Rock Island Today

On Aug. 11, State Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savanna), the House minority leader, criticized Illinois Democrats for their perceived extremism and failure to prioritize problem-solving. McCombie’s comments came after Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s veto of a clean energy pathway bill, which she claims would have provided affordable and clean energy options for the state.

“The extremism of Illinois Democrats knows no bounds. More fraud, more federal investigations, higher energy costs, and more rights infringed,” McCombie said, according to an Aug. 11 press release. “Last week State Auditors revealed $5.2 billion of fraud within the unemployment system - some of which was collected by Governor Pritzker’s Executive Branch employees. The same week, another federal corruption trial began, and Democrats are silent about the need for meaningful ethics reforms. Governor Pritzker vetoed a pathway to inexpensive, clean energy, all because Illinois Democrats are dead set on virtue signaling instead of problem-solving.”

Pritzker vetoed legislation aimed at lifting the state’s moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants, according to Energy News. The legislation, which would have allowed the development of advanced nuclear reactors such as Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs), had passed with bipartisan support in May but faced opposition from anti-nuclear activists and clean energy groups who argued that other renewable sources could meet the state’s energy needs more effectively.

The bill passed in the Senate on a count of 36-14 and in the House 84-22.

Energy bills for Ameren customers in southern Illinois doubled in early 2022 and blackout increased after Pritzker signed legislation creating shortfalls in energy production. “Some grid operators blamed coal plant retirements, pointed to state policy changes like Illinois’ nation-leading Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, and promoted fossil fuels as a reliability solution,” Meghan Hassett, Midwest Campaign Manager for the Center for Policy Advocacy, posted in a blog for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Notably, the first nuclear power reactor was constructed in a squash court under the University of Chicago football stadium, according to UChicago News. Named “Chicago Pile-1,” this initial human-created nuclear reactor initiated a series of events that reshaped global politics, led to nuclear energy production, opened new realms of scientific inquiry and influenced key aspects of modern society, from weaponry to medicine.