Legislators join state's leading
consumer groups in demanding
electric rate relief
BROADVIEW/CHICAGO – State Reps.
Karen Yarbrough (D-Maywood) and La
Shawn K. Ford (D-Chicago) are
joining AARP, Citizens Utility
Board, Citizen Action Illinois, and
other consumer advocates to hold the
P.O.W.E.R. (People Organized and
Working for Electric Relief) rally
at the State Capitol rotunda on
Wednesday, May 9 beginning at 11:00
a.m. The rally was called to
increase pressure on the Senate to
join the House and pass legislation
to provide residential and small
business customers with relief from
skyrocketing electric prices.
“Although downstate Illinois has
been hit especially hard by these
rate increases, the Chicago area
will feel the strain as the
temperature rises,” Yarbrough said.
“We need to put more pressure on the
Senate to pass a rate freeze that
includes Commonwealth Edison
customers.”
Twice
this year the House has sent
legislation to the Senate that would
roll back the electric rates to
their lower 2006 levels, freeze them
for three years and provide a rebate
to customers equivalent to the
amount they have paid so far this
year due to the rate increases. The
rollback legislation has failed to
see action in the Senate on each
occasion. Finally, after weeks of
negotiations, the Senate last week
approved legislation to roll back
rates for a year in the Ameren
service territory only, leaving
millions of residents and small
businesses in the ComEd service
territory without the possibility of
rate relief.
“The
time for political games is over,”
Ford said. “People are suffering
and they depend on us to take action
wherever injustice exists. I hope
the Senate gets the message and
passes legislation to roll back the
rates for ComEd customers as well as
Ameren customers.”
In
order to convince the Senate to take
action before the General Assembly’s
scheduled May 31 adjournment
deadline, Yarbrough and Ford are
joining forces with the state’s
leading consumer advocacy groups to
stage a rally and call for immediate
action. To make sure local
residents’ voices are heard, Ford
and Yarbrough have worked with AARP
and others to arrange for charter
buses to travel to Springfield from
Chicago and are urging anyone fed up
with the electric rate crisis to
join the caravan. Seating is
available on a first-come,
first-served basis.
Yarbrough and Ford are also hoping
consumers from around the state will
converge on Springfield to let
lawmakers hear their outrage and
spur action.
“We at
AARP hear from our members every day
on this issue, but, believe or not,
there are some legislators who
really don’t understand the impact
this is having on the state’s
working families, small businesses,
and
especially our senior citizens,” Bob
Gallo, State Director of AARP
Illinois said. “The only way we can
make sure this rate rollback happens
is to let every legislator in the
state hear how frustrated we are and
how badly the people of our state
need help.”
David
Kolata, Executive Director of the
Citizens Utility Board, reinforced
the idea that an organized citizenry
can make a big difference in the
eyes of lawmakers.
“The
first time the House passed a rate
freeze bill it received 61 votes;
the second time it received 71, the
third time nearly 100 lawmakers gave
their support,” Kolata said. “Now,
the Senate has passed a partial rate
freeze and many people thought that
was impossible. I believe the
outrage voiced by the people
throughout Illinois is being heard
and we need to continue our efforts
until true rate relief is achieved.”
If you
or your organization would like to
reserve seating on the bus trip or
arrange for your own transportation,
please call toll-free (866) 448-3613
for the nearest pickup location and
seating availability.
The
End
