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JUNE 6, 2008
Focus on Illinois: Capital Bill Fails To Pass Spring Legislative
Session - Important Metro East Projects Still Await Funding
 The Illinois General Assembly ended
its spring legislative session by passing a budget on the last
day, but failed for the ninth year to reach agreement
on a capital bill. The Legislature has not passed
a capital projects bill since 1999, and funding for
Metro East transportation and education infrastructure is
long overdue. A new science laboratory at
Southern Illinois-Edwardsville remains on the drawing board,
further delaying students access to updated technology and
teaching facilities. Road projects, such as the Gateway
Connector and the Lebanon Bypass still await funding
to begin construction. In the last week of session,
the Senate passed a $34 billion capital bill to be funded by
expanded gaming revenues and the selling of a portion of
the Illinois Lottery. However, the House tabled the bill until
the Fall Veto Session in November. The RCGA
urges the Governor, House and Senate Leadership to reach an
agreement on the capital bill to turn these long-scheduled
projects into reality.
The nearly $60 billion
FY 2009 operating budget passed by the General Assembly provides
funding increases for K-12 education and for higher education
without a tax increase. Governor Blagojevich
declared the budget to be at least $2 billion out of balance,
and urged House and Senate leaders to join him in creating a new
balanced budget. He did not announce if he plans
to veto this unbalanced budget.
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Gubernatorial Candidate Sarah Steelman Presents
Priorities To RCGA Members
 On June 5th, Missouri State Treasurer
and Republican Party candidate for Governor Sarah Steelman
outlined her priorities for a large group of RCGA members.
Policies to expand the state economy, improve education,
and build a strong transportation network topped the list of
issues that her administration would
tackle. Treasurer Steelman spoke of
her successes in increasing investments of State funds
into Missouri institutions and creating the
State's first "terror-free" investment fund. She
believes the State should do more to stimulate entrepreneurial
growth to catch up with other states, including creating a
venture capital tax credit - a key element of the RCGA's
"Grow Me State" Initiative. If elected
governor, she would expand higher education
opportunities for Missourians, building on her experiences with
the MO$T Higher Education Savings Plan. She also called for
full funding of the METS program to improve math and science
education in the state. During the question and answer
session from RCGA members, Treasurer Steelman addressed
renewable energy issues, health care policy, and tax reform.
Her speech was part
of the RCGA Public Policy Speaker Series, and followed a
May presentation by U.S. Representative Kenny Hulshof,
her challenger for the Republican nomination for
Governor.
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RCGA Energy &
Environment Council Discusses Renewable Energy and
Sustainability
The June 4th meeting of the
RCGA Energy and Environment Council featured presentations on
renewable energy and clean-energy coal energy.
Bill Barbieri, Manager of Renewables at Ameren, spoke of
Ameren's commitment to renewable resources from their
environmental stewardship initiatives. He described Pure Power, Ameren's
voluntary program for customers to purchase renewable
energy. More than 3,000 customers, including the City of
St. Louis, have purchased renewable power from
Ameren. John Wooten of Peabody Coal updated the
Council of the status on the $1.5 billion Future Gen project,
the proposed first zero-emission coal-fired power plant to be
located in Mattoon, Illinois. Mr. Wooten, a member of
the FutureGen Technical Committee, explained the
international public-private partnership behind this pilot
project. The FutureGen project was to receive federal funding
from the Department of Energy, but the Department has
not issued its final record of decision necessary to
release construction funds. Efforts are underway in Congress to
restore the federal government's share of the
project. Preliminary design costs are expected to be
released this summer, with startup for the plant now scheduled
for 2013.
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| Bill Barbieri of Ameren explains how
Ameren integrates renewable resources with their existing energy
supply to meet customer demand across Illinois and
Missouri. |
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John Wooten of Peabody
Coal describes the coal carbon sequestration process at the
FutureGen zero-emissions pilot power plant.
