Climate Action Bills at the Capitol

I had the opportunity to join hundreds of other activists from around the state on January 7th in Springfield, IL to lobby our elected officials on three important issues. The three bills were:

• Clean and Reliable Grid Act
• Clean and Equitable Transportation Act
• and Clean and Healthy Buildings Act.​

We met at dark o'clock in Urbana, where I live, to catch a bus to Springfield on a cold and snowy morning. Our bus included a class of girls from a local middle school as well as one other young activist.

The Illinois state capitol building has been beautifully refurbished and our registration was set up in the rotunda. We had time to take a tour before we met with our legislators.

Our State Representative Carol Ammons is a big supporter of the environment and met with us outside the House Chambers, as the House was in session. The Senate had not convened so we got to meet with Senator Paul Faraci in the Hall of Flags. He has also been a great ally on environmental issues, especially protecting the Mahomet Aquifer.

We held a huge rally in the rotunda and had a lineup of speakers including legislators and activists. I am hopeful that our state will be passing these bills and helping lead the way toward a more sustainable future. 

Last fall I had the privilege of testifying before the Senate Transportation Committee on behalf of the Clean & Equitable Transportation Bill. The meeting was October 15th and the Senate Conference Room was filled with people. There were three of us activists and we were invited to testify first. My statement is provided below.

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Our testimony was featured on the local television news that evening.

TV Coverage

I will continue to work on behalf of our communities and the environment. We can make a difference when we work together!