The supplement you must take if you're on statins

The supplement you must take if
you're on statins 
By Bob Livingston
In all matters of health, you must think for yourself and realize, how in the world can drugs replace or do the work that nutrition is meant to do naturally within your body? They can't, no matter how much drug orthodoxy promotes that they do. You do not get high cholesterol because of a deficiency of statin drugs.

However, it is probable that your doctor will prescribe you a statin drug should they "diagnose" you with high cholesterol. It's even possible that your insurance will be dropped unless you take it. If this is the case, and you must take a cholesterol-lowering drug, there's a nutrient you should also take as well. 

When you take statin drugs to lower your cholesterol levels, you're likely to become deficient in CoQ10. This is due to the fact that while statins work by reducing an enzyme in your liver to decrease the production of cholesterol, they also lower the body's production of CoQ10.

When this happens, you can end up with severe muscle aches, pains and weakness.

In order to counter this effect and restore your natural levels, it's important that you take a supplement that's a minimum of 100 mg of highly absorbable CoQ10 each day.

It's even more important that you supplement with CoQ10 if you're over 40, which the majority of statin-takers are, because your body's natural production of CoQ10 declines drastically once you're past that age.

If you're both over 40, when your levels are already dropping, and taking statins, which decrease your body's ability to make CoQ10 even further, you could be seriously CoQ10 deficient.

Higher levels of the antioxidant have been proven to support normal blood pressure, maintain heart health, erase migraines, promote healthy gum tissues, maintain normal memory function and contribute to keeping your brain and nervous system perfectly healthy.

The form of CoQ10 your body can best use is called ubiquinol. Ubiquinol is a reduced version of CoQ10, so your body doesn't have to convert it in order to use it. All the heavy lifting has already been done.

The ubiquinol supplement that I recommend is from Peak Pure & Natural. It's called Peak CoQSol10 CF™. It's ubiquinol in its most highly absorbable form.

You can also get some CoQ10 from the foods you eat. You'll find it in small doses in:

• Grass-fed beef
• Free-range chicken
• Rainbow trout
• Sardines
• Pistachios
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Strawberries (organic, always)
• Oranges

Weed killer found in wine

By Bob Livingston

Weed killer found in wine 

Just two years ago a lawsuit was filed against 31 brands of wines for containing high levels of arsenic.

You read that right... arsenic... the poison used to kill rats.

And now an herbicide known as glyphosate (weed killer) has been found in all of the most popular brands of wines in the world, the majority of which are from the U.S., and in batch test results in American beer.

You may be wondering how in the world all of that wine and beer could become so contaminated.

But if you're a regular reader, I bet you already guessed the answer: Monsanto's Roundup^®.

Roundup, which some farmers use to kill the weeds that compete with their crops, was tested by a French biologist, and his findings prove that of all the Roundup products they tested, over a dozen had high levels of arsenic.

That's over five times the allowable limit.

But arsenic wasn't the only thing he found. Those Roundup samples were also sporting dangerous levels of heavy metals.

So when those farmers and vineyards spray Roundup on their vines or grain crops for beer to keep the weeds away, they're actually riddling their end products (the wine and beer you drink) with compounds that have proven to be neurotoxic, hormone-disrupting cancer causers.

Now, before you throw up your hands and write this off as just one more mountain made out of a molehill, you should know that the wines tested were found to have glyphosate residues of 23.30 part per billion with some independent beer brands at 13.6 parts per billion. Studies have demonstrated that it only takes one part per trillion to stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells.

In order to avoid this dangerous contamination, the first step is to switch to organic wine and beer options. The grapes, barley and hops used to make the drinks by these vendors are not being directly sprayed with Roundup like many conventional brands.

However, making the move to organic is not enough.

That's because polluted irrigation water, soil and even pesticides in rain can contaminate vineyards and crops thousands of miles away from fields using the weed killer.

So if you're a wine or beer lover and don't want to avoid these occasional pleasures, you need to take steps to rid your body of that glyphosate, with its high levels of arsenic and other heavy metals.

In today's contaminated environment, detoxing should be a way of life. There are a couple of ways to do it.

