Environment

Environment

Robyn is a champion for our environment who is fighting to safeguard our planet for future generations.  She believes everyone deserves clean air and water, a safe climate and a healthy, livable community regardless of their zip code.  She understands that the actions we take over the next decade will define our planet’s course over the next century and that protecting the environment must be rooted in racial, social and environmental justice. 

Robyn has distinguished herself as a significant leader on environmental issues through chief sponsorship and passage of some of the most important climate legislation in Illinois history:  

  • The Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA), pioneering legislation that established Illinois as a creator of more solar energy than any other Midwest state. 

  • The Clean and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which builds upon the advancements of FEJA, creating jobs, investing in our economy and protecting the planet.  

Robyn’s voting record on the environment includes the following legislation:

Protecting Illinois wildlife, pollinators, waterways and drinking water by sponsoring the “ Bee Bill,  protecting our local bee population and our ecosystem by limiting commercial spraying for mosquitos during times when pollinators are most active; and establishing the Illinois Drug Take-Back Programing with funding from pharmaceutical companies. 

Fighting air pollution through a ban on the incineration of “forever chemicals,” aka PFAs, a practice that disproportionately impacts minority communities in Illinois; and increasing the number of air emissions testing stations.

Promoting Environmental Justice by creating an Equity Commission within the Department of Agriculture to identify inequities in outreach and distribution of funds to Black, Brown and low-income communities. 

Increasing access to healthy, locally-sourced foods by incentivizing local businesses, i.e., corner stores and farmers markets, to sell locally-produced, healthy whole foods; giving schools more flexibility to procure  a healthy, locally-sourced food options, and capping the amount that health departments can charge farmers market vendors.

Decreasing waste in our landfills and protecting the beauty of our parks by creating a state procurement preference for compostable or recyclable foodware and bans single use plasticware at IDNR state parks and natural areas.