Despite vocal local opposition, negative editorials, and warnings from the Department of Revenue, the House and Senate passed the STAR Bonds Financing Act (SB 1909) earlier this year. This regrettable bill would divert revenue from the State during a severe financial cr isis and give that money to clout-heavy private developers, expressly for the purpose of developing the 100 year floodplain.

Governor Quinn returned the bill to the General Assembly in August with a recommended amendment. While the Governor's amendatory veto is some acknowledgement that this bill would worsen the State's severe fiscal problems, it does nothing to address concerns for the environment.

UPDATE: SB 1909 is dead. However, new STAR bonds legislation will be introduced next session.

Floodplains should remain undeveloped! Floodplains act as buffers, reducing the number, impact, and severity of floods. Floodplains frequently contain large tracts of wetlands and provide critical wildlife habitat. Wetlands are important in the process of storing and filtering floodwater, and recharging aquifers. The preservation of floodplains helps to control runoff and minimize nonpoint source water pollution. SB 1909 goes against everything we have learned over the years about floodplain management and protecting the integrity of river ecosystems.

The Department of Revenue estimates that each STAR bond project could cost the State $15 million per project per year in lost tax revenue. Subsidizing irresponsible development of the floodplains would be unwise anytime, and is especially so now when the State has an enormous deficit and is carrying out severe staffing and service delivery cuts. STAR bonds projects can also harm nearby communities, both financially and environmentally.

Please join the Illinois Environmental Council in calling upon the General Assembly to reject SB 1909. Ask your representative to reject the special interests and protect communities, the environment, wildlife and taxpayer dollars with a vote against SB 1909.

IEC and member groups pushed to get good legislation passed and to the Governor’s desk. Click here for a list of IEC-supported bills that we expect Governor Quinn to sign. Also, we successfully opposed bad bills that were not consistent with IEC's 2009 Policy Agenda.

We will continue to oppose a couple of regrettable bills that did make it through the General Assembly. Also, we are calling upon the General Assembly and the Governor to enact a budget with adequate funding to operate state government through FY 2010. Without additional legislative action, the state's economic recovery and environment will be at greater risk. 

IEC evaluates pending bills to determine their likely effect on our health, our natural resources, and our economy.Check out our Policy Agenda for the first year of the 96th General Assembly for a guide to the kinds of policy changes we need

• to protect our environment and the public health, and 

• to continue the transition to a more sustainable energy economy.

Priorities for a Healthful Illinois: 2009 Illinois Environmental Briefing Book offers specific policies and legislative action for top environmental priorities: global warming and energy, open space and natural areas, transportation, environmental health and clean water. The issues were selected by IEC based on their impact on the health of Illinois citizens and the state’s natural heritage and the ability of Illinois decision-makers to have an immediate effect on them.

Though it’s still early, 2009 is shaping up to be the year in which environmental and economic realities finally intersect in meaningful way on the national and state political stage. Our new president has expressed a strong interest in solving economic problems through the creation of “green” jobs and sent an important signal in his first week in office when he directed the U.S. EPA to reconsider its refusal to let states adopt and enforce aggressive clean car standards.

Meanwhile, the political landscape in our cash-strapped state has gotten a little greener with a new governor and leadership in the General Assembly with an environmental bent.

Since becoming governor, Patrick Quinn has talked about the need for sustainability to be the fundamental principle of a major capital spending program and for smart, clean energy to be a priority.  His first actions as governor indicate that he is doing more than talking the talk but he is walking the walk, too.

On. Feb. 5, Quinn appointed Marc Miller to be director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Miller, a natural resources professional and avid outdoorsman who has dedicated his career to protecting Illinois’ natural heritage for future generations, replaced Kurt Granberg, a former state representative appointed by former governor Rod Blagojevich. Quinn also signed into law SB1132, a measure that puts back $9 million into restricted state accounts for wildlife and conservation programs. The funds were originally swept from federally funded programs last year to pay for other state expenses.

And on Feb. 26, Quinn fulfilled a pledge when he took office and reopened seven state parks that were closed last fall by former Rod Blagojevich as cost-cutting measures.

Quinn faces tough choices in these uncertain economic times, but he has some new allies in Springfield to deal with the issues. Changes in the Senate leadership put John Cullerton and Christine Radogno, both longtime environmental champions, in charge of the Senate Democratic and Republican caucuses, respectively. In the House, the 2008 elections helped bring into office a new class of leaders who have clean energy high on their list of priorities. Other potential allies include Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who helped stem the Bush Administration's attacks on our environmental laws with regular legal challenges, and State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, who has put the state's purse to work creatively to protect the planet.  

Springfield is a brave, new world in 2009, with old divides crumbling and new alliances being formed.  IEC is working hard through the Partners for Parks and Wildlife, Illinois Climate Action Network and Mercury Free Illinois coalitions to take advantage of this historic alignment of the political planets. We’re moving forward on various policies and pieces of legislation that will help us protect Illinois’ great natural heritage for future generations.