Legislation to create a regional electric cooperative passed unanimously though committee Thursday, making the way for a vote in the full state House by Wednesday. Called the aggregate legislation, it would allow municipalities, local bodies of government, residential and commercial customers to join together to buy wholesale electricity.

Helping to convince committee members of the import of the bill was impassioned testimony from several area officials, including Williamson County Commissioner Robert Barnett, Flora Mayor Charlie Crowder, who is also president of the Southern Illinois Mayors Association, Salem Mayor Leonard E. Ferguson and Sparta Mayor Randy Bertetto.

"We pleaded our case and asked the committee to support the efforts we are undertaking to try and get some relief for our constituents," Barnett said. For instance, he said, he told the committee about the most recent bill received for service at the Williamson County Courthouse.

"Our bill jumped from about $7,240 in December to $13,600 in January - and the new bill was for only 19 days, not a full month," he said. "In the summer months, we can expect that monthly bill to go as high as $25,000 to $30,000. That's a huge impact."

Even more compelling, said state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, a co-sponsor of the bill, were the stories brought by area residents struggling to pay electric bills that have tripled or quadrupledin some case since AmerenCIPS started charging its new rates Jan. 2.

"I was on my way to Springfield when I got a call from a 73-year-old lady who has been living in the same apartment for 13 or 14 years. Her highest bill in 13 years was $55. She just got her new bill and it was $122. She lives on a fixed income of $700 a month. People are going to have to make a choice between paying for food, medicines, rent or electric bills," he said.

Another point made during testimony was the impact such bills would have on business and industry, as well as attempts to attract the same, Barnett said.

"We are all working hard to bring in new business, create new jobs and entice industry to come here. This could be one of those things that is going to defeat us," he said.

Bradley expects the bipartisan support of the legislation at the committee level to continue as the proposal progresses in the House and Senate.

"I think we have raised awareness even more of the plight we are in because of these outrageous increases," he said.

Lawmakers will tackle the issue on other fronts as well, including a push for a "rollback" of the rate increase, Bradley said.

In the meantime, he said, work on the aggregate will continue with the drafting of model ordinances. He said another meeting of the more than 100 local bodies of government, municipalities and county boards interested in the aggregate effort will take place March 3.

"We're going to keep pushing this forward as quickly as we can," he said.

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