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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, All communities have a right to live free from
3exposure to dangerous toxic pollution in their soil as well as
4in the air they breathe, the food they eat, and the water they
5drink; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Persistent racial and economic inequalities, and
7the forces that cause them, embedded throughout our society
8have concentrated toxic polluters near and within communities
9of color, tribal communities, and low-income communities; and
 
10    WHEREAS, These underlying social forces, including
11persistent and systematic racial discrimination and economic
12inequality, have created disproportionately high environmental
13and public health risks in these areas relative to other
14neighborhoods; and
 
15    WHEREAS, The devastating and costly consequences of
16climate change threaten the health, safety, and livelihoods of
17people across the country, and generations of economic and
18social injustice have put communities on the front lines of
19climate change effects; and
 
20    WHEREAS, History shows that environmental regulation does
21not necessarily mean healthy environments for all communities,

 

 

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1and many communities suffer from the cumulative effects of
2multiple pollution sources; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Climate policy language that addresses climate
4pollution must not abandon or diminish the important goal of
5reducing toxic pollution in all its forms; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The shift to a sustainable, just, and equitable
7energy future requires innovative forms of investment and
8governance that distribute the benefits of this transition
9equitably and justly; and
 
10    WHEREAS, This includes investing in the development of
11innovative decentralized models of energy provision, community
12governance and ownership, incorporation of social and health
13benefits into energy systems planning, incentivizing the
14inclusion of equity into future energy investment through
15public programs, and supporting public and private research and
16development to include equity considerations in new technology
17development; and
 
18    WHEREAS, To ensure access to affordable energy for all,
19climate policy agendas must significantly reduce domestic
20energy vulnerability and poverty by addressing the problem of
21high energy cost burdens; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, To live and prosper in today's society, access to
2affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy is a basic need in
3daily life and is fundamental to achieving rights related to
4health, environmental quality, education, and food and income
5security; and
 
6    WHEREAS, To ensure a healthy transportation and goods
7movement, policies must address how we must build the next
8century's transportation system to ensure healthy air quality
9for all communities, and this will require massive investment
10in affordable, reliable, and environmentally sustainable
11transportation; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Climate change events exacerbate existing
13vulnerabilities and create new risks in our communities, and it
14is necessary to provide for safe, healthy communities and
15infrastructure; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Economic opportunities are lacking in many
17communities, and as climate change deteriorates air quality,
18increases vector-borne disease and allergens, and contributes
19to a host of other public health threats, we must ensure full
20access to health care for all; and
 
21    WHEREAS, The continuing increase in wealth inequality
22plagues many communities across the U.S.; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The right to return, relocation,
2anti-displacement, and displacement are all fundamental
3challenges in many communities today, especially environmental
4justice communities; therefore, be it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
6HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
7we believe that no community is to be left behind, and that any
8climate policy language must address this environmental
9injustice head-on by prioritizing climate solutions and other
10policies that are aimed at reducing pollution in these legacy
11communities at the scale needed to significantly improve their
12public health and quality of life; and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That we believe that climate policy language must
14provide a healthy climate and air quality goal by reducing
15greenhouse gas emissions and locally harmful air pollution, and
16policies must prioritize reducing emissions in low-income
17areas and communities of color through a suite of policies,
18including climate mitigation policy; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That we believe that policy goals should be aimed
20at reducing carbon pollution, should curb locally harmful
21pollution, and should build resilience to improve the health,
22safety, and livability of all communities in a climate-changed

 

 

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1world; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That we believe that climate solutions must be
3part of a comprehensive approach to reducing legacy
4environmental, health, and economic impacts on communities and
5be designed intentionally to ensure that they do not impose
6further risks; and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That we believe that a shift to an equitable
8energy future must be based on a inclusive and just economy as
9well as create high-quality jobs with family-sustaining wages
10and safe and healthy working conditions, and it must make
11eliminating the barriers that produce unemployment and
12underemployment a priority; and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That we believe that given the disparities in the
14housing stock and infrastructure across communities, it is
15imperative that future energy systems provide affordable
16energy access that ensures a healthy standard of living that
17provides for the basic needs of children and families; and be
18it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That we believe that transportation planning
20must ensure affordable transportation that provides for
21mobility and access to daily activities and services, including
22jobs, education, health care, affordable housing, and social

 

 

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1networks; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That we believe that climate solutions must
3provide opportunities for localized benefits that enhance the
4quality of life for all communities, including by improving
5local air quality, access to healthy food, local economic
6development, public health, and community vitality; and be it
7further
 
8    RESOLVED, That we believe that we must prioritize
9investments in communities that are the most vulnerable to
10climate change, including in health monitoring and research to
11provide rigorous and reliable research on our progress; and be
12it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That we believe that addressing the increase in
14wealth and income inequality that plagues community economic
15diversification is critical, and that economic development
16policies should support products and production processes that
17are low emission and sustainable; and be it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That we believe that relocation, displacement,
19and the right to recover must ensure that sustainable
20investments for both mitigation and adaptation do not
21overburden vulnerable communities, and it is imperative that
22new investments in resilient infrastructure in communities

 

 

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1that have been historically disinvested be a priority; and be
2it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That we believe that it is important to ensure
4that everyone has access to safe, clean, and affordable
5drinking water and to maintain and protect water as a common
6resource regardless of the provider; and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
8delivered to the President of the United States, the Vice
9President of the United States, members of the United States
10House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and
11other federal and state government officials and agencies as
12appropriate.