A bill moving through the Illinois legislature would prevent state and local agencies from weakening federal environmental and labor safeguards that were in place as of Jan. 1, 2017 – about three weeks before President Donald Trump took office.

 

Passed Wednesday in the Illinois Senate, the 32-21 vote in favor of the Illinois Baseline Protection Act was almost entirely along party lines: No Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while one Democrat – William Haine of Alton – voted against it.

 

The Trump administration has taken aim at a number of key laws related to the environment, public health and worker safety, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and Mine Safety and Health Act. Senate Bill 2213 would protect the state from moves that weaken those laws, in addition to the Occupational Safety and Health Act and Federal Labor Standards Act.

 

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