One way is a lemonade cleanse. For this option, you will drink six 16 oz. bottles a day of a very specific mixture as follows, daily:

• Water — nearly fill up bottle but leave room

• Juice from a fresh squeezed lemon or lime

• Grade B maple syrup to desired taste

• Cayenne pepper — a pinch or more depending on taste

This is all the "food" you'll have for three to 14 days. I've never managed to make it past three days.

Another way is a juice fast using freshly juiced fruits and veggies, as well as soup broths and herbal teas for the same time period or time. I prefer to do this on a regular basis, at least seasonally. But again, three days is about all I can manage.

So if you're shaking your head right now, wondering if there is possibly an easier way... one where you don't have to starve yourself, there's EDTA.

If you haven't heard of EDTA before, here's what you need to know.

EDTA is an amino acid (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid). It's used to latch onto heavy metals, like arsenic, to carry them out of your body (a process called chelation).

And it works. EDTA is regularly used to chelate lead and other contaminants from the body. The really cool thing about it is that EDTA is used in baby food as a preservative. So that helps you understand how gentle and safe it is.

I've been taking an EDTA supplement for a while now and prefer Peak Chelation+ Resveratrol™. I consider it "maintenance detoxing" because it allows me feel like I'm keeping myself "clean" and only need to do a lemonade cleanse or juice fast a couple of times a year.

WILL COUNTY SHOPPERS WOULD PAY AMONG NATION’S HIGHEST SALES TAXES UNDER REFERENDUM PROPOSAL

from Illinois Policy

A new sales tax proposed by Will County school districts would put some residents’ sales tax burden in a league with Chicago, which is home to the highest combined sales tax rate of any major city in the U.S.

Illinois is home to the highest sales tax rates in the Midwest and one of the highest overall tax burdens in the nation. But that hasn’t stopped some local officials in Will County from entertaining additional taxes.

Will County voters could be seeing a referendum on their November ballots that would bring a new 1 percent sales tax to county school districts. Indian Prairie District 204, the latest Will County school to push the referendum forward, passed a resolution July 23 in support of the proposed sales tax. More than a dozen school districts across Will County have also signed onto the referendum, according to the Naperville Sun. The proposed 1 percent tax would fall under a relatively new category of sales tax called a County School Facility Occupation Tax, or CSFT.

An additional 1 percent sales tax might seem insignificant. But on top of state and local sales taxes – as well as sales taxes tacked on by special business districts – the region’s combined sales tax burden would rival that of Chicago in some areas.

Take either of the special business districts in Joliet, the county’s seat. For residents shopping at Route 66 Food N Fuel or Mickey’s One Stop, located in Route 53/Laraway Road Business District and 1415 Plainfield Road Business District, respectively, the sales tax rate would jump to 10.75 percent from 9.75 percent, provided the CSFT went into effect. This would outpace Chicago’s combined sales tax rate of 10.25 percent, which is the highest overall sales tax rate in the nation.

But the tax wouldn’t be restricted to shoppers visiting special business districts. Joliet would see a combined sales tax rate of 9.75 percent under the additional sales tax, up from 8.75 percent. Not far behind would be residents of the villages of Bolingbrook and Plainfield, both of which currently impose an 8.5 percent combined sales tax. The proposed CSFT would push this rate up to 9.5 percent, which, while slightly behind Chicago’s high sales tax rate, would nonetheless render the villages’ combined sales tax rate among the highest in the nation. (The portion of Bolingbrook located in DuPage County would not be affected by the new tax.)

In 2007, state lawmakers passed a law authorizing elected school boards to introduce a CSFT via referendum. The tax would be placed on retail items and gasoline, the revenue from which would be earmarked for facilities maintenance, upgrades and debt repayments.

In order for a CSFT referendum to appear on voters’ ballots in a given county, school districts representing at least 50 percent of that county’s student population must pass resolutions approving the proposed CSFT.

Around 70 counties have put CSFT referendum questions to voters, but none in Cook or the collar counties, according to the Naperville Sun. But that could change come November. Jay Strang, District 204’s chief school business official, told the Naperville Sun that Will County school districts were “very close” to surpassing the 50 percent requirement.

While CSFTs come with the promise of investment in local schools – a promise local taxpayers are justified in favoring – the unintended consequences of CSFTs can worsen the problems they’re designed to solve. In fact, CSFTs end up masking accountabilityfor district officials’ spending decisions. Despite reporting “much-needed deferred maintenance,” District 204 officials have suggested the tax could be used to pay down debts, only appropriating remaining funds toward maintenance and safety-improvement projects.

