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Legislator proposes state science commission

Posted January 04, 2008 10:00 pm

Adriana Colindres

Inspired by the proposed FutureGen energy plant and other science-based initiatives, a state lawmaker this week called for creating a new commission that would act as a clearinghouse for similar projects in the future.

Rep. Michael Fortner, R-West Chicago, is pushing House Bill 4216, which would establish the 10-member Illinois Science and Technology Commission.

The legislation specifies that the new panel would "coordinate efforts on behalf of the state, units of local government and institutions of higher education in order to attract, retain and promote scientific endeavors and research facilities within the state."

The commission could work with other states, the federal government and scientific research facilities.

Fortner said the notion of forming a new state panel initially surfaced during his work with a citizens advisory committee at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia. The physics research facility is a possible site for an "international linear collider" that the federal government is considering, he said.

The FutureGen project, to be built in Mattoon, also involves the federal government, he noted.

"The idea (of the legislation) was to have an organization that can really act as the point for the state in dealing with these types of projects," Fortner said.

Members of the commission would be required to have certain expertise.

For instance, two members would have a background in the physical sciences. One member would have a background in civil engineering, another in land use and another in environmental issues. The remaining five members would represent business, labor, higher education, the governor's office and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Even though Illinois already has numerous commissions, creating one for science and technology is justifiable, "given the scale of the kinds of projects that this is anticipated to work with," Fortner said.

The impact on economic development in the state would be positive, said Fortner, who holds bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in physics, a subject he teaches at Northern Illinois University.

Rep. Kurt Granberg, a Carlyle Democrat who helped bring FutureGen to Illinois, said Fortner's proposal is "worth looking at."

"There are a lot of questions on how it would operate, to my mind," he said. "Certainly, I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand."

Ashley Cross, a spokeswoman for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, said the agency could not comment about Fortner's legislation because it is still under review.

Fortner's bill, which was filed Thursday with the House clerk, would have to pass in the House and Senate and get signed by the governor before it could become law.

Adriana Colindres can be reached at (217) 782-6292 or adriana.colindres@sj-r.com.

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