Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) | Bailey's website
Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) | Bailey's website
Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) is doing everything he can to oppose the clean energy bill Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law on Sept. 15.
“Call your senator and tell them to reject Pritzker’s job-killing and rate-raising Illinois Green New Deal,” Bailey posted on Twitter. “This irresponsible and activist-driven legislation allows for eminent domain and will have Illinois importing energy and exporting jobs while working families pay the price.”
Bailey, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, isn’t alone in expressing outrage over the measure that will shift state energy policy toward renewable energy sources and away from a reliance on fossil fuels. The bill also calls for the closure of the downstate Prairie State Coal plant, while pumping nearly $700 million in subsidies to Exelon over the next five years to keep three nuclear plants running.
While the governor has hailed the deal as “transformative,” state Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) has blasted it as just the same old Springfield at work.
“This legislation is nothing but a goodie bag for special interests,” he said in a press release. “The availability of affordable and reliable energy for Illinois residents is in jeopardy thanks to legislation rammed through the House this week.”
State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) also warns the bill stands to force every state resident to have to dig deeper in their pockets.
“We are going to cost every ratepayer in this state more money,” Tracy said in a video posted to YouTube. “The one thing Illinois has had going for it for years is reliable and affordable energy. It seems like we’re trying to set a standard that maybe will put us in a position where we have to import energy from the same carbon that we’re trying to get away from.”
Alerts Sign-up