A 2014 Illinois Policy Institute investigation found Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. – a Missouri-based company – is often behind persuading local officials to pursue CSFTs. The company benefits from CSFTs by offering free consultation to school boards seeking more money for their districts. Then they make a pitch to handle the lucrative bond business for the ensuing projects funded by the sales tax hike.

School districts are the largest recipients of local property tax revenue. The owners of a home located in Joliet priced around the city’s median value of $180,600 paid $4,545 in property taxes in 2017. Combined, the homeowner’s two local school districts took in $3,071 of that ­– more than 67 percent of the property taxes billed.

Implementing a CSFT would only worsen Will County’s already-high overall tax burden. Unfortunately, costly mandates imposed by Springfield and the Illinois Constitution too often put local school districts in a bind, which feeds their reliance on tax hikes. Lawmakers must introduce real fiscal reforms – including constitutional changes to laws governing pensions and collective bargaining power – that would empower school districts to control their finances, rather than continuing to lean on overtaxed residents.

Real costs to taxpayers often obscured from government budgets

Group warns real costs to taxpayers often obscured from government budgets

·         By Cole Lauterbach | Illinois News Network

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Shutterstock photo

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Chicagoans are on the hook for more public debt than residents of any of the nation’s 10 largest cities even though the total cost of the city’s debt is less than many others.

According to a new report by Truth in Accounting, Chicago’s debt burden is a little more than $45,000 per taxpayer. That’s much less than the city of New York. But if you add the burden from all of the other units of government, Chicago schools, the park district, and many more, the total taxpayer burden is $125,000, much more than the Big Apple.

Of that added burden, more than $50,000 comes from the state of Illinois’ pension burden, estimated at anywhere from $140 billion to as much as $250 billion. Other debt is couched in the total debt of Chicago Public Schools, Cook County, and other smaller levels of government that are able to take on debt.  

Bill Bergman, director of research with Truth in Accounting, says this allows Chicago and other cities to say they’re budgets are balanced when they’re highly leveraged.

“It allows them to balance budgets on a cash basis when they’re accumulating debt and spending more money than they take in,” he said.

Illinoisans should be concerned about their largest city carrying too much debt, Bergman said, because it could end up coming out of the entire state’s budget in one way or another.

“Chicago may have to rely on taxpayer money from, say, Kankakee in order to close their books,” he said.

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board is currently debating an initiative to force cities to factor in their debt when filing their annual budget reports, or accrual accounting standards.

Meanwhile, a bill on Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk would allow local governments in Illinois to use another method of budgeting that solely factors cash on hand in their accounting.

Study confirms the cardioprotective effects of blueberries and strawberries

Comprehensive study confirms the cardioprotective effects of blueberries and strawberries

Sunday, July 08, 2018 by: Isabelle Z.
Tags: anthocyanins, berries, Blueberries, cardiovascular health, flavonoids, food as medicine, food cures, functional food, goodfood, goodhealth, healing foods, heart attack, heart health, home garden, natural cures, natural remedies, nutrition, Strawberries

1,760VIEWS

(Natural News) If you’re concerned about a heart attack, there are lots of steps you might take to reduce your risk. Perhaps you’re already exercising and eating a healthy diet, but you’d like to give your efforts that extra edge. Before your doctor convinces you to start taking a long-term regimen of risky medications that may or may not actually be effective, why not turn to nature for an alternative that is as delicious as it is powerful?

A study carried out by researchers from Harvard Medical School revealed just how much two particular berries can help reduce a person’s risk of heart attack: strawberries and blueberries. They looked at health data from more than 93,000 women aged 25 to 42 who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study, which included information about their diet and health over the course of 18 years.

They discovered that the women who ate the fewest blueberries and strawberries had the highest risk of having a heart attack, while those who ate the most of these berries were 34 percent less likely to have a heart attack. Consuming the berries regularly brought about the positive health benefits, and those with the healthiest hearts tended to eat at least three cups per week of the two fruits combined, on average.

These benefits came about regardless of other risk factors like alcohol intake, smoking, exercise, family history of heart attack, age and high blood pressure, which means you can increase your risk even further by combining a boost in your berry intake with other healthy changes.

