Illinois Democrats Pass a $2.5 Billion Mass Transit Bailout
It was déjà vu all over again at the Capitol last week, with Illinois Democrats passing more tax hikes in the early morning hours of the final day of the fall veto session.
After months of behind-the-scenes negotiations, House Democrats dropped multiple versions of their mass transit bailout in the waning hours of veto session. This came after the Senate Democrats had passed their own mass transit bailout bill at the end of the spring session, a bailout funded by extremely unpopular taxes like a delivery tax on packages and food.
The House Democrats’ first version of their bailout bill also contained extremely unpopular tax hikes, including a 7% statewide amusement tax on events and streaming services, a $5 large event ticket surcharge (on top of the 7% amusement tax), and automated speed camera enhancements in safety zones. The Democrats’ initial tax hike plan was so untenable that even Gov. JB Pritzker immediately threw cold water all over it.
On the final night of veto session, the House Executive Committee held a subject matter hearing on the yet-to-be-filed second version of the Democrats’ Mass Transit Bailout. My House Republican colleagues pointed out the absurdity of holding a hearing on legislation that hadn’t even been filed, read or analyzed by legislators or legislative staff.
Late on Thursday night, House Democrats finally filed their revised bailout as Floor Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 2111. After debating the bill well past midnight, Democrats passed SB 2111 on a partisan rollcall vote of 72-32-0. The Senate concurred by a vote of 36-21-0.
The Democrats’ Mass Transit Bailout includes $1.5 billion in tax increases and $1 billion in higher Tollway charges to fix a $200 million transit fiscal cliff.
Deputy Republican Leader Norine Hammond called the Mass Transit Bailout the largest Road Fund raid in Illinois history. SB 2111 breaks the longstanding transportation funding deal that was a 55/45 Downstate/Chicago split. The Mass Transit Bailout sweeps nearly $500 million from Downstate road funding, resulting in an 85/15 Chicago/Downstate split.
Unfortunately, this mass transit bill lacks the operational reorganization and accountability measures necessary to cut out the unnecessary bureaucracy that is causing so much inefficiency and cost overruns in the system. Instead, it’s a tax increase and a sweep deal that takes away road funding from everywhere outside Cook and the collar counties. That includes communities I represent in DeKalb County. It’s another rob Peter to pay Paul scenario that, in the end, we’re going to have to address again next year. That’s not a good solution.
Raising Awareness for Metastatic Breast Cancer
Speaking on the House floor to raise awareness for Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day through House Resolution 444, I presented the resolution to signify Illinois’ commitment as a state to raising awareness about metastatic breast cancer and, more importantly, to honor the strength and resilience of those who have suffered from this disease.
To watch the video – Click Here.
Latest Green Energy Bill is an $8 Billion Hit to Ratepayers
Despite families and small businesses struggling under the weight of drastic spikes in energy costs in Illinois, Democrats pushed through another broad green energy bill that doubles down on the failing status quo.
Senate Bill 25 is another example of flawed green energy hopes that Illinois ratepayers are already all too familiar with. This isn’t an energy bill so much as an environmental giveaway that gives power to unelected bureaucrats to raise energy rates in the future. With baseload generation gutted, we can only expect rates to skyrocket – even more than they already have.
The bill passes on $8 billion of costs to families and businesses who pay electric bills. As I have said many times, I support a comprehensive, all-of-the-above energy approach that can meet demand, is reliable, and doesn’t cost consumers an arm and a leg. Illinois used to be a net-exporter of energy, but now, not only are we a net-importer of energy, we are having to import energy generated by coal and gas from other states to meet the needs in our state. All because Democrats refuse to accept the reality that we need an all of the above approach to ensure we have an adequate energy supply to keep rates affordable and ensure reliability.
While there is some good in this bill, such as the repeal of the nuclear construction ban, it’s crammed between handouts for special interests and rate hikes for consumers.
This proposal makes it less likely that job creators will locate their business in Illinois. Small businesses this past summer saw their electricity rates double and triple from last summer.
BATTERY STORAGE
There are serious safety concerns that the bill does not address. If a lithium battery catches on fire, or if a battery storage warehouse catches on fire, the price tag and effort to put that fire out are huge.
Are communities trained and ready to handle emergencies when it comes to the massive, uncontrollable battery fires we have seen from battery storage warehouses? Democrats are gambling that this new and unproven technology will work well enough to be subsidized with ratepayer dollars.
We should encourage innovation, but it must be balanced with reality and not at the expense of Illinois families. Battery storage may be needed for renewable energy supply, but it is untenable at this scale and cost. Other states have battery storage that is privately funded.
