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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 36
2
(As Amended by Senate Amendment No. 1)

 
3     WHEREAS, Article XI, Section 1 of the Illinois Constitution
4 states, "The public policy of the State and the duty of each
5 person is to provide and maintain a healthful environment for
6 the benefit of this and future generations"; and
 
7     WHEREAS, A capital construction program is urgently needed
8 and would fix aging infrastructure in Illinois, create jobs for
9 working men and women, and stimulate the economy; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Previous capital construction proposals have
11 called for as much as $34 billion in spending; and
 
12     WHEREAS, The potentially massive public expenditure
13 involved in a capital plan represents a once-in-a-generation
14 opportunity to modernize and improve the basic infrastructure
15 of our State; and
 
16     WHEREAS, The 21st century has already witnessed the
17 development of technologies that promise to improve
18 significantly the energy efficiency of buildings; to limit the
19 environmental impact of new roads, bridges, and structures; to
20 bring information technology resources to underserved areas;
21 and to conserve and manage water resources; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Previous capital proposals have allocated vast
2 financial resources to projects unguided by the principles of
3 environmental protection, energy efficiency, and
4 sustainability; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Numerous scientific studies have concluded that
6 the health of our people can be directly affected by the
7 products used in our buildings and that utilizing alternative
8 green products can greatly reduce the risk of health problems
9 caused by, among other things, volatile organic compounds; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Green and sustainable principles and practices
11 promote environmental health and offer significant energy
12 savings; therefore, be it
 
13     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
14 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
15 CONCURRING HEREIN, that the General Assembly, together with the
16 Governor, ought to make passage of a green and sustainable
17 comprehensive capital construction plan a top priority; and be
18 it further
 
19     RESOLVED, That the principles of environmental health,
20 environmental protection, energy efficiency, and
21 sustainability ought to guide the allocation of all funds in

 

 

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1 any capital construction plan; and be it further
 
2     RESOLVED, That in providing funding for the construction of
3 new buildings or the renovation of existing buildings, the law
4 should require builders to adhere to sustainable building
5 standards including the U.S. Green Building Council's
6 Leadership in Environment and Energy Design (LEED) standards,
7 the Green Globes standards, or construction elements with an
8 equivalent certification; and be it further
 
9     RESOLVED, That in determining the allocation of
10 transportation funding, the State should give due
11 consideration to new public transportation, including rail, in
12 the interest of planning sustainable transportation
13 infrastructure for a more densely-populated society; and be it
14 further
 
15     RESOLVED, That in providing for the construction and
16 improvement of roads, the State should prioritize the laying of
17 fiber-optic lines, particularly to rural areas and other
18 regions of the State historically lacking in technological
19 infrastructure; and be it further
 
20     RESOLVED, That the State should consider and prioritize
21 each project in light of its potential to create jobs, its
22 environmental impact, and its long-term energy savings.