Full Text of HJR0089 099th General Assembly
HJ0089 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, In 2013, Illinois produced 2.1 billion bushels of | 3 | | corn, making it the State's number one cash crop with an | 4 | | approximate value of $8.1 billion; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Corn is an essential feedstock in the production | 6 | | of ethanol, a homegrown, clean-burning renewable fuel; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Illinois' 14 ethanol production facilities across | 8 | | the State produce 1.7 billion gallons of ethanol annually, | 9 | | employ nearly 4,000 workers, and have a $5.3 billion impact on | 10 | | the State's economy; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois ethanol industry can support more | 12 | | than 30% of the State's gasoline demand; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois renewable fuel sector, which | 14 | | includes conventional ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, | 15 | | and advanced biofuels and their suppliers, generates $17.5 | 16 | | billion of total economic output annually, supports 73,156 | 17 | | jobs, generates $4.7 billion in wages annually, and contributes | 18 | | $1.l billion in federal taxes and $680.7 million in State taxes | 19 | | annually; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Ethanol provides lower cost fuel to Illinois |
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| 1 | | citizens; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Despite the undeniable benefits of ethanol to our | 3 | | economy, our environment, and our national security, the United | 4 | | States Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a 20% | 5 | | reduction to the amount of ethanol that is blended into the | 6 | | nation's fuel supply as outlined in the Renewable Fuel | 7 | | Standard; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Congressional intent related to the Renewable | 9 | | Fuel Standard blending volumes is clearly outlined in the | 10 | | Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and | 11 | | Security Act of 2007; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Job losses, stunted investment, diminished | 13 | | economic growth, and greater carbon emissions would result if | 14 | | the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed Renewable Fuel | 15 | | Standard rules were made final; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, The Environmental Protection Agency is not only | 17 | | acting contrary to congressional intent, but to its own mission | 18 | | to protect human health and the environment by proposing | 19 | | regressive Renewable Fuel Standard rules; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, President Obama is and has been a strong supporter | 21 | | of the Renewable Fuel Standard and ethanol as a viable |
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| 1 | | renewable energy source; therefore, be it
| 2 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 3 | | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | 4 | | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge President Obama to order | 5 | | the United States Environmental Protection Agency to adhere to | 6 | | congressional intent and maintain the Renewable Fuel Standard | 7 | | blending rules in their current form; and be it further
| 8 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 9 | | presented to President Obama as an expression of our support | 10 | | for corn growers and the ethanol industry in Illinois and our | 11 | | serious concerns about the Environmental Protection Agency's | 12 | | proposed Renewable Fuel Standard blending rules.
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