To: Governor J.B. Pritzker
Gov. Pritzker: Don't criminalize environmental protests.
Gov. Pritzker, we urge you to veto any fossil fuel industry sponsored legislation, including Illinois House Bill 1633, that would criminalize many environmental protests in Illinois. If during the course of protest, an activist caused as little $1.00 in damage to a dirty energy site, they could be charged with a class 3 felony and fined $100,000.
Why is this important?
The world’s leading climate scientists have warned there are only 12 years to stave off the worst-case scenarios of climate change by keeping warming to a maximum of 1.5 degrees Celsius. Yet the Illinois House passed an ALEC* and fossil fuel industry sponsored bill (HB 1633) that criminalizes environmental protests on dirty energy sites like pipelines, coal mines, power plants and many more. This legislation is designed to stop the next Standing Rock / #NoDAPL movement-style protest by intimidating people who would stand up for clean water, clean air and a future for our planet. If it passes the Illinois Senate, we will have just a few weeks to persuade Gov. Pritzker to veto this bill.
*ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) is a secretive lobbying group run by and for corporations. They focus primarily on advancing their agenda in state legislatures.
*ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) is a secretive lobbying group run by and for corporations. They focus primarily on advancing their agenda in state legislatures.