Illiniois Senator Jones hints that he feels the heat from Ameren customers
By Kevin McDermott
POST-DISPATCH SPRINGFIELD BUREAU
Tuesday, Feb. 27 2007

SPRINGFIELD, ILL. — The leader of the Illinois Senate, who in recent months has
been the Legislature's top opponent of attempts to freeze electric rates, may
be softening that stance in the face of intense downstate anger over
skyrocketing Ameren electric bills.

A freeze "is one of many options that is being looked at," said Cindy
Davidsmeyer, spokeswoman for Senate President Emil Jones.

Jones is the main reason the Legislature didn't freeze electric rates before
they jumped dramatically in January, but there have been several indications
lately that his thinking on that may be changing.

"Especially with Ameren, we have heard the concerns of a lot of consumers,"
Davidsmeyer said Monday.

Jones' apparent shift comes as the House convenes today a rare special hearing
of all 118 members to consider the utility rate hike issue. The House passed a
rate freeze once. It's expected to easily pass a second time if it comes up for
a vote, with lawmakers being inundated with calls from angry consumers who are
getting their first look at the new rates.

"There's been a groundswell of opposition to these rate hikes. People all
across Illinois have been outraged," said David Kolata, director of the
Illinois Citizens Utility Board, which has led the call for continuing to
freeze electricity rates. "I think things are starting to change."

Rates for Illinois electricity customers of ComEd in the Chicago area, and the
Ameren utilities in central and Southern Illinois, rose significantly starting
in January, the result of deregulation of the Illinois market after a decade of
rates that were frozen by law.

The House previously voted to keep that freeze in place for another three
years, with members arguing that there isn't yet true competition in the
state's electricity market. But that freeze didn't take effect because Jones
didn't allow it to come to a vote in the Senate.

The rate increases went into effect Jan. 2 and have been higher for some
residents than anticipated, especially among Ameren customers. Many of those
downstate customers were hit with an extra, unexpected increase because Ameren
ended a decades-long program of special cut-rate power for owners of
all-electric homes at the time it introduced the higher rates.

For some Metro East residents, the result has been electric bills that doubled
or even tripled between December and January.

Some lawmakers who were previously opposed to a freeze have said in recent days
they were reconsidering that stance. Meanwhile, Sen. James Clayborne,
D-Belleville — chairman of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee and
Jones' point-person on utility issues — is holding hearings on the issue around
the state.

In today's "Committee of the Whole" meeting, House members may again consider
legislation to freeze rates retroactively. The hope among proponents of a
freeze is that the attention to the issue will put added pressure on the Senate
to act.

"You get input from a tremendous amount of people, and it helps to keep the
issue out in front of the people," said state Rep. Michael Bost, R-Murphysboro.
He said he was holding out hope that public pressure would "force the leaders
to come together."

Jones and House Speaker Michael Madigan both are Democrats from Chicago but
have been sharply at odds over several issues, including the utility rate
hikes. Gov. Rod Blagojevich, also a Chicago Democrat, is ready to sign any
legislation "that provides relief to consumers," said spokeswoman Rebecca
Rausch.

Some downstate Republicans say the Chicago-based leaders haven't worked enough
to reach consensus on an issue that has hit hardest among downstate consumers.

"What bothers me again is, this is an issue that affects south of (Interstate)
80 more dramatically than north," said state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington.
"Our leadership in this state, from the governor to Emil Jones, is not willing
to address it."