The same week that Oklahoma legislators listened to opponents and supporters of Right of First Refusual, the ability of electric utilities to deny competitive bidding on major transmission projects, Illinois lawmakers were urged to reject ROFR.
The Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition spread the word that the Chicago Tribune editorial urged the legislature to stand with the governor who already veoted a ROFR bill.
“Lawmakers in Illinois are considering overturning Governor J.B. Pritzker’s veto of HB 3445 in a last-minute attempt to prevent transmission competition and give incumbent monopoly utilities the power to block rival bids. Governor Pritzker vetoed the bill in August saying that it would put “corporate profits over consumers.”
A bill that surfaced suddenly in late May and passed in the final hours of the spring session would hand Ameren a monopoly over the future development and operation of high-voltage power lines in its territory. Gov. J.B. Pritzker vetoed the measure, saying it would “put corporate profits over consumers.”Now, with the General Assembly’s fall veto session opening Tuesday, lawmakers will have to decide whether to attempt an override. The decision belongs to Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, since the House must act first. He has yet to say what he will do.
Pritzker was right to veto the measure, and Welch should let it perish.