Studies in mice have also shown blueberries’ value in heart health. Researchers from the University of Maine found that mice who were fed a blueberry-rich diet had significant improvements in how easily their veins expanded and constricted, which had a blood pressure-lowering effect.

How do berries help your heart?

It is believed that their power comes from their high content of the flavonoids known as anthocyanins. These antioxidants can lower blood pressure and increase the flexibility of blood vessels.

Should you run out and buy supplements that contain these flavonoids? The scientists say no; they work best when you get them from the whole foods themselves, and organic varieties will give you more nutrients without the pesticide risk.

This is excellent news for people with heart concerns because berries are so easy to incorporate into your diet. Of course, a commercial blueberry pie isn’t going to do your heart any favors with its trans fats and high sugar content, but thankfully berries work so well with a number of healthy dishes.

For example, you can get your daily dose at breakfast by mixing some berries into your organic oatmeal or yogurt – be sure you sweeten it yourself with a bit of organic honey rather than buying the sugar-laden prepared varieties. You can work berries into your lunch or dinner by adding them to a salad; they pair extremely well with leafy greens like spinach, and you can make your own quick dressing with balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil to enhance their flavor and consume some heart-healthy fats. If you’re not inclined to cook, you can munch on a handful of berries as an easy snack at any hour.

Benefits of berry consumption extend beyond your heart

There are plenty of benefits to be gained by eating more berries, and they extend far beyond your heart. For example, regular blueberry consumption has been linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and urinary tract infections, while strawberries have been found to support the brain, eyes, muscles, joints, and immune system.

Read Fruits.news for more coverage of the healing properties of raw fruits.

Sources include:

NaturalHealth365.com

NaturalNews.com

The most powerful activity for keeping your brain young

The most powerful activity
for keeping your brain young

If you haven't been dancing lately, you could be missing out on more than just fun. You could be missing out on the most powerful activity for keeping your brain healthy and combating aging.

Science has proven that older people who routinely partake in physical exercise can reverse the signs of aging in the brain. All exercise helps, but dancing produced the most profound effects.

From ballroom to salsa, hip-hop to ballet, you're sure to find a number of styles of dancing that keep you smiling. To keep your brain learning and adapting, be sure to vary your routines and try something new regularly. You can find dance classes at your local college, join a dance exercise program at your gym or even just put on a YouTube video and follow along at home. The choice is yours.

The key is to work consistently to keep your brain active and young.

Other ways to optimize your brain health and improve your memory include:

• Add PS — Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a nutrient that is the key building block for billions of cells in your brain. It acts like brain food. Adding a high quality phosphatidylserine supplement to your daily routine can give your brain exactly what it needs to function optimally. You can find one I like is here.

• Get more omega-3s — The omega-3s found in fish oil are associated with better brain function so be sure to get more in your daily diet. My favorite omega-3 supplement is Peak Krill Oil^™.

• Reduce stress — Stress raises the amount of cortisol in your body, which damages the nerve cells in your brain. Get brain-healthy by managing your stress through regular exercise and healthy habits like meditation, massage and deep breathing.

• Get enough rest — Like the rest of your body, your brain needs high-quality sleep each night in order to function at its best. Be sure to get at least eight to nine hours each night to give it time to rest and repair.

Cub (Citizens Utility Board) hosts press conference on Homer Glen Water Costs

Officials, residents urge governor to veto water bill they say would harm communities

Patrick M. O'Connell and Cecilia ReyesContact ReporterChicago Tribune

Flanked by state senators and the mayors of Homer Glen and Bolingbrook, the Citizens Utility Board urged Gov. Bruce Rauner to veto an amendment to the Illinois Water Systems Viability Act on Monday, saying the provisions are bad for consumers and a boon for private water companies.

The consumer watchdog group said the bill will allow private companies to grow unchecked at the expense of Illinois residents. The morning event was held at the Village Hall of southwest suburban Homer Glen, where residents served by Illinois American Water complained of skyrocketing monthly bills.

Introduced earlier this year by Rep. Nick Sauer, R-Lake Barrington, the bill would renew the act’s amendments for another 10 years and remove a 7,500-connection cap on the size of water systems that private companies can buy. That would, consumer advocates fear, increase the chance of a monopoly on the resource.

