Saturday, February 16, 2013
The utility wants lawmakers to amend a 2011 rate-hike law to allow the utility to retroactively collect money for electricity already used.
The Illinois Senate Executive Committee unanimously approved a request by ComEd and Ameren to "clarify" a 2011 law that allowed the utilities to raise electricity rates, Illinois Public Radio reports. The clarification would allow the power companies to retroactively charge higher rates for the electricity you've already used, potentially raising up to $70 million for ComEd, according to Sun-Times Media. The 2011 law changed the formula used to determine charges. But the utilities say it didn't work as intended. They say regulators aren't letting them charge what they need. Now the companies are back, asking the legislature to pass another law, clarifying the old one. (Says) ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore: "Without it we are stalled in these…
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Take our poll below and tell us where you stand on this issue.
** Editor's note: The wording of this story has been changed to reflect the most recent court ruling on this issue. Those who voted before 2 p.m. Tuesday read a version that was more speculative about a concealed-carry law in Illinois. Today, a U.S. appeals court has ruled that Illinois' ban on carrying a weapon in public is unconstitutional. The General Assembly has given the state 180 days in which to "craft a new gun law that will impose reasonable limitations, consistent with the public safety and the Second Amendment as interpreted in this opinion, on the carrying of guns in public." Not everyone thinks concealed carry is a good idea, and there are arguments on boths sides. Those in favor say it's not only a constitutional right but a…
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Candidates are running to represent the 49th District in the Illinois Senate.
The two candidates seeking election to the 49th District State Senate seat may be from opposite ends of the political spectrum, but on Thursday night, they appeared to agree on one thing. “What we can’t have happen is for the state to put more responsibility on our local taxpayers,” Democrat Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said of her opposition to a proposal that would shift the state’s nearly $90 billion pension liability onto local school districts. Republican Garrett Peck, a Plainfield village trustee, also opposes the pension shift. “I’m tired of watching Illinois bring itself to the verge of bankruptcy,” Peck said. “ … I’ve decided I want to reach out to residents and say, ‘What are your thoughts?’” Peck went on the offensive, several times…
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The Plainfield village trustee handily beat three GOP challengers for a chance to face Democrat Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant in the general election.
With more than 3,200 votes separating him from his next closest competitor, Plainfield Village Trustee Garrett Peck was the hands-down winner in his bid to be the Republican nominee for the newly created 49th Senate seat. Peck's 7,069 votes was just a few hundred shy of double the amount tallied by the next highest vote-getter, Shorewood Village Trustee Gary Fitzgerald, with 3,793. Will County Board member Brian Smith, of Plainfield, received 1,981 votes and Oswego Village Trustee Tony Giles, 1,333. Peck, 32, was the first of four candidates to announce his candidacy in June, and has long signaled a desire to seek a higher office beyond the Plainfield Village Board, to which he was elected in 2009. He now faces Democratic challenger …
Friday, March 9, 2012
Mark Nelson said he has no allegiance to either political party, and represents people who are tired of elected officials casting partisan votes.
A Plainfield man says he’s considering an independent bid for the 49th District Illinois Senate seat, in part because he thinks the party candidates currently running are too inclined vote along party lines. Mark A. Nelson, 39, said Friday he believes he’s like a lot of average people in being frustrated by partisan politics, and that his willingness to vote with Republicans on some issues and Democrats on others is what voters want to see their elected officials do. “These days, if you have an ‘R’ or a ‘D’ on your lapel, you vote that way,” said Nelson, who voted for Barack Obama in the last presidential election and for George W. Bush in the two elections prior to that. “I think it’s OK to disagree, to have a conversation where you …
Voters will head to the polls on March 20.
Residents of Grand Haven, an active senior community in Romeoville, welcomed Republican contenders in the March 20 primary during a candidates’ night on Thursday, May 8. The private forum gave candidates a chance to discuss their backgrounds and ideas, along with fielding questions from residents. Ken Griffin, a Romeoville trustee and Grand Haven resident, said all Republican candidates appearing on residents' March 20 ballots were invited to participate in the event. Present at the event were Will County Board District 13 candidates Tim Kraulidis, Ilona Vaughn and Liz Collins; Illinois House of Representatives 98th District hopefuls Bob Kalnicky and Janet Silosky; Illinois Senate 49th District candidates Gary Fitzgerald, Garrett Peck and …
Monday, June 20, 2011
Robert Kalnicky could run for either state's 49th Senate seat or 98th House post.
Robert Kalnicky, a trustee for the Fountaindale Public Library and a Romeoville business leader, is mulling a bid to the state's general assembly, he said Monday. Kalnicky, a Bolingbrook resident, said he is considering a run to either the new 49th State Senate District or the 98th House of Representatives District. Kalnicky said he expects to make a decision within the next two weeks. The Senate district includes all of Plainfield and Shorewood, parts of Oswego and Romeoville, and a small section of Bolingbrook. "I have spoken with several local Republican leaders who have expressed support for my candidacy, and I will continue to speak with more leaders to gauge their support and interest in a possible campaign," Kalnicky said. Aside …
Friday, June 17, 2011
The Plainfield village trustee said he sought the support of a lot of different groups before tossing his hat into the ring for the Republican nomination.
Plainfield Trustee Garrett Peck formally announced Friday that he will be a Republican candidate for the 49th District state Senate seat in 2012. Peck, 32, a Plainfield Village Board member since 2009, said he's been reaching out to all parts of the new district -- which includes all of Plainfield and Shorewood, parts of Oswego and Romeoville, and a very small section of Bolingbrook -- to determine the strength of his support base. "The vast majority of the precinct committeemen have endorsed me and agreed to be on my team," he said. "Overall, we've put together a serious campaign plan that shows we're very organized. We have a Hispanic outreach committee, a veterans outreach committee, a seniors outreach committee, a (parent and schools) …
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Decision predicated upon the new redistricting map proposal, which was released last week.
Plainfield Village Trustee Garrett Peck said he is considering a run for the state Senate district representing Plainfield and the surrounding area. Peck, 32, a Republican, said he is putting together an exploratory committee to be headed by former state Sen. Ed Petka, who also served in the Illinois House and as Will County state’s attorney. One key factor in his decision is whether the redistricting plan currently under consideration by the General Assembly remains as it’s now shown, Peck said. Under that map, current state Sen. Linda Holmes – a Democrat who represents the 42nd District – would see her district moved further south, he said. The proposed 49th District would include all of Plainfield as well as parts of Shorewood, …
Tom S
9:42 pm on Sunday, February 17, 2013
Under the Smart Grid law passed in 2011, ComEd committed to spend $2.6 billion over 10 years to modernize the electric grid in Northern Illinois. The ICC's interpretation of the law reduced funding to complete the modernization program. As a result, ComEd faced a reduction in funding of nearly $100 million per year in 2014 and beyond. Without the additional funding, ComEd stated it could not … more ›