In this issue:
- Nuclear power moves back to the forefront of Illinois electricity generation
- Meeting with local advisory groups
- Great crowd at this week’s senior expos
- Illinois headlines
Nuclear power moves back to the forefront of Illinois electricity generation
Illinois is home to the largest number of working nuclear reactors of any U.S. state, with approximately 12% of all nuclear power in the United States being generated here. This is in spite of the state’s nearly 40-year moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants. The General Assembly finally acted last year to lift that moratorium.
Now the door is open to a new cycle of nuclear power plant planning utilizing new technology such as “small modular” power units which are safe from the threat of meltdowns because they cannot get hot enough to do so. These smaller units can generate up to 300 megawatts of power.
The state has asked local governments and organizations if they would welcome being the site of a future nuclear power plant, and nine responded favorably, including the six localities which currently host nuclear power stations, two new communities, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Three of those communities are in La Salle, Grundy and Will counties.
The two new locations, located in Peoria County and Jasper County, signaled openness to the possibility of hosting new nuclear stations. Each of those are home to coal-fired power plants which have been shut down or are scheduled to shut down soon. Many areas of the state have an urgent need for new electrical power generation while the Pritzker administration pursues policies which would shut down coal-fired plants.
Meeting with local advisory groups
I had a VERY busy week!
I had the opportunity to meet with our local officials, economic development leaders, and energy advisory committees to discuss a number of important topics and opportunities for our district.
These conversations are so valuable. The people who live, work, and serve in our communities are the ones who know what we need—and they help guide me as I work to make sure our district’s priorities are heard in Springfield.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to meet with me, share your ideas, and continue working to make our communities stronger!
I’m grateful for the partnership and look forward to continuing the conversation!
Great crowd at this week’s senior expos
We had a great crowd at both of our senior expos this week.
On Monday I joined Senators Sue Rezen and Chris Balkema, and Representative Jed Davis, in Morris for an event to share information about local and state resources for seniors. On Wednesday I hosted a similar event in Pontiac with Senator Balkema and Representative Dennis Tipsword.
I am absolutely blown away by the incredible turnout at both events! We saw so many people come through, and it was wonderful getting the opportunity to visit with everyone, answer questions, and connect our seniors with resources in the community. It’s always great getting out and visiting with the people I have the privilege of serving.
Thank you to everyone who came out and to all of the amazing organizations who made these events possible!
Our current bill backlog
When a vendor provides the state with goods and services, they submit the bill to the Illinois Comptroller for payment. The Comptroller processes the paperwork and pays the bill when funds are available in the state’s checking account. Currently the total amount of unpaid bills is $1,165,312,169. This figure changes daily. Last year at this time the state had $3.8 billion in bills awaiting payment. This only includes bills submitted to the Comptroller for payment, not unfunded debts like the state’s pension liability, which is well over $100 billion.
Illinois headlines
Pritzker signs new laws requiring businesses to accept cash, pay employees for jury duty
Watseka mural to highlight city’s rich history
OSF nurses across the valley receive praise
Red Cross declares national blood supply crisis. Where to find a donation drive
Consumers in six Illinois counties will soon be paying higher sales taxes