“Getting rid of the cap on the size of the system lays bare the utilities’ profiteering motivations,” said Bryan McDaniel, director of governmental affairs for CUB. “That will speed up the pace of acquisition. The bigger the system, the higher the price tag.”

The legislation, House Bill 4508, passed in the Senate but failed to obtain a veto-proof majority in the House. Rauner has until mid-August to sign or veto the bill.

“This legislation is a bad deal for customers, and it would make it much easier for private companies to purchase water systems and then to dramatically increase the customer rates,” said state Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, herself a customer of Illinois American Water.

The Tribune calculated and verified the costs associated with 5,000 gallons of Lake Michigan water use for customers of Illinois American and Aqua Illinois. On average, Illinois American charges $74.95 and Aqua Illinois $53.16. The two companies serve about 52,000 customers in the Chicago area, and their prices were 20 to 70 percent higher than the 2017 price tag a resident under a publicly managed water system would pay for the same Lake Michigan water, taking service fees and other base charges into account.

Aqua Illinois said in a statement that the bill allows the company to improve water quality and system reliability, enhances fire protection across the state and will help struggling systems gain compliance with Illinois Environmental Protection Agency regulations. The viability act, Aqua said, enables communities to focus on other priorities, and the company emphasized that even with the amendment, municipalities retain control over whether to sell their water system to a private operator.

“It is important to remember that the opportunity afforded by this bill is simply an option for municipalities,” Aqua said.

Signed into law in 2013, the Illinois Water Systems Viability Act allows private water utilities to buy out water utilities and spread the costs of doing so across its existing ratepayers. The legislation is part of the Public Utilities Act, which designates the Illinois Commerce Commission as the gatekeeper of “reasonable” rate increases and a competitive energy market.

Under the current bill, the commission is allowed to reject a pending municipal acquisition if it’s not in the public interest, Marianne Manko, director of public affairs at the commission, said via email. Manko noted, however, that a decision by a municipality’s local leaders to privatize makes the move “very difficult” to reverse.

With regard to size, “it’s conceivable the Commission would reject such a transaction,” Manko wrote, if the acquiring utility “would find it difficult or impossible to provide safe, adequate and reliable service to a greatly-expanded customer base.”

Rezin said there needs to be a cap on future rate increases, which she lamented as already “out of control,” and said the length of the amendment — 10 years — is far too long. Homer Glen Mayor George Yukich and Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar also spoke out against the bill.

“(Water) is a life necessity; we have to have it,” Yukich said. “And unfortunately, we’re stuck with very high bills. So we’re asking the governor the same thing, he’s gotta veto this bill, otherwise it lets them keep raising it, keep raising it.”

Several senior citizens on fixed incomes, Yukich said, have told village officials they sometimes do not flush their toilets because of worries about the cost of water.

Residents of Homer Glen, with a population of about 24,000, paid $85.58 a month per 5,000 gallons, not including sewer charges — a figure higher than all but one of the Chicago area’s publicly managed systems that use Lake Michigan water, according to a survey conducted by the Tribune for its 2017 series “The Water Drain.” The average bill for 5,000 gallons in that survey was $44. The embattled southwest suburb filed an official complaint with the Illinois Commerce Commission regarding its water rates in 2016.

“You know, it’s outrageous, and we have to stop it,” said Homer Glen resident Stephen J. Balich, a Will County Board member.

Watering the lawn, other residents said, is out of the question. One Homer Glen resident on Friday posted to one of the residents’ community Facebook pages a picture of her $2,000-plus water bill, the result, she said, of watering new sod.

State Sen. John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said water rates are a top concern among many of his constituents, especially those in Homer Glen. Curran voted against the bill and urged Rauner to veto it so the bill can be reworked with additional consumer protections.

“The difference between what public utility water customers pay and private is alarming in this state, in this area,” said Curran, whose district includes Homer Glen. “We talk about property taxes all the time and people being taxed out of their home. In Homer Glen, I’ve heard resoundingly from individuals I represent that water bills are also barrier to homeownership here. They just can’t afford the monthly freight. There’s a big disparity between public and private.”

McDaniel said the bill can be improved by requiring shareholders to pay a portion of the purchase price of a newly acquired system; adding a referendum requirement so that local residents can register their opinion on turning a municipal system over to a private company; maintaining a cap on the size of the system that can be purchased; and shortening the term length of the amendment.

