A shift to Illinois and the environment

Articles — By forcechange on November 5, 2008 1:28 pm

Given recent events, the state of Illinois is poised to become a focal point for environmental and energy policies.  Most importantly, the election of Barack Obama, an Illinois Senator, will naturally increase the influence and attention placed on this state’s policies.  That influence is hinted at by the fact that Obama announced only one day after the election that he would be appointing Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff.

However, not only is the Obama victory going to increase attention on Illinois policy, but the passing of California Prop 1A, the high speed rail bond measure, is also expected to build momentum for a similar high speed rail proposal for Chicago and the greater Midwest. 

Additionally, the Illinois state government is considering a bill this month that would adopt the same efficiency standards as the California Clean Cars Law.  The Illinios state legislature is faced with the option of following the relatively weak federal CAFE standards, or adopting the more stringent California regulations.  The proposed Illinois bill is called the Illinois Clean Cars Act and we will be covering it in much greater detail going forward.

Update: We forgot to mention the other environmental issue at the nexus of President-elect Obama and Illinois, which is ethanol.  We’ve looked at the many criticisms of ethanol before, and will continue to discuss it, as it will likely be brought into the forefront with an Obama presidency.