The House was in recess this week, but the Senate returned to Springfield for Session Tuesday through Friday.
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Last Friday was the scheduled third reading deadline for both the House and Senate, but the Senate extended many of the deadlines so that bills could be worked on this week. The Senate did not work on any major energy legislation this week and the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee canceled their scheduled meeting on Thursday.
Senate Energy and Public Utilities is scheduled to meet next Thursday at 11 am. The Committee will consider HB 3656 (Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Litchfield) that would create a task force to study the desulfurization of flue gases in Illinois coal burning power plants. The Committee will also consider HB 3396 (Rep. Mike Fortner, R-West Chicago) that would allow municipal electric utilities to sell power into the Illinois Power Agency procurement process. The Energy Association has not taken a position on either bill.
The House Public Utilities Committee is scheduled to meet on the AT&T telecommunications modernization effort next week. The Committee is scheduled to take testimony at 1pm on Tuesday. The Committee will be focused on hearing testimony from cable television operators who currently have concerns with the AT&T initiative. The Energy Association continues to work with its members to try and resolve industry concerns with the AT&T bill.
The Illinois General Assembly spring legislative calendar is entering its final weeks. Both Chambers are scheduled to adjourn until fall on May 31st. The Senate deadline to move House bills out of Committee is next Friday. The House deadline to move Senate bills out of Committee is the following Friday on May 19th. Both Chambers have set May 26th as their deadline for moving substantive bills on 3rd reading.
The House and Senate will take very few days off between next Tuesday and the end of May. There are few visible signs of progress on a budget agreement. Without a budget the General Assembly could find itself in overtime Session this year.
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