Reached by phone, Elizabeth Tomev, deputy director of communications for the governor’s office, said the bill was still under review and that she could not comment on specifics in the legislation.

Homer Glen Trustee Keith Gray, who frequently hears from residents complaining about water bills at board meetings, said privatization leaves residents with few options and little recourse.

“If I’m unhappy with Ford, I can go buy a Chevy,” Gray said. “I can’t pick up my pipes and go find another water system.”

poconnell@chicagotribune.com

creyes@chicagotribune.com

"Water Bills" CUB holding meeting 10:00 a.m., Monday, June 25 Homer Glen Village Hall Board Room

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                              CONTACT: Mike Truppa

June 22, 2018                                                                                                 (312) 286-5077

MEDIA ADVISORY

Illinois’ top utility watchdog will join with suburban Chicago leaders to urge Gov. Bruce Rauner to stand up for consumers and veto House Bill 4508, legislation that favors two powerful private water companies and opens the door for higher water bills across the state.  

The news conference is:

10:00 a.m., Monday, June 25

Homer Glen Village Hall Board Room

14240 W 151^st Street

            Homer Glen, IL 60491

HB 4508, which passed the General Assembly this spring, renews earlier legislation that allows Aqua Illinois and Illinois American Water to automatically raise their existing customers’ rates to fund municipal acquisitions. This bill also repeals a 7,500-connection limit on the size of systems that the water companies can buy.

Consumer advocates fear the legislation will allow Illinois' two biggest private water companies to march across the state buying up municipal water systems and raising customer rates.  The parent companies of Aqua and Illinois American made a combined profit of $150 million in the first quarter alone, and past reviews have shown that the two companies charge up to 70 percent more than public systems in the region.

State Sen. Sue Rezin and Bryan McDaniel, director of governmental affairs for the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), will lead the news conference. The event will also feature Homer Glen Mayor George Yukich, who can speak about his constituents’ history of skyrocketing bills under Illinois American Water.   

CUB is Illinois’ leading nonprofit utility watchdog organization. Created by the Illinois Legislature, CUB opened its doors in 1984 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers. Since then, CUB has saved consumers more than $20 billion by helping to block rate hikes and secure refunds. For more information, call CUB’s Consumer Hotline at 1-800-669-5556 or visit www.CitizensUtilityBoard.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                              CONTACT: Mike Truppa

June 25, 2018                                                                                                 (312) 286-5077

CUB, SUBURBAN LEADERS URGE GOV. RAUNER TO VETO BAD WATER BILL,

SAY HB 4508 GIVES IL AMERICAN TOO MUCH POWER TO IMPOSE RATE HIKES

Suburban Chicago leaders and the state’s top consumer watchdog group on Monday urged Gov. Bruce Rauner to veto a bill that will give special treatment to Illinois’ most powerful private water companies, making it easier for them to buy municipal water systems and slap their customers with higher rates.

 At a news conference in Homer Glen, state Sen. Sue Rezin and the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), warned that House Bill 4508 gives Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois far too much power to march across the state and take over municipal water systems.

“Families across the suburbs and in my district have been sticker shocked over the years by the steep increases in their water bills,” State Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) said. “Private water companies across the state have had a history of large water increases. This legislation would only allow those rates to climb higher, offering a blank check for these private water companies to use ratepayers to expand their company footprint throughout the state. What customers need is a real, hard cap on future rate increases for all ratepayers affected, stricter oversight by the Illinois Commerce Commission, and the ability for local voters to have a voice by referendum before their water systems are sold to a private company.”

HB 4508, which passed the General Assembly this spring, renews earlier legislation that allows Aqua Illinois and Illinois American Water to impose automatic rate hikes to bankroll the purchase of municipal water systems.

Under HB 4508, the companies can automatically raise their existing customers’ rates to fund municipal acquisitions—by 2.5 percent for one acquisition, or a total of 5 percent for multiple acquisitions. The new bill is actually worse than the legislation passed in 2013, because it removes a 7,500-connection cap on the size of systems that the water companies can buy.

HB 4508 easily passed the Senate, but failed to get a veto-proof majority in the House, opening the door for a gubernatorial veto. The legislation is now on the governor’s desk, and he has 60 calendar days to sign it.