May 5, 2013
To the
Honorable Members of the
Illinois Senate,
98th General Assembly:
In accordance with Article IV,
Section 9(b), of the Illinois Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 9 from
the 98th General Assembly.
I cannot support legislation that
puts the profits of big electric utilities ahead of the families and businesses
of Illinois.
Senate Bill 9 continues a troubling
pattern of departing from more than a century of regulatory oversight of
utility company monopolies in our state.
It is not healthy for big utilities
to be able to continuously circumvent the well-established oversight of the
Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) each and every time they do not receive the
regulation decisions and rate hikes they desire. This measure is another attempt
to do just that.
The ICC has existed for more than
100 years to effectively regulate utility companies and protect Illinois consumers. Senate Bill 9 further undercuts the ability of the ICC to do its job.
To approve this measure would
endorse unprecedented legislative interference in a process that is, by law,
committed to professional experts.
Our State regulates electric
utilities to protect consumers and businesses from higher energy bills and
unfair utility costs, and for good reason. When the residents of Illinois pay their utility bills, they expect those payments to ensure reliable and
affordable service.
This legislation undermines the
state’s ability to meet those expectations, and I will not support it.
Therefore, pursuant to Article IV,
Section 9(b) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I return Senate Bill 9 to
the Illinois Senate, entitled “AN ACT concerning regulation.”, with the
foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.
Sincerely,
PAT QUINN
Governor