2025 Legislative Report
IEC’s state legislative team has published our 2024 Legislative Report detailing environmental wins and setbacks during this year’s legislative session.
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Legislation
Transit Teetering Over the Fiscal Cliff After Lawmakers Adjourn Without Fixing and Funding Transit
ILLINOIS — On Sunday, the Illinois General Assembly adjourned without addressing Northeast Illinois transit agencies’ $770 million budget deficit, leaving the millions of transit riders who use the system every day and the transit operators who run and maintain our trains and buses in the lurch. Jen Walling released the following statement on behalf of the
Wrapping Up the 2025 Illinois Legislative Session
Our team has been on the ground at the Capitol for the last five months, all the way up until the final moments this evening. And you’ve been right there with us.
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Illinois’ Climate Goals and Consumers At Risk Amidst Legislature’s Inaction
Illinois General Assembly misses opportunity to deliver cleaner, lower-cost, more reliable energy amidst rising costs, increasingly extreme weather, and federal mismanagement. ILLINOIS — Today, just one day before energy bills are expected to spike across Illinois, the General Assembly failed to pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act, which would have taken critical
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As U.S. House Republicans Pass the Most Expensive Anti-Environment Bill in History, Illinoisans Call for State Action on Climate and Consumer Protections
ILLINOIS – Early Thursday morning, House Republicans passed a reconciliation bill that wipes out good-paying clean energy jobs and raises energy costs for families by gutting the historic progress made in the bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act. Hours earlier at the Illinois State Capitol on Wednesday, hundreds of community leaders, environmental advocates, faith leaders, business representatives, consumer
A Sprint to Accelerate Illinois’ Clean Energy Progress
With two full weeks of the legislative session left before the May 31 deadline, IEC is working overtime to ensure our priorities cross the finish line.
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Illinois Has Your Back, Mother Earth
We can’t count on Washington to do right for the environment. Good thing Illinois’ environmental movement is on top of it.
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Conservation Advocacy in Illinois
We’re midway through the legislative session. Our team has been hard at work this week rounding up roll call votes for many of the bills we’ve been tracking.
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Illinois’ Gardens Fight Climate Change
The Homeowner’s Native Landscaping Act, passed into law in 2024, is a win for Illinois’ biodiversity and climate.
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Powering Progress: Richland Community College Now Training Up Illinois’ Clean Energy Workforce
CEJA Workforce Hub Celebrates 100% Enrollment Across Training Programs DECATUR, IL—Today, Richland Community College (RCC) and the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) hosted “Powering Progress: Richland Community College’s Clean Energy Careers in Action” at its Decatur campus. The event highlighted RCC’s Clean Energy Careers program, which provides training and certification for entry-level positions in solar, HVAC,
Restoring Voting Power to People in Prison
Expanding democracy in Illinois is not only good for people, but our environment as well. We have seen that when marginalized communities are empowered, environmental protections become more possible.
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Tackling Plastic Pollution in Illinois
Our legislative team at IEC has been working hard to ensure our bill sponsors have the tools and public support to advance our agenda this session.
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Bills Phasing Out Single-Use Plastic Clear Key Legislative Hurdle
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Cornerstone legislation phasing out the use of certain types of single-use plastics advanced out of the Illinois State Senate Environment and Conservation Committee today, an unprecedented milestone for legislation of this kind in Illinois. SB1531, a bill phasing out single-use foam foodware sponsored by Sen. Laura Fine, and SB1872, a bill phasing
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6 Civics Tips for Illinois Environmentalists
Illinoisans are enthusiastic about gaining the skills to effectively help us build power for people and the environment.
6 Civics Tips for Illinois Environmentalists Read More »
2024 Environmental Scorecard
Here you will find IEC’s 2024 Environmental Scorecard for the Illinois General Assembly. Scores are based on the environmental impact of each legislator’s voting record over the last legislative session. Not only is IEC’s scorecard one of the most effective measurements of our movement’s growing environmental power, but it’s also a powerful accountability tool as
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2024 Environmental Legislative Update
Early Wednesday morning, days after its scheduled adjournment date of May 24, the Illinois General Assembly passed the state budget and concluded the Spring legislative session. Going into an election year with an expected budget deficit, we anticipated that it would be more challenging than usual to pass critical pieces of legislation this session. Despite
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2024 Environmental Legislative Update
Today is the scheduled adjournment day of the regular legislative session. However, as of this morning, it became clear that leading members of the House and Senate are planning for state budget-centered discussions to carry on this evening and into the weekend. We are also seeing an increase in internal caucus meetings, which are causing
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2024 Environmental Legislative Update
Both the House and the Senate were in and conducting business this week as we move closer to the final days of this year’s regular legislative session. While next Friday is the scheduled adjournment day of the regular legislative session, we anticipate that discussions centered on the budget will take some time and could take
2024 Environmental Legislative Update Read More »
2024 Environmental Legislative Update
Both the House and the Senate were in and conducting business this week as we move closer to the final weeks of this year’s regular legislative session. Many bills were granted extended deadlines for advancing through the legislative process, and some important pieces of the Illinois Environmental Legislative Agenda continue to move through the legislative
2024 Environmental Legislative Update Read More »
Hundreds Gather in Springfield to Advocate for Equitable Climate, Transportation, and Energy Legislation
Springfield, IL. – Hundreds of community leaders, environmental advocates, faith leaders, business representatives, consumer groups, students and state legislators rallied outside of the Illinois State Capitol Building today in support of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC) Platform, a slate of legislation that would double down on Illinois’ bold climate policy and secure a more