Senate Week in Review: March 1-5
SPRINGFIELD — Senators spent long hours in legislative committees during the week, trying to meet a March 5 deadline to move Senate bills out of committee, according to state Sen. Dale Risinger (R-Peoria).
The Senate Executive Committee considered legislation that would require a photo of any prisoner who received early release to be posted online, increase the speed limit for cars and trucks to 70 miles per hour on rural interstates, and allow $300 million in short-term borrowing for healthcare providers.
Following reported problems and abuses related to Gov. Pat Quinn’s “MGT Push” inmate early release program, Senate Bill 3411 was introduced to make public identifying information and a photograph of any inmate who is released earlier than their initial sentence. The information is to include the inmate’s name and age, his or her physical attributes, address, the offense that was committed and the county where the conviction took place.
Only months after a 2009 law went into effect allowing big trucks to travel 65 miles per hour on certain Illinois interstates, a measure has been introduced to increase the state speed limit to 70 miles per hour for both cars and big rigs on interstates outside of heavily populated areas, like Chicago or collar counties and other urban areas.
Proponents noted that interstates are designed for vehicles to travel safely up to 80 miles per hour, and almost every surrounding state has already posted the 70 miles per hour speed limit for both cars and trucks. Senate Bill 3668 narrowly passed the Senate Executive Committee, as opponents cited safety concerns relating to the proposed speed increase.
The Executive Committee also approved legislation, despite Senate Republican protests, that would authorize the state to commit to $300 million in short-term borrowing for healthcare and human service providers.
Risinger said Senate Bill 3383 would allow the Illinois Finance Authority to sell $300 million in bonds to provide short-term, zero-interest loans to “financially distressed” providers. Those are providers who get at least 40 percent of their revenues from the state. The state would repay the bonds by diverting revenues from cigarette taxes that are currently going to finance state payments to nursing homes.
Though proponents say Illinois’ delayed payments to the state’s healthcare providers have created serious fiscal issues for the providers, opponents strongly object to any additional state borrowing and question why revenues that are currently going to nursing homes should be tapped for this initiative. Republican committee members voted against the proposal, urging their Democrat counterparts to restructure, cut and manage the state budget, instead of relying on short-term borrowing.
The entire Senate considered two additional borrowing measures earlier in the week. Senate Bill 1425 allows the Governor to short-term borrow $250 million for Medicaid without Comptroller or Treasurer approval. The plan was ultimately approved by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, though Republican lawmakers strongly opposed the measure, pointing to the $11 billion that the state has borrowed since 2003 — with interest costs topping $100 million.
Additionally, legislation that would allow public universities, including the University of Illinois and Northeastern Illinois University, to short-term borrow up to 75 percent of the money owed to them by the state (Senate Bill 642) was reluctantly approved by a majority of the Senate. While lawmakers expressed concerns about even more borrowing, supporters pointed out that the schools are already owed the money and the bill gives universities needed flexibility to cope with the state’s inability to pay colleges in a timely manner.
Bills approved by other Senate committees this week include:
Abusive Work Environment (SB 3566): States that it is unlawful to subject employees to an abusive work environment.
Agricultural Loans (SB 3719): Authorizes the Illinois Finance Authority to issue state guarantees to lenders for loans to finance needed input costs to farmers and Illinois agribusiness.
Annuities (SB 2554): Addresses conditions under which a person may return to employment and continue to receive his or her annuity.
Bicycle Helmet (SB 2627): Requires bicycle operators and passengers younger than 16 to wear approved protective helmets, and requires passengers who weigh less than 40 pounds and who are less than 40 inches tall to be seated in a separate restraining seat.
Bilingual Instruction (SB 3635): Provides that at least 60 percent of bilingual funding must be used for instructional costs.
Board of Health (SB 2797): Requires that the number of members on county boards of health must be increased from eight members to nine members in certain counties, and stipulates that at least one member must be a chiropractic physician licensed in Illinois.
Budget Impact Note (SB 3086): Requires the Illinois State Board of Education to prepare a fiscal impact note to be presented to lawmakers explaining the cost-estimate of new programs and services provided by ISBE.
Bullying (SB 3266): Requires every school district to maintain data tracking of all allegations and incidents of bullying, and develop a school bullying policy.
Business/Vocations School Exemption (SB 3737): Exempts nationally accredited private business and vocational schools from oversight by the state superintendent of education.
College Grace Period Voting (SB 2925): Mandates election authorities to conduct grace period voter registration, grace period voting, and early voting at a central location on each campus of all public universities, public colleges, and public community colleges in Illinois.
College Tuition (SB 3222): Changes the limitation on tuition increases at each of the public universities from four years to five years so in-state undergraduate students will be charged for tuition not to exceed the amount that the student was charged at the time he/she first enrolled at the university.
Common School Fund (SB 3609): Permits the Illinois State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Comptroller, to transfer line item appropriations for general state aid between the Common School Fund (CSF) and the Education Assistance Fund (EAF), instead of only from CSF to EAF.
Consumer Economics (SB 3608): Requires all high school students to take Consumer Economics, eliminating the ability of students to elect to take the Annual Consumer Education Proficiency Test to test out of the course.
Coroners (SB 3585): Requires coroners to report fire-related deaths to the State Fire Marshal.
Corrections Impact Note (SB 3087): Mandates filing of a Corrections Impact Note on a bill affecting adult or juvenile prisons, and requires a bill sponsor to respond to estimated costs in the Corrections Impact Note with a written statement on how to fund the bill.
Diabetic Students (SB 3822): Allows parent of diabetic students to submit a diabetic care plan to schools that covers the care and treatment of his or her child, and which would require the school to provide a delegated diabetes care aide to provide diabetes care.
Driver’s License (SB 3795): Invalidates the driver’s license or instruction permit of a minor younger than 18 between the hours of 10:30 p.m. (currently 11 p.m.) to 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Driving Privileges (SB 3523): Allows the Secretary of State to lift the suspension of driving privileges for certain offenses if the violator begins making payments on fines, and requires the Secretary of State to suspend the driving privileges of an individual who is in default on a payment plan.
Early Learning Grants (SB 3507): Requires the Illinois Early Learning Council to make recommendations to the General Assembly for the early childhood block grant appropriations it believes are needed to make available high-quality early childhood and family education programs and services available to eligible children.
Electronic Communication (SB 3638): Requires that every political committee required to file electronically must be able to receive all dispatches from the State Board of Elections electronically, and requires the State Board of Elections to send all dispatches electronically beginning July 1, 2010.
Electronic Records (SB 2630): Provides that it is the policy of the State to support efforts to reduce government use of natural resources through the use of electronic storage of documents, and requires the use of electronic records in the executive branch.
EPA Permits (SB 3344): Requires the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to create a permit streamlining unit for water and air permits, requires the EPA to provide permit applicants with an opportunity to review and comment on early drafts of permits without public notice, and authorizes the EPA to modify draft permits without public notice.
Federal Health Care Monitoring (SB 3047): Requires the Health Care Justice Implementation Task Force to monitor implementation of the federal health care reforms and make additional recommendations regarding reforms.
Felonious Teachers (SB 3375): Requires school districts to dismiss teachers found to have been convicted of certain felonies.
Financial Oversight Panel (SB 3681): Creates the Financial Oversight Panel Law giving the Illinois State Board of Education the power to require a district to share financial information, delivery of appropriate financial consulting services, and/or to certify a district to be in financial difficulty if a district is likely to fail to meet payroll expenses when due or the debt service payment when it is due.
FOID Card (SB 1840): Lowers the age from younger than 21 to younger than 18 in the parental consent requirement for applying for a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) Card.
Foreclosure Counseling (SB 3738): Requires the Illinois Housing Development Authority to establish and administer a foreclosure prevention counseling program.
Furlough Compensation (SB 3726): Provides that compensation that would have been paid to the employee who took a mandatory furlough is credited to the employee for the purpose of defining their final pension.
Furlough Credit (SB 2474): Allows a State Employees’ Retirement System member to establish service credit for up to 25 days of voluntary or involuntary furlough if the furlough was taken as a result of a state fiscal emergency.
Grad Assistant Benefits (SB 3570): Allows pre-professional graduate assistants to organize under the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act and be eligible for benefits.
Green Buildings (SB 3429): Requires the Capital Development Board to initiate a study along with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to identify a simple and easily understood way to label buildings or facilities based on their energy usage.
Home Repair Fraud (SB 3645): Increases the penalty on home repair fraud committed on a project intended to assist a disabled person.
Insurance Coverage (SB 3004): Allows for continuation of group hospital, surgical, and major medical coverage and group HMO coverage for an employee or members who are involuntarily terminated between Sept. 1, 2008, and Feb. 28, 2010.
Methamphetamine (SB 3093): Makes it a Class 1 felony with mandatory imprisonment for a person previously convicted of a methamphetamine offense to knowingly purchase, receive, own, or possess any amount of a substance containing a methamphetamine precursor without a doctor’s prescription.
Military Leave (SB 3818): Adds children and grandparents to the Family Military Leave Act, which previously just allowed spouses or parents of military personnel who are called to service for over 30 days, to take up to 30 days of unpaid leave from their place of employment as long as they have exhausted all their accrued time off.
Motor Fuel Tax (SB 3462): Changes the formula for allocation of Motor Fuel Tax Funds to township road districts.
Nuclear Ban Repeal (SB 3388): Lifts the ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants in Illinois.
Nutritional Database (SB 3706): Requires that the Illinois State Board of Education develop and maintain a nutrition and physical activity best practices database.
Parking Obstruction (SB 3309): Provides that no property owner can allow any unreasonable obstruction of a designated aisle or parking place specifically reserved for persons with disabilities after 24 hours following the conclusion of an “adverse weather event,” or allow the accumulation of debris or large objects, without providing suitable and equivalent alternative parking on-site.
Police Disability Reinstatement (SB 2793): Provides that a returning police officer who was on disability leave must report to the chief of the department, who will order immediate reinstatement into active service, and the municipality must immediately return the police officer to its payroll in the same rank or grade held at the date he or she was placed on disability pension.
Police Military Benefits (SB 3022): Allows police officers to establish creditable service for up to two years of prior military service, and requires payment of employee contributions and employer normal costs, plus interest at the actuarially assumed rate.
Police Training (SB 3491): Requires the State Police and the Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to conduct or approve a training program in death and homicide investigation for police officers, so only police officers who have successfully completed the training may be assigned as lead investigator in a death or homicide case.
Referendum (SB 3010): Establishes that a referendum is not required for townships that wish to build township halls, community centers, or multi-purpose senior centers if the township is not using bonds to fund the project.
Riverboat Taxes (SB 3574): Eliminates the admission tax imposed upon admissions to riverboats in operation on Jan. 1, 2009, excluding the new Des Plaines 10th license, which have capital projects of at least $40 million that are approved by the Gaming Board in calendar years 2006 through 2009, or for which at least $40 million in expenditures have been made in calendar years 2006 through 2009.
School Management (SB 3515): Makes numerous changes to aid school management relating to financial management, the school board and administrative requirements.
Seatbelt Safety (SB 3272): Requires the driver of a motor vehicle transporting a passenger who is unable to properly adjust and fasten a seat safety belt due to infirmity, illness, or age, but who is not exempted from wearing a seat safety belt, to secure the passenger in a properly adjusted and fastened seat safety belt.
Sexual Assault (SB 3269): Requires police agencies to send criminal sexual assault evidence kits that are to be tested by the State Police forensic lab in a timely manner.
Sex Education (SB 3332): Requires that the dangers associated with drug and alcohol consumption during pregnancy be taught in sexual education classes.
Sex Offender Location (SB 3176): Requires a sex offender or sexual predator to register with appropriate law enforcement if the offender is temporarily staying in the jurisdiction for five or more days, and requires the sex offender to notify the law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over his or her current registration, including an itinerary for travel.
Sex Offender Release (SB 2462): Requires a sex offender registering after release from prison, to provide the law enforcement agency where he or she is registering with a copy of the terms and conditions of his or her release from prison.
Tattooing (SB 3359): Prohibits tattooing of the eye.
Tax Deduction (SB 3068): Creates an income tax deduction for financial organizations for residential mortgage interest income if the mortgagor has at least a 50 percent interest in a business located in an enterprise zone or a river edge development zone.
Tire Weights (SB 3347): Provides that a person may not use or sell a weight or other product to balance a vehicle wheel or tire if the weight or other product contains lead or mercury.
Towing (SB 2969): Permits a county impacted by the Illinois Commercial Relocation of Trespassing Vehicles Law to opt out of the county’s Illinois Commercial Safety Towing Law.
Tow Truck Operators (SB 3584): Provides that it is illegal for a tower to misrepresent an affiliation with the state, a unit of local government, an insurance company, a private club, or any other entity for the purpose of securing a business transaction with a vehicle owner or operator.
Truth in Advertising (SB 3509): Requires health care service advertisements that name a health care professional, to identify the type of license held by that person, and requires these advertisements be free from any and all deceptive or misleading information.
Under-voting (SB 2503): Provides that when a voter is informed that they have “under-voted,” the voting equipment used at the polling place cannot indicate which office was under-voted.
Unfunded Programs (SB 3281): Requires state agencies to annually report the statutorily created programs and program expansions that have been unfunded for the three previous fiscal years.
Veteran Business Loan (SB 3817): Allows the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to make loans to veteran-owned businesses that meet certain criteria.
Veteran Compensation (SB 3128): Adds recipients of the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal to the list of veterans entitled to receive compensation in the amount of $100 for their service.
Veteran Tax Credit (SB 3816): Provides an income tax credit for modifications made to the primary residence of a disabled veteran.
Wage Page (SB 3644): Requires employers to pay three times the amount of commission for failure to pay final commissions.
Warning Label (SB 3231): Requires a warning label cautioning “likely to cause obesity in children” for all soft drinks that have a total aggregate sugar content of more than 1 gram per ounce.
