Sen. Dale Fowler has made it a point of making time to speak out against Senate Bill 2408, also known as the Clean Energy Bill. | Facebook
Sen. Dale Fowler has made it a point of making time to speak out against Senate Bill 2408, also known as the Clean Energy Bill. | Facebook
Illinois state Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) feels he was in good company at this year’s Council of State Government's ELEVATE Academy in Minnesota.
“This year's ELEVATE Academy brought together some of the country’s top minds on cyber security, transportation infrastructure, workforce development and science communication, facilitating conversations and providing an immersive learning experience,” Fowler said in a post to Facebook. “I was honored to be one of only 21 legislators within twelve Midwest states to be invited to participate in the event and be able to lead the discussion on entrepreneurs in our youth.”
The stop in Minnesota comes not long after Fowler welcomed constituents for a Coffee and Conversation outing at the Vienna City Park Pavilion. The event was the second such gathering Fowler has taken part in over the last several weeks. He also took part in a talk with constituents at Anna-Jonesboro Community High on Oct. 7, alongside state Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) and colleague Sen. Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville).
In between it all, Fowler has made it a point of making time to speak out against Senate Bill 2408, also known as the Clean Energy Bill.
“This energy proposal was an opportunity to recognize the importance of our coal industry and work collaboratively to establish an energy package that would protect jobs, safeguard Illinois’ energy portfolio and ensure we have reliable energy for Illinoisans," Fowler told the Carbondale Reporter. "Disappointingly, the opportunity was missed and it will have costly consequences for Illinoisans.”
Fowler said he worries SB 2408 bill will become most remembered for the higher costs he’s convinced it will lead to.
“This energy proposal overlooks the reliability that coal provides to Illinois’ energy portfolio, relying instead on massive subsidies for wind and solar while placing a target on our privately-owned coal plants,” he added.
Finally, Fowler earlier in the year has thrown his support behind a labor agreement reached between the Alexander Cairo Port District and the Illinois AFL-CIO that aims to create 500 union construction jobs connected to a new inland port project where the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers conjoin.
"I am confident that Alexander-Cairo port will be game-changing for our state, spurring additional economic development and growth," he said in an April 27 post to Facebook. "With such a big undertaking, we could not move forward with this project without the incredible local labor workforce of Southern Illinois spearheading its development."
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