The House and Senate returned to Springfield this week. Both Chambers were in Session Tuesday through Thursday. This was the first week of committee work since the bill filing deadlines. There are now only three weeks left until the committee deadline, for bills in their original chamber.
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The Senate Public Health Committee met this past week to consider SB 1698 (Sen. Scott Bennett D-Champaign) which would prohibit the disposal of PCB and Manufactured Gas Plant waste in any landfill whose runoff goes into the Mahomet Aquifer. The Energy Association is opposed to SB 1698, because it would make it very difficult to dispose of certain types of waste that utilities throughout Illinois deal with on a routine basis. SB 1698 passed out of committee with an agreement to narrow the prohibition with an amendment.
The Senate Appropriations I Committee met this week to consider floor amendment #1 to SB 274 (Sen. Dan Kotowski, D-Park Ridge). The floor amendment attempts to fill shortfalls in the 2015 fiscal year budget by taking money out of various designated funds. Several funds related to the energy industry are affected by the amendment, including the Supplemental Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund, and the Renewable Energy Resources Fund. The amendment was approved by the committee but has not been adopted onto the bill, as budget negotiations continue. The amendment to SB 274 only addresses about $600 million of the $1.6 billion shortfall for 2015.
Many of the House Committees that had been scheduled to consider legislation this week were canceled. The House Energy Committee is scheduled to meet next Wednesday. The Committee is scheduled to hear HB 2607 (Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Buffalo Grove) which is an omnibus bill that contains numerous energy related initiatives for the environmental community. HB 2607 would expand the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, expand the use of energy efficiency programs and implement carbon regulations that would affect electric generation facilities in Illinois.
The Illinois Energy Association will be hosting a reception honoring the Senate Committees on March 11th from 5:30 to 7:30pm at Augie’s Front Burner. Those wishing to attend these events should contact Erica Drake at edrake@elaineg75.sg-host.com .
The General Assembly returns to Springfield next Tuesday with the House and Senate in Session Tuesday through Thursday.
- Monk
- Evans
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