Gov. Pat Quinn used his veto pen Friday to scotch a coal gasification
plant on the Southeast Side of Chicago. Environmental advocates hailed
the move, but also warned that New York City-based Leucadia National Corporation would return to Springfield with a revised proposal.
And that
may be the case. But energy companies have not yet figured out how to make 'clean coal' or 'coal to gas' projects both economically and environmentally appealing to Quinn and state lawmakers. Read more »
The Illinois Senate this afternoon narrowly passed a bill 31-27 to raise the cigarette tax a dollar a pack – sending it to Gov. Pat Quinn who will enthusiastically sign the measure. The bill impacts smokers, who now must pay $1.98 in taxes per pack.
It is also intended to greatly impact state Medicaid payments – the levy is supposed to generate $700 million a year, which includes $350 million in federal matching funds. Also, included in the bill is $100 million in anticipated revenue from hospital assessments. Read more »
The following was written by Jack Darin, director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter.
Two dozen health, faith, farm, and environmental advocates joined with us this week to urge the Illinois House to reject a proposal to force Illinois ratepayers to subsidize the coal plant proposed by the Tenaska corporation. Twenty-five organizations signed the letter to Illinois lawmakers, a sign of new and growing opposition due to concerns about pollution from Tenaska’s plant and its very high cost.
“Creating a new electric plant that requires us to mine and burn more Illinois coal in communities already suffering from the effects of mining, while it places a long-term surcharge on the electricity costs for low-income people is not only poor policy, it is unjust,” said Rev. Dr. Clare Butterfield, Executive Director, Faith in Place and the Illinois Interfaith Power & Light Campaign, among the faith leaders joining opposition to Tenaska’s legislation.
Overshadowed by the prolonged and ultimately fruitless debate on a
big tax break bill, the Illinois Senate used an extra day of their fall
veto session, November 29, to approve a coal-to-gas plant in Taylorville,
Illinois, by a 30-28 vote. It is estimated to cost state utility ratepayers $3.5
billion.
The Senate had twice rejected the proposed Taylorville
Energy Center to be run by Omaha-based Tenaska, Inc., including as
recently as Oct. 27.
But a parliamentary maneuver by bill sponsor
John Cullerton (D-Chicago), the Senate president, kept the energy plant
alive and now the bill goes to the House. A similar measure narrowly
passed the House in November 2010. Read more »
Gov. Pat Quinn used his veto pen Friday to scotch a coal gasification
plant on the Southeast Side of Chicago. Environmental advocates hailed
the move, but also warned that New York City-based Leucadia National Corporation would return to Springfield with a revised proposal.
The Illinois Senate this afternoon narrowly passed a 
The following was written by Jack Darin, director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter.