Peoria Standard

Rep. Travis Weaver reacted to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's veto of Senate Bill 76 in an Aug. 14 Facebook post. That bill would have allowed the construction of a new nuclear power plant and for issuance of certificates of necessity for these projects.

"Our billionaire governor’s rejection of clean-energy cost relief is a clear demonstration he is out of touch with hardworking Illinois families,” Weaver said. "SB76 was an overwhelmingly bipartisan bill that would've boosted Illinois' clean energy production. But Gov. Pritzker vetoed it last week."

Weaver also issued an extended statement. It read, in part: “The governor’s veto of SB76 is extremely discouraging, as this landmark bill would’ve enabled Illinois to build new nuclear energy facilities, bolstering our clean energy production. Since 1987, the State of Illinois has barred itself from producing reliable, efficient and safe nuclear energy, hindering our ability to provide Illinoisans with a reliable clean energy source. I consistently hear from Illinoisans who are, rightfully so, upset about their expensive energy bills as a result of the governor’s premature shutdown of some of Illinois’s cleanest coal and natural gas plants. Nuclear power generation is a key solution to our energy needs in which Republicans and Democrats have demonstrated an eagerness to coalesce behind, as it is both clean and affordable.”

Senate Bill 76 was filed by Sen. Sue Rezin on Jan. 20, and it arrived in the House of Representatives on March 31. It passed both Houses on May 19 and went to Pritzker’s desk on June 16. The bill would have deleted the language that would not allow for the construction of new nuclear power plants within the state and required that any new reactor built after the law went into effect be an advanced nuclear reactor.

Weaver was appointed to the House of Representatives in January 2023. He is a lifelong Illinois resident, born and raised in Peoria County. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in finance and marketing from The University of Alabama, and his Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University. When he’s not working in Springfield, Weaver tutors GED students and serves as the chair of the Education Committee at Wildlife Prairie Park. He is also a substitute teacher, according to his legislative biography.