It’s beautiful outside and the General Assembly was back this week to debate an energy omnibus bill yet again. Man, I thought Groundhog Day was in February.
In brighter news, the NFL is back this weekend. What’s your Super Bowl prediction? I’ve got the Bills and the Bucs.
Energy Omnibus Bill Contains Electric Vehicle Provisions
The House convened on Thursday to pass a comprehensive energy omnibus package. SB 2408 is nearly a thousand pages long and was being amended late into the evening on Thursday. The Illinois Chamber is opposed to this legislation largely due to the historic rate increases that will be forced upon residential and commercial users. For more on this bill, see today’s Government Affairs Report. Energy Council members will receive a comprehensive look at the bill.
Meanwhile, I want to look at the provisions for electric vehicles in this bill which are overlooked by the enormity of the bill.
- Establishes a goal of adopting 1,000,000 electric vehicles in Illinois by 2030. Note that this is a goal and not a California style mandate.
- Requires electric utilities to file beneficial electrification plans with the ICC to support the rapid deployment of electric vehicles and make-ready infrastructure statewide. Among other things, this plan must address charging stations, medium and heavy-duty work vehicles, and public transportation.
- Requires IEPA to award rebates to help fund up to 80% of the cost of the installation of charging stations and requires recipients to pay prevailing wage on installation projects. Unionized labor will be required on these projects and there are ambitious goals for BEP hiring.
- Creates an Electric Vehicle Coordinator within IEPA.
- Requires IDOT to conduct a study to consider how the adoption of EVs will adversely affect resources needed for transportation infrastructure.
- Creates an up to $4,000 rebate for consumers who purchase an electric vehicle. Proponents claim this will be revenue neutral. Opponents, including the Chamber, point out that if this is true the pot of money is so limited that very few people will receive one of these rebates.
- Performance Based Ratemaking (in other words the amounts utilities can charge consumers) will be determined in part by the state’s adoption of EVs
Appointment to Future of Work Task Force Made Official
Late last week I was honored to be appointed by Leader McConchie to the Future of Work Task Force. This task force is made up of elected officials, members of organized labor and business representatives in equal number. The task force is charged with looking into the future of work but what that means remains nebulous this early. I’ve been told the scope will be wide ranging but particular attention will be paid to independent workers and the “gig economy”.
My worry is there are significant elements that want to use this task force as a trojan horse for California style regulations on tech companies. As you know, there are no ballot initiatives in Illinois that can undue a bad law.
I expect to work on these issues with many of you. Don’t hesitate to reach out on this for any concerns or input.
Read the appointment message here.
For additional background on the appointment: Late last month, Governor Pritzker signed HB 645 into law. The bill was sponsored by Representative Marcus Evans in the House and Senator Ram Villivalam in the Senate. This bill creates the Illinois Future of Work Task Force to study the future of work and submit a final report to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than May 1, 2022. The Chamber flagged this task force as we believe it will study critical issues such as the importance of the “gig economy.”
The task force is comprised of representatives of the business and labor communities as well as numerous state officials. Each of the four legislative leaders were allotted four appointments to the taskforce. Members serve without compensation.
IL Chamber Vice President of Government Affairs Clark Kaericher was appointed to serve as a member of the taskforce by Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie. Kaericher will serve as a representative of the business community. Vice President Kaericher is also the Executive Director of the Chamber's Infrastructure and Technology Councils.
Electric Vehicle Presentation a Success
On Tuesday, the Chamber along with the Dutch Consulate, Intersect Illinois and Ford Motor Company had a presentation about the future of electric vehicles in Illinois. President Todd Maisch provided our prospective about EV policy here in Illinois. Ford’s Tony Reinhart presented several great things Ford is pursuing right here in Illinois. For those of you that weren’t able to attend, you can view the entire presentation here.
Bills Signed into Law
HB 253 IDOT Asset Management was signed into law. This bill requires the Department of Transportation to establish and implement a transportation performance program for all transportation facilities under its jurisdiction. The Department shall develop a risk-based, statewide highway system asset management plan to preserve and improve the conditions of highway and bridge assets and enhance the performance of the system while minimizing life-cycle cost. The asset management plan shall include, at a minimum, strategies leading to a program of projects that would make progress toward achievement of targets for asset condition and performance of the State highway system. IDOT shall develop a performance-based project selection process to prioritize taxpayer investment in transportation assets that go above and beyond maintaining the existing system in a state of good repair and to evaluate projects that add capacity.
HB 270, Bicycle & Pedestrian Ways was signed into law. This bill provides that, in or within a municipality with a population of over 1,000 people, the Department of Transportation shall establish and solely fund bicycle and pedestrian ways in conjunction with the construction, reconstruction, or other change of any State transportation facility. Adds an exemption in cases in which the municipality passes a resolution stating that a bicycle or pedestrian way does not fit within its development plan. Provides that if programmed funds identified as supplemental funding for the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program are not expended for 5 years, the Department has the option to use those funds to pay the cost of bicycle and pedestrian ways in roadway projects.
HB 3712, Car Sharing Program was signed into law. This bill creates the Car-Sharing Program Act. As amended, provides that a car-sharing program shall assume liability of a shared-vehicle owner for bodily injury or property damage to third parties or uninsured and underinsured motorist or personal injury protection losses during the car-sharing period in an amount stated in the car-sharing agreement, which amount may not be less than 4 times the minimum amounts required under the Illinois Vehicle Code (instead of those amounts set forth in the Illinois Vehicle Code). Provides that a car-sharing program shall ensure that, during each car-sharing period, the shared-vehicle owner and the shared-vehicle driver are insured under a motor vehicle liability insurance policy that provides insurance coverage in amounts that, for the shared-vehicle driver, are equal to 2 times the minimum amounts set forth in the Illinois Vehicle Code (instead of in amounts no less than the minimum amounts set forth in the Illinois Vehicle Code).
SB 2193, Freight Burglary was signed into law. This bill provides that a person commits burglary when without authority he or she knowingly enters or without authority remains within a freight container with intent to commit therein a felony or theft. Provides that burglary committed in, and without causing damage to a freight container or any part thereof is a Class 3 felony. Provides that a burglary committed while causing damage to a freight container or any part thereof is a Class 2 felony.
SB 2424, Railroad Supplier Diversity was signed into law. This bill amends the Railroad Supplier Diversity Act. Adds the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (doing business as Amtrak) to the list of entities that may report to the Illinois Commerce Commission under the Act. Effective immediately.
SB 2459, Electronic Signature was signed into law. This bill provides that the Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, and the Capital Development Board shall each accept the use of electronic signatures in transactions between those State agencies and other persons or entities, unless all parties to the transaction waive the right to use electronic signatures. Provides an exception to the use of electronic signatures for transactions involving technical submissions.
Articles of Interest
Until next time,
Clark
