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Friday, February 23, 2007 10:50 PM CST
Democrats try curbing electric rate hikes, again
By MIKE RIOPELL, JG/T-C Springfield Bureau
mike.riopell@lee.net
SPRINGFIELD -- Even though a similar attempt failed early this year, House Democrats made an impassioned plea Friday to roll back the electric rate hikes that they say are draining bank accounts across the state.
On Jan. 1 rates shot up for Ameren customers an average of up to 55 percent after a 10-year rate freeze expired.
Now, some central and southern Illinois lawmakers say provisions they didn’t know about are making residents pay even more.
House lawmakers voted to repeal the hikes in January, but it takes help of the Senate to pass a law. So when senators declined to vote on extending the freeze, rates went up.
House lawmakers admitted they haven’t heard assurances from Senate leaders that they won’t stonewall the attempt again. But state Rep. John Bradley brought reams of electric bills to a Statehouse news conference hoping the reality of the hikes would change minds.
“We’re hurting!” the Marion Democrat shouted. “They’re killing people!”
The House will debate lowering the rates Tuesday -- the same day as many local elections -- in a rare maneuver where all 118 members will listen to committee-style testimony. The Senate has no plans to do the same.
And Senate President Emil Jones Friday declined to endorse repealing the increases. In January, he pushed a plan that would phase in higher costs over several years.
The powerful Chicago Democrat can control Senate priorities, but said the decision over what’s done -- if anything -- will be up to rank-and-file members.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to deal with that situation,” he said.
Some don’t seem eager to take up the cause, saying a drop in rates would mean poor service from Ameren and Com-Ed.
“They were darn near closing down,” said state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline. “There’s a lot of political posturing going on,” he said.
Ameren spokesman Leigh Morris said returning electric costs to their 2006 level would “place the utilities in dire financial jeopardy.”
State Rep. Bob Flider says he doesn’t buy that.
“Utilities have the expertise and the ability to negotiate lower prices, but they haven’t,” the Mount Zion Democrat said.
The legislation is House Bill 1750.
Mike Riopell can be reached at mike.riopell@lee.net or 789-0865. Lee News Service reporter Blackwell Thomas contributed to this report.
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Fxiccxypxc wrote on May 10, 2007 11:31 AM: