Boland bill would force issue on flex fuel
Legislator wants cities to use alternative fuels
Saturday, March 10, 2007
GALESBURG - State Rep. Mike Boland, D-East Moline, wants municipalities to support alternative fuels. Boland was in Galesburg Friday to talk about legislation he is introducing that would require city governments to buy flex fuel, biodiesel or hybrid cars or trucks when buying new vehicles.Illinois became the first state to pass legislation requiring state government to buy alternative fuel cars when Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a bill in January mandating all vehicles bought by the state be hybrid or flex fuel vehicles. Boland said his new legislation is another step to ensure Illinois is a leader in ethanol development.
"We can have a rural economic renaissance right here. We can continue to stay in the lead if we continue to provide a great market for these fuels," Boland said Friday at the public library. A reporter was the only person in attendance.
Boland thinks the legislation is a good idea for the environment and Illinois' economic development.
"By encouraging the use of E85 and biodiesel fuels, we are helping farmers here at home and reducing our nation's dependence on foreign oil," Boland said. "In addition to economic benefits, E85 and biodiesel burn cleaner than traditional gasoline."
Boland said that will help improve air quality, resulting in better health and helping combat global warming.
Monmouth Mayor Rod Davies said he would support the idea of buying hybrid vehicles as long as the city wouldn't have to replace its entire fleet right away.
"It seems like a pretty good idea," Davies said. "Especially for this area."
Some critics of the legislation argue that hybrid and flex fuel vehicles are more expensive and there are too few gas stations equipped to sell E85. Boland said he hopes with increased demand more stations will put in E85 pumps. He also said grants are available to help stations do that.
Joe Schatteman, spokesman for the Illinois Municipal League, which lobbies on behalf of cities in Illinois, said higher prices are part of the reason his organization does not support Boland's effort.
"We feel it would be best for the market to dictate when the purchase (of flex fuel and hybrid vehicles) is made and not the state," he told the Bloomington Pantagraph. "Because the market is allowing it, we don't feel this is necessary."
Schatteman added that towns without E85 would see their tax dollars head to neighboring areas where residents could fill up their tanks.
"Based upon that there will be many municipalities that won't want to purchase them because it's not the opportune time, there's not enough gas stations offering E85," he said. "We know there are some towns that have purchased flex fuels and hybrids and that's great, we are happy they did that. But at the same time it really should not be mandated."
For now, Boland's legislation will affect only city governments, but he hopes to include other local governmental bodies, like counties and school districts, in the future. He hopes for now those government bodies will be encouraged to chose alternative fuel vehicles.
Boland's bill will require a super-majority in both chambers of the General Assembly to pass.
