And That’s a Wrap!
The 2025 Illinois state legislative session wrapped on Sunday, June 1, and it was a bruising one for the climate. First the bright spots: the Mahomet Aquifer CCS Ban (SB1723) and PFAS Phase-Out (HB2516) passed both houses and are off to the governor to sign. Congrats to everyone who worked so hard on these bills!
Unfortunately, all clean energy, transportation and plastic reduction bills were stalled at the last minute. The good news is there is positive momentum in both houses, so we just have to keep working to get the votes that are on the fence to get these landmark bills across the finish line before January 2027 when the 104th Illinois General Assembly concludes.
As the public is becoming more cognizant of the problems dirty energy, inefficient transportation and plastics are having on our world, our daily lives, and our health, public sentiment is shifting, making it harder for the opposition to capitalize on their deep pockets and ties to legislators. So we need to keep up pressure, continue educating the public and electeds, and get these bills passed. Stay tuned for next steps!
If you are looking for a deep dive into the session you can read more here, and as a member organization of the Illinois Environmental Council, all LWV Chicago members are able to attend the annual members-only debrief on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 @ 12:00 PM via Zoom. Sign up to attend.
The air quality of recent days illustrates why climate should be top of all of our minds. New and bigger risks are affecting our daily lives, and we are putting our one and only planet in bigger jeopardy. All of this is an existential risk to our democracy.
The Environmental Action Committee is working hard to provide LWV Chicago members actionable steps to take to work toward a more sustainable world. Thank you to everyone who participated in our Action Alerts, called their legislators and showed up at rallies and hearings. We continue to encourage you to take personal responsibility and try ideas from our Tips & Tricks for Sustainable Living and peruse our Waste Not Want Not blogs to expand your sustainability horizon.
Want to join us? Email us at environment@lwvchicago.org for access to our meetings. Note: we now meet the second Monday of every month at 4:30pm.