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| [ Enrolled ] | [ Senate Amendment 001 ] |
90_HJ0051
LRB9010777KDks
1 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The current State sales tax on coal burned in
3 Illinois raises approximately $60 million dollars each year
4 in revenue for the State; and
5 WHEREAS, Ninety percent of Illinois coal is purchased by
6 the electric utility industry, and about one-half of the
7 electricity used in the State comes from coal-burning plants;
8 and
9 WHEREAS, The 1990 federal Clean Air Act amendments have
10 resulted in fuel switching from Illinois high-sulfur coal to
11 western, low-sulfur coal to generate electricity; and
12 WHEREAS, The sale of Illinois coal has continued to
13 decrease, due primarily to increased competition from
14 western, low-sulfur coal, resulting in the loss of thousands
15 of jobs directly related to coal mining; and
16 WHEREAS, Illinois coal is mined in 18 counties and
17 accounts for as much as 16% of employment and 23% of personal
18 income in individual counties; and
19 WHEREAS, The coal mining industry provides approximately
20 5,000 jobs and more than 17,000 spin-off jobs in the State;
21 and
22 WHEREAS, Almost $800 million dollars has been spent on
23 clean coal technology projects to expand the use of
24 high-sulfur Illinois coal; and
25 WHEREAS, It is important to keep the Illinois coal
26 industry competitive because coal is the State's most
27 abundant and economically important natural resource;
28 therefore, be it
29 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
30 NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
-2- LRB9010777KDks
1 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that a 12-member Task Force be
2 formed to study the feasibility of eliminating the sales tax
3 on Illinois coal; the Task Force shall consist of the
4 Directors, or their designees, of the Department of Revenue
5 and the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs; a
6 member of the Illinois Coal Development Board (within the
7 Department of Natural Resources); the President of the United
8 Mine Workers; the Vice President of the Illinois Coal
9 Association; one member from the Governor's office; 2 members
10 appointed by the President of the Senate; 2 members appointed
11 by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; one member
12 appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; and one
13 member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
14 Representatives; appointments made by the General Assembly
15 shall be made within 30 days after this Resolution is
16 adopted; and be it further
17 RESOLVED, That the Task Force report its findings and
18 recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor no
19 later than January 1, 1999; and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
21 delivered to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of
22 Representatives, the President of the Senate, the Minority
23 Leader of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader
24 of the Senate, and each member of the Illinois congressional
25 delegation.