As Ameren Illinois customers face a 50 percent increase in the price of power, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, called for the utility to work with people struggling to afford their bills this summer so they can keep their electricity on and protect themselves from dangerous heat. “This will be…
Just days before Illinoisans and manufacturers are hit with a spike in energy costs, the Technology & Manufacturing Association (TMA) surveyed its small and midsize manufacturers on which direction they prefer Illinois take in terms of our energy policy and sources. 43% of responding members were in favor of Illinois taking advantage of our state’s…
By DENNIS GRUBAUGH Though there aren’t many advantages to having white hair, one is the ability to get picked out in a crowd. For me it happened in September 2016 at a ground-breaking for a transit-oriented senior apartment complex at the $10.9 million Metro Landing of Swansea, a hub for MetroLink. I was in the…
By JIM EDGAR and JOHN SHAW American politics is as contentious now as it has been in any recent period in our history. As a response to this acrimony and conflict, it is tempting to turn off the TV, stop reading the newspaper, put down the phone, and forget about politics and government. However, we…
From State Senator Erica Harriss (R-56th–Glen Carbon): As temperatures rise and air conditioning use increases, Illinois families are facing yet another financial blow: higher electricity bills. At a time when households are already grappling with inflation, the latest rate increases couldn’t come at a worse time. While recent grid auctions may be the trigger, the…
By ASHLEY SHARP and BEN JACKSON A law called the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA) was passed by the Illinois Legislature last spring as part of a last-minute political deal. Now it’s set to take effect July 1 and will cause chaos for Illinoisans across the state. There is a reason it was rushed through…
By JOHN A. COSTA, FREDERICK D. REDMOND, ERIC DEAN and KAREN KENT Illinois is facing a crossroads when it comes to public transit. As the Illinois General Assembly approaches the critical May 31 deadline to secure funding for its public transit system, let’s be clear that this is not a light switch that can be…
By KEITH GRANT and JEFF YORK As public defenders, we fight every day to protect the constitutional rights of people who are caught up in our criminal, juvenile, and child welfare courts. Our clients are poor — we are appointed counsel when someone cannot afford to hire their own lawyer. But in Illinois, systemic barriers…
By LaDONNA RAEH Small Business Owner Raeh Consulting, South Holland As a small business owner in Illinois, I am deeply concerned about the impending implementation of the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA), set to take effect on July 1, 2025. While the intention to reduce costs for merchants is commendable, the practical implications of this…
Ameren Illinois’ push to win the largest shareholder profit rate of any major gas utility in the state is unjust and unreasonable, and its $134 million rate-hike request is about triple what the utility can justify under the law, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), Illinois PIRG and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) said Wednesday, citing testimony…