Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall conduct a comprehensive workforce analysis study of each electric utility to determine the adequacy of the total in-house staffing in each job classification or job title critical to maintaining quality reliability and restoring service in each electric utility's service territory. Provides that each report shall contain a yearly detailed comparison beginning with 1995 and ending in 2006 of certain ratios for each electric utility. Provides that the ratios shall be reported from each utility's named service area, district, division, outlying area, village, municipality, reporting point, or region. Provides that the analysis shall determine the total number of contractor employees for the same time frame and shall be conducted in the same manner as the in-house analysis. Provides that the Commission may hold public hearings while conducting the analysis to assist in the adequacy of the study. Requires the Commission to hold public hearings on the study and present the results to the General Assembly no later than January 1, 2008. Provides that the Commission shall require electric utilities to develop and implement strategies to attract and retain workers and remedy any deficiencies found by the study. Provides that the Commission shall develop and implement rules to require each electric utility to employ an adequately sized, well-trained in-house utility work force, including, but not limited to, benchmarks for employee staffing levels for each classification and employee training for each classification. Effective immediately.
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Creates the Clean Coal FutureGen for Illinois Act for the purpose of providing the FutureGen Alliance with adequate liability protection, land use rights, and permitting certainty to facilitate the siting of the FutureGen Project in Illinois. Contain provisions concerning transfer of title to sequestered gas and associated liabilities to the State; insurance and indemnification by the State for the Operator for certain liabilities; permits; land use, including condemnation powers; and economic incentives. Contains other provisions and a severability clause. Amends: the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law concerning financial assistance; the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act concerning high impact businesses; the Court of Claims Act and the State Lawsuit Immunity Act concerning jurisdiction; and the Eminent Domain Act concerning condemnation authority. Effective immediately.
Designates Illinois Route 127 between Aldridge Road and Orchard Hills Road, south of Carbondale, and various county highways in several counties as the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.
Urges the Governor to present a capital budget that includes $100,000,000, on an annual basis, for the Illinois Special Places Acquisition, Conservation and Enhancement (iSPACE) Program, which includes the following: (i) a new statewide land acquisition program to protect the State's most precious natural resources and provide recreational opportunities, including matching grants to local governments; (ii) implementation of the Partners for Conservation Program (formerly Conservation 2000) through land acquisition and management grants; and (iii) implementation of the Hunting Heritage Protection Act by increasing the amount of land acreage available for hunting opportunities in Illinois.
Urges that the recommendations of the Joint Task Force on Rural Health and Medically Underserved Areas be supported and implemented without delay.
Congratulates Local 318 of the International Union of Operating Engineers on its 75th anniversary.
Congratulates D.J. Douglas for winning first place in the red wine category in the Amateur Winemakers of Central Illinois' third annual competition.
Congratulates Harrisburg Police Chief Mike Herron on his retirement.
Recognizes the 250th anniversary of Fort de l'Ascension, the first fort built at Massac.
Mourns the death of Donnie Snider Jr. of Whidbey Island, Washington, formerly of Carmi.