Macon Reporter

Waynesville resident Betsy Shifflet is applauding a satirical bill filed by State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet).

Rose filed SB 1867 or the "Let's Start With You Act" on Thursday.

“Senator Chapin Rose’s response to passage of HB 4412. I sincerely hope this bill gets passed. I’m sure the Chicago legislators who sponsored 4412 would be on board for this one right?” Shifflet posted on Facebook. Shifflet posted her comments to the DeWitt County Residents Against Wind Turbines Facebook page.

Rose has filed a bill that would require the installation of a wind mill on the Bean exhibit in Millennium Park as well as the installation of one windmill per city park in addition to redeveloping Millennium Park as a “solar energy park.” Rose said he filed the unreasonable bill to highlight the type of situation Democratic lawmakers have put downstate communities in. 

“Political satire is a cherished American institution when it comes to political discourse,” Rose told Chambana Sun. “It just meant to accentuate the hypocrisy of the supermajority control of Springfield. They're taking away local control. But if the shoe was on the other foot they wouldn't want this to happen to them either.”

Rose’s bill provides several “requirements” for the City of Chicago. “Creates the If This Is Such A Good Idea, Let's Start With You Act. Provides that the following actions must be completed no later than June 30, 2024: (1) the City of Chicago must convert Millennium Park into a solar energy park by building solar energy facilities on all open space and by mounting solar energy facilities on structures, except that no solar energy facility is required on Cloud Gate; (2) the City of Chicago must mount one wind energy turbine on Cloud Gate (The Bean exhibit) in Millennium Park; and (3) the City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District must place at least one wind energy facility in each public park operated by the City or Park District. Also requires each forest preserve district in Cook County to place at least one wind energy facility in each forest preserve operated by the forest preserve district. Requires reports to the General Assembly on the progress of complying with the requirements and the benefits that the wind and solar energy requirements have conferred upon the City of Chicago and Cook County. Limits concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Defines terms. Effective immediately,” the synopsis of SB1867 reads.

The Clinton Herald called Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signing of HB 4412 a “flip flop” moment. “With his re-election safely behind him, Pritzker is now ready to give the go-ahead to legislation — H.B. 4412 — passed in the recent lame-duck session of the outgoing legislature that bars counties from banning the projects. The Illinois Farm Bureau and 70 counties oppose the legislation, which creates a commission that will oversee and approve wind farms statewide except for Chicago,” the Clinton Herald said in an editorial.

Kevin Semlow, IFB director of state legislation, noted that "This legislative tactic has unfortunately become quite common over the past several years by the General Assembly on these omnibus bills,” FarmWeekNow reported. “We will do our best in the coming months to push for strengthening the provision if the bill is signed into law.”