It’s just a bill
Thursday, May 25, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* SJ-R…
Legislation that would allow telephone giant AT&T to direct its resources away from landlines and into newer technology passed the Senate Wednesday.
The bill sponsored by Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, passed easily by a vote of 57-2 now goes to the House.
The legislation would allow the phone company to free itself from a legal obligation to provide landline service in areas with old technology. AT&T has said almost 90 percent of its customers have gotten rid of landlines in favor of wireless technology or internet-based communication.
Cunningham said a compromise was reached with the bill’s critics who had concerns that residents wouldn’t be notified in a timely matter.
Gubernatorial candidate Daniel Biss was one of the two “No” votes.
* Tribune…
Supporters of legislation to crack down on repeat gun offenders continued to tweak the measure Wednesday to try to win over reluctant African-American lawmakers who fear the proposal will land more minorities in jail without addressing underlying causes of violence.
A deal has yet to be reached on the measure, which is being pushed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson. One version has cleared the Senate but faces a tougher hurdle in the House. In that chamber, debates on gun restrictions often fall among economic and regional divides, as Downstate lawmakers push to protect the rights of hunters amid the concerns of city and some suburban legislators who want to tackle gun crime.
Under the changes proposed by House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs, the state would set up a trial program for first-time, nonviolent offenders charged with certain weapons crimes that is focused on rehabilitation and keeping them out of the prison system.
Durkin’s amendment says the program is designed to recognize that some people, “particularly young adults in areas of high crime or poverty, may have experienced trauma that contributes to poor decision making skills, and the creation of a diversionary program poses a greater benefit to the community” than a jail sentence.
* Journal-Courier…
For years, there have been on-and-off efforts to abolish the role of lieutenant governor in Illinois.
While supporters say the savings from such a move would be significant, detractors have maintained the office has its own important focus and its absence could also create problems in the event a governor was unable to complete a term.
Sen. Sam McCann, R-Plainview, believes he has a way to appease both sides. He has introduced legislation that, if approved by voters as a constitutional amendment, would streamline the offices instead of scrapping one for the other.
Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 15 would ask voters during next year’s election whether the lieutenant governor and governor’s operations and staff should be merged and have a single appropriated budget.
- Bothanspy - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 12:07 pm:
I’m fine with that AT&T bill going through if AT&T guarantees full mobile coverage indoors and outdoors to all residents in all areas where landline service is no longer offered AND they provide comparable telephone servicing via mobile at a same or cheaper price as landline AND also ensure access to Internet services for the same or equivalent price for those that only have access to DSL. This would have to include the same data caps. Somehow, I really do not see them dping any of these things.
- Anonymous - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 12:19 pm:
What the IL Senate voted on yesterday was a bill that allows companies like AT&T to increase prices and not provide any more service. There is nothing in the bill that guarantees access to modern technology at an affordable price. The current act guaranteed service at affordable rates “Consumer Choice” packages. The Senate voted to let that go yesterday…once again putting big profit companies in front of consumers. If this were really about moving the technology forward there would have been a plan for the transition. The communities that don’t have access to broadband now (many low income neighborhoods in Chicago) don’t get anything with this bill. Legislators had the chance to get all communities the opportunities…the Senate missed out…hopefully the House will take a better approach for real IP Transition.
- BuckStopsHere - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 12:29 pm:
I agree Bothanspy. AT & T would be keeping a LOT of people from having phone service. I live in a rural area and am forced to keep my landline for several reasons 1) unable to get ANY mobile service anywhere near my home; 2) my husband is handicapped as well as hard of hearing and is unable to find
a mobile phone that he can either hear on or hold very well; and 3) my husband is technically challenged to say the least. I wish I could do away with the extra $60 per month, but am unable to do that!
- Newsclown - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 12:42 pm:
I’m sad that the legislators caved so easily to the ATT lobby without getting anything back to the users, nor guarantees for continuity of service in rural communities and for those “edge cases” that need a land line or can’t afford cel service. ATT was making plenty profit enough to be able to afford the “inconvenience” of maintaining the land lines for a small percentage of homes.
Over time, you will see more of this kind of behavior with utilities that have a monopoly in an area: squeeze the profit out, then walk away from responsibility for upkeep and maintenance and leave it to some other sucker to pay for.
- Just Observing - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 12:42 pm:
The Lt. Gov. should probably be more integrated into the office and functions of the Gov. The Lt. Gov. certainly doesn’t need 20 +/- staffers.
- Abe - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 12:44 pm:
— Cunningham said a compromise was reached with the bill’s critics who had concerns that residents wouldn’t be notified in a timely matter.—
AARP IL, CUB, and Illinois PIRG all slipped against the bill in committee yesterday and remain opposed.
Timeliness of notifications has never been the primary concern. The problem is a process that completely cuts out any public oversight of a major technological transition with consumer protection, public health and public safety ramifications.
- Utility Greed - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 1:36 pm:
If 90% of AT&T’s customers aren’t taking landline service, and the company is recovering its costs, how can it be hurting them this badly?
I noticed at the inauguration ceremony, Rauner’s section had AT&T and ComEd execs in the front row…
Utilities were one of the few areas Quinn got right.
- Anonymous - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 2:43 pm:
“Supporters of legislation to crack down on repeat gun offenders continued to tweak the measure Wednesday to try to win over reluctant African-American lawmakers who fear the proposal will land more minorities in jail…”
That’s the whole point, to cater to the police/ prison complex. A small problem with the “two strikes” provision here, UUW is already a felony just for simple possession of a firearm without an FOID. NRA used Shawn Gowder as a plaintiff to sue Chicago because he had a UUW charge from prior to 1995, when it was a misdemeanor. Since 1995 thousands of Illinois citizen have got felony UUWs, like landlords and business owners in dangerous neighborhoods who carried a gun for their own protection. Now NRA says it’s okay to imprison a guy like Gowder for fourteen years?
“A deal has yet to be reached on the measure, which is being pushed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson.”
NRA is probably trading off lack of opposition on this sentencing bill for support to legalize silencers or some other agenda. Since when has NRA done anything but use blacks from Chicago like Otis McDonald and Shawn Gowder as plaintiffs, then backstab them in bills like they are doing here? The NRA good old boys don’t really care about blacks getting locked up.
Black Caucus members cannot trust anything Todd Vandermyde does or says. The only Reps. who opposed criminal Duty to Inform on the record in Brandon Phelps 2013 concealed carry bill were LaShawn Ford, Chris Welch, and Will Davis. This sentencing bill is another sellout to police unions and prisons for the black community.
- walker - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 2:56 pm:
We should establish a permanent AT&T Lobying Award, given to the company each year who gets most from the state, while giving up nothing.
- SportShz - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 3:10 pm:
Giving AT&T everything it wants now is foolish and premature since a lot still needs to be decided federally by the FCC. This has been AT&T’s plan all a long to pick off states one by one, so there’s no way for them to provide any additional protections to those that still need and rely on an affordable and reliable landline phone
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 3:11 pm:
Ol Slip and Sue needs to go on a statewide AT&T listening tour. Enough of her ballet at AT&T offices, facilities, heck, phone booths-they might just change their position.
- Me Again - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 4:02 pm:
I’m for abolishing the position of Governor! Let’s let the Lt. Governor take a crack at doing the job.