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The Energy & Environment Council, chaired by
Steve Poplawski of Bryan Cave, also discussed on
sustainability ideas to assist St. Louis businesses
and communities to become "greener". The Energy and
Environment Council is open to all RCGA members interested in
environmental and sustainability issues. For more information on
their activities, contact Eric Schneider at (314)
444-1148.
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UPCOMING
EVENTS
. June 20: RCGA Public Policy Speakers Series -
Missouri Attorney General Jay
Nixon, a candidate for the Democrat
nomination. The luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m.
to 1:00 p.m. at the Noonday Club. Cost is $25 for RCGA members
and $40 for non-members. To register, go the RCGA Calendar
of Events page at www.stlrcga.org/events or contact Marlo
Young at myoung@stlrcga.org or (314)
444-1134.
. June
25-26: St. Louis Regional Education Roundtables, hosted
by the RCGA and the Friedman Foundation. These
roundtables, the final in the year-long series
of discussions on improving educational
performance, start at 7:30 a.m.
from 10:00 a.m. at the One Metropolitan Square Conference
Center - Suite 990 in downtown St. Louis.
The June 25th Roundtable, focused on open enrollment
and bridge programs, will be moderated by Bruce Ellerman
of the Voluntary Interdistrict Choice
Corporation. Panelist include Dr. Don Senti,
Superintendent of Clayton School District and Stacy Clay
from College Summit.
The June 26 Roundtable
will discuss school finance and merit pay with Michael
Podgursky of the University of Missouri-Columbia,
Amy Blouin of the Missouri Budget Project and
Roger Dorson of the Missouri Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education. Seats are limited for the
Roundtables, please RSVP to Donyale Whitmore-Smith of the
Friedman Foundation at mcsc2006@yahoo.com or
at (314) 779-6572.
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The
RCGAdvocate is published periodically to inform RCGA members
and government officials about important public policy matters
at the state, federal and local levels. It seeks to provide
timely, in-depth coverage on regional issues, and, at times, to
call RCGA members to action. We welcome your comments and
suggestions.
Richard C.D.
Fleming ~ President & CEO ~ (314)
444-1100 ~ dfleming@stlrcga.org
Chip Casteel ~ Senior V.P. of Public Policy ~ (314)
444-1107 ~ ccasteel@stlrcga.org
Susan Stauder ~ V.P.
of Infrastructure & Public Policy ~ (314) 444-1155
~ sstauder@stlrcga.org
Eric
Schneider ~ Senior Director of Public Policy Research ~ (314)
444-1148 ~ eschneider@stlrcga.org
Kevin Riggs ~ Director of Illinois
Government Affairs ~ (314) 444-1108 ~ kriggs@stlrcga.org
Christine Snively ~ Project Manager ~
(314) 444-1144 ~ csnively@stlrcga.org
Marlo Young ~ Executive Assistant
for Public Policy ~ (314) 444-1134 ~ myoung@stlrcga.org
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At the May 30th meeting of the RCGA
Public Policy Council, Missouri House Majority Leader Steven
Tilley (R-Perryville) provided his perspective on the recently
completed legislative session. He praised the General Assembly's
accomplishments in passing illegal immigration enforcement
legislation, reforming the property tax system, expanding
economic development tools and creating
a mega-projects incentive package. House leadership is also
proud of the increase in funding for K-12 schools and
higher education without a tax increase. Rep. Tilley
expressed support for the RCGA's priorities of improving the
Quality Jobs program, funding of the Life Sciences Trust Fund,
and creating the "Grow Me State" Initiative for entrepreneurial
growth. He also expressed strong support for the
codification of the employment at will legislation.
Although not approved this session, Rep. Tilley believes a
strong employment at-will doctrine is needed to protect the
state's business climate. 
The RCGA Public Policy Speaker Series
- Missouri Gubernatorial Candidates concludes with an luncheon
address by Attorney General Jay Nixon on June 20th. As the
Democratic candidate for Governor, he will state his case to
RCGA members on why he should be the next Governor. His speech
follows previous events with U.S. Representative Kenny
Hulshof and Treasurer Sarah Steelman. 
