Is It Possible: State Smoking Ban & Electric Rate Freeze?

Two bills that could make big changes in your life have cleared a hurdle. A statewide smoking ban bill and the electric rate freeze both passed out of legislative committees. Some lawmakers think both bills will pass the house, but think the senate could pull the plug on the power bill. The Ameren rate freeze proposal has passed the House twice since last years veto session. And it likely will pass again, but it faces an uncertain future in the Senate. Represenative Bill Black (R) wants to stop this game. Hes calling for a summit so lawmakers and power company officials can sit down and negotiate a solution. But Black says dont get your hopes up because he does not think the electric rate freeze will happen. Black says, "Its clear now that I dont think the Senate and the House are not going to get an agreement. And it also appears clear that even if they do, then we go to court so we get no rate relief." But some may find relief from second hand smoking as lawmakers iron out a state-wide smoking ban. It passed the Senate and the bills sponsor says hes confident it will pass the House and even get Rods nod. "The governor lives two blocks from me and when I see the governor on the street he wants to talk about the gross receipts tax and I want to talk about the smoking ban. So I think were both listening to each other and I have every reason to believe that the governor will be supporting this bill," says Sen. John Cullerton (D). The House is expected to vote on the electric rate bill as soon as tomorrow. And a vote on the statewide smoking ban could come by next week. The electric rate freeze bill got a new sponsor today, thats democratic Representative George Scully of Chicago. Scully says he thinks things will be different this time around, and the rate freeze will pass.