By David Friess, Illinois State Representative
SPRINGFIELD – Veto Session wrapped up Friday at 2:30 am, and unfortunately, it ended much like it began, filled with political rhetoric from entrenched Democrat leadership and very few real solutions for hardworking Illinois families. During the first week, Democrats focused more on partisan House Resolutions than on addressing the real challenges facing our state, while House Republicans came ready to debate common-sense reforms to make life more affordable and government more accountable.
The second week was no better. Instead of offering relief to taxpayers or tackling the state’s ongoing fiscal problems, Democrats chose to push through even more tax increases. Late at night, they passed SB25, a massive “energy omnibus” bill that will do nothing but raise your electric bills. Under the guise of “green energy,” this legislation hands out millions in subsidies to special interests, forces the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to transfer up to $84 million to the EV and Charging Fund, and strips counties of local authority over projects involving batteries, solar, and wind.
While the bill includes one positive step, the repeal of the state’s outdated nuclear construction ban, it’s buried beneath layers of mandates, rate hikes, and giveaways. SB25 guts reliable baseload energy, threatens grid stability, and drives up costs for consumers, small businesses, and job creators across Illinois. I’ve made it clear: I support an all-of-the-above energy strategy that keeps power affordable, reliable, and safe, not these costly, unproven “green energy” experiments that Illinois families simply can’t afford.
I proudly cast a resounding NO vote on this legislation that hurts families and small businesses across Illinois. Democrats continue to push expensive, unrealistic policies that make life harder for everyday people. Let’s be abundantly clear, they have no real plan to fix our state’s problems beyond raising taxes, enforcing more mandates, and shifting blame.
Illinoisans deserve better than higher costs and more government waste. I’ll continue standing up for fiscal responsibility, energy reliability, and real solutions that put working families first.