PROPERTY RIGHTS
SB 25 further takes away local control for renewable project siting. It also reduces the permit fees that counties may charge for renewable projects. It does not allow local counties to zone battery projects. All this means your community could be forced into having major energy projects go up almost anywhere in the community without you having a say.
THE BOTTOM LINE
We cannot believe Democrats when they tell us that this legislation will lower electricity bills. Past green energy legislation has promised savings but has only delivered more expensive energy bills. Likewise, past green energy bills have dramatically reduced energy production in Illinois through forced closures of coal and other power plants.
The only thing “green” about this is that Illinoisans will be handing over a lot more of their greenbacks when their utility bills arrive.
Instead of focusing on expensive and unattainable green energy hopes, we should focus on preserving the reliable energy sources we have now as renewable technologies develop and become more reliable and affordable. Families simply cannot afford it.
Illinois lawmakers approve ban on civil immigration arrests in state courthouses
From Capitol News Illinois: After weeks of verbally condemning the aggressive federal immigration crackdown in the Chicago region, Illinois lawmakers approved legislation banning civil immigration arrests in and around state courthouses early Friday morning.
House Bill 1312, among other provisions, would also allow Illinois residents to sue immigration agents who violate their constitutional right to due process and protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.
It heads to Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk after clearing the Illinois Senate 40-18 and the Illinois House 75-32 in the waning hours of their annual fall veto session. […]
The bill also allows Illinois residents to sue immigration agents for violating their constitutional rights. They would be able to collect punitive damages, which can be increased if the agents are wearing a mask, concealing their identity, failing to wear a body camera or using a vehicle with a non-Illinois or obscured license plate.
State Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, warned that it would have unintended consequences on state and local law enforcement. Law enforcement groups like the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and the Illinois Sheriff’s Association cited similar concerns.
“This bill goes too far,” Windhorst said. “It is too broad and there will be grave consequences to our state if it is adopted.” […]
Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, characterized it as “an imperfect bill.”
And he acknowledged that lawmakers were “playing with a stacked deck” versus a federal government with the “upper hand” due to the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution. And there will be legal pushback.
Read more from Capitol News Illinois.
Gerrymandering: It’s Wrong No Matter Which Party Is Doing It
In 2021, Illinois Democrats enacted, and Governor Pritzker signed, a map that Illinois voters would have to use throughout the 2020s to elect members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Called “the worst gerrymander in the U.S.”, the map divided Illinois’ population into 17 congressional districts, 14 of which were designed to elect Democrats. Republican voters were either scattered throughout the Democrat districts or “packed” into three Downstate Illinois districts that were designed to be overwhelmingly Republican.
Even though he already had 14 of the 17 Illinois congressional seats, U.S. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) wanted more. Jeffries met with Illinois Democratic leaders last week to lobby for a mid-decade redistricting that would add another Democrat district.
House Republicans pushed back hard in opposition to the Democrats’ latest gerrymandering scheme. Partly because of this rapid response, the proposed new congressional map did not move forward.
Speaking at a press conference at the beginning of the final week of the fall veto session, my colleague, Deputy Republican Leader Ryan Spain, decried this latest push to further disenfranchise Illinois voters by pursuing even more gerrymandered Congressional districts to elect more Democrats to Congress. This is despite Illinois already having Congressional districts rated F by the non-partisan Princeton Gerrymandering Project.
Gerrymandering only stands to deepen divisions, and it is WRONG no matter which party is trying to do it! We need Fair and Independent maps in Illinois!
Democrats Decouple from Federal Taxes, Hurting Illinois’ Economy
From The Center Square: Decoupling Illinois’ tax code from the federal tax code also passed the Illinois General Assembly in the early morning hours on Halloween.
During House debate late Thursday evening, state Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, said decoupling Illinois from the federal tax code equals a tax increase for Illinois businesses.
“We’re putting our businesses at a competitive disadvantage again, by decoupling, while every other state that is still coupled to the federal tax law is going to see a savings for their business because the federal taxes have been lowered with us raising them again, which is essentially a tax increase,” Ugaste said. […]
State government spending has increased $16 billion, or 43%, since Pritzker took office in 2019.
The decoupling bill was approved by the Illinois Senate at 2 a.m. Friday.
Read more from The Center Square.
Upcoming Event: Mobile DMV
My team is partnering with Rep. Joe Sosnowski, Sen. Dave Syverson, and the IL Secretary of State’s Office to host a Mobile DMV in Huntley on Dec. 15. Space is limited and advance registration is required.
More information or to register – Click Here.
I hope you’ve found this update helpful. I’m honored to serve you as your State Representative. As always, please feel welcome to call or e-mail me with any questions, concerns, or feedback on these or any other issues.