampering with critical infrastructure equipment could have resulted in a felony charge, prison time, and fines up to $100,000.”
Chicago and Illinois Remain Committed to Achieving Climate Goals Despite Threats to Federal Funding
February 1, 2025
Environmental leaders believe grants and other sources of funding will allow them to continue cutting pollution, even if federal money isn’t available following the change