U.S. Representatives Mike Bost and Rodney Davis succeeded in stripping language from the House Water Resources Development Act that would have limited access to affordable water for communities at Rend Lake, Carlyle Lake, and Lake Shelbyville. The provision would have set the stage for Governor Pritzker to terminate several existing contracts between the state of Illinois and the Army Corps of Engineers, forcing communities near Army Corps-managed lakes to pay more for water usage.
“Once again, Governor Pritzker and liberal Democrats in Chicago and Springfield have completely disregarded the needs of Southern Illinois,” said Bost. “Resources are already stretched thin at the local level and terminating these contracts would have forced our communities to choose between affordable water and other necessary services. I’m pleased that Rep. Davis and I were successful in stripping this provision from the House bill; and we’ll continue working to ensure it doesn’t become law. It’s maddening that Governor Pritzker was willing to increase costs for our people at a time when they are already struggling to make ends meet.”
“Governor Pritzker and his left-wing allies are already forcing electric rates higher with their energy policies,” said Davis. “On top of rising energy costs and historic inflation, the last thing communities in central and southern Illinois need to pay more for is water, which is what Pritzker is pushing. If the State’s financial condition is as rosy as Pritzker says it is, why is he trying to pass water costs along to local communities in these challenging economic times? Fortunately, Rep. Bost and I were successful in blocking Pritzker in the House, but Senators are pushing this policy in the Senate. As debate over WRDA continues, Rep. Bost and I will continue to advocate for these provisions to stay out of the final bill.”