ComEd officials have been working hard to push legislators to override Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of Senate Bill 1652.
They have met with the Editorial Board three times to get our support. They’ve lobbied lawmakers hard and a Better Government Association analysis showed that the company has given more than $1.3 million to campaign funds for lawmakers and their parties. (Sun-Times editorial HERE.)
Friday, we heard from Doug Scott, the former Rockford mayor who is the chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission. One of the criticisms of the ComEd bill is that it strips the ICC of its authority. The ICC proposed a compromise that would have allowed ComEd to pay for a smart grid yet would retain the ICC’s power in the rate-making process.
However, ComEd wants more changes than the compromise offered.
The General Assembly will be back in action next week. ComEd needs five more votes in the Senate and four in the House to override the governor’s veto.
There are no party lines on this bill. While our local Republican reps voted for it, none of the local Senate Republicans did. Sens. Tim Bivins and Christine Johnson told me they probably will vote no again. Bivins and Johnson said residents who already are struggling because of the 67 percent income tax increase, higher gasoline prices and the upcoming toll increase can’t afford a utility increase on top of those.
Dave Syverson voted no in May, but said he’s keeping an open mind.
Rep. Jim Sacia didn’t vote on the original bill because he had an excused absence that day. He told me in an email that he intends to support the bill this time because he thinks it’s important to keep the technology up to date and to invest in infrastructure.
Rep. Joe Sosnowski sees the bill as a jobs creator and good for consumers in the long run because you’ll have more control over how much electricity you use and when you use it. He predicts there will be a trailer bill that “will contain more consumer protections, dedicated revenue for storm response and clear evidence that consumers will save money under the modernization plan.”
Dave Winters is a cosponsor. He wrote a guest column in July in response to one of our editorials. Democrat Chuck Jefferson also was a yes vote the first time around.
Speaker of the House Mike Madigan is a supporter, but Attorney General Lisa Madigan is fighting the ComEd bill. Must make for interesting family dinners.
ComEd officials think they have the votes to override the veto. Scott doubts they do. My guess is that Scott is right, but we’ll find out next week.
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