One of the top priorities for Illinois environmental groups in '08 and '09 was the Clean Car Act. The oil and auto industry made a full effort to defeat the bill and they succeeded. It was never brought to a vote on the House floor and the Senate buried it in committee. Boland was one of only two downstate legislators who signed on to co-sponsor the bill when most representatives were backing down under pressure from corporate lobbyists.
He has a record of passing his own environmental bills, such as the Green Buildings Act last year. It ensures that state government leads by example by requiring that construction projects financed with state money must now be LEED certified. Pat Quinn praised the law in his State of the State address.
Boland introduced laws requiring the use of LED or florescent Energy Star lighting in state government buildings, and the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles, including hybrids.
He has co-sponsored numerous other environmental laws, including the Energy Efficient Buildings Act, which also passed last year. Boland introduced several bills to help promote the electric car industry in Illinois, including the Neighborhood Electric Vehicles Act which would allow them to access more urban roads.
Boland spoke about clean energy and creating green jobs at the environmental film fest in Springfield last year. He still keeps the event flier on his legislative office door. I rarely meet an elected official with his passion and conviction for resolving climate change and other environmental issues. Naturally, I'm excited that he's running for Lieutenant Governor.
Downstate legislators are under intense pressure from anti-environment groups like the coal industry and industrial agribusiness firms. It takes political courage to be an outspoken supporter for the environment in a district like Boland's. Even gutsier, is calling out his opponent for having a coal company with aging, dirty plants as a top campaign contributor.
It's the same courage he has shown on other issues, like his efforts for achieving universal health care by pushing for the Bernardin amendment (with State Senator Barack Obama), or his long record of advocating for meaningful reform as Chair of the House Campaign Reform Committee.
The Lieutenant Governor's office is best suited for someone who will be an energetic advocate for the public interest. A downstate, progressive reformer like Mike Boland is exactly who we need on the Democratic ticket.