Last year, Illinois came within striking distance of raising tailpipe-emission standards, but the debate got mired in regressive Bush-era environmental politics and the Illinois Clean Cars Act never came up for a vote in Springfield.

With a new powerful ally in the White House ready to back state-level emission standards, not to mention a leadership shake-up in Springfield, Environment Illinois lead attorney Brian Granahan stated yesterday that the General Assembly has no excuse not to pass the bill this year.

“Before, the auto industry said ‘Let’s see how this plays out in court,’” Granahan explained to us. “Now the Obama administration has taken that argument away from them," referring to the White House’s effort to push the Environmental Protection Agency to approve stricter emissions standards in California, which had been blocked under the Bush administration.

While 14 other states have managed to beat back the bullying of corporate interests and adopt similar legislation, none are from the Midwest. Within a matter of weeks, Reps. Julie Hamos and Elaine Nekritz plan to dust off the Clean Cars Act (which has overwhelming public support) and reintroduce it in the House, the Reader’s Mick Dumke reported yesterday. Dumke sums up a few new factors that environmentalists predict will lessen opposition:

Just weeks from receiving government assistance, the car companies aren’t in the best position to make demands. And while the next spike in gas—and there will be one—is likely to prompt another cry for efficient cars, Hamos said the automakers have already stated that they won’t comply with tougher regulations if they don’t have to.

Granahan added that lawmakers are running out of excuses for cowing to auto industry demands: “It’s time we show leadership in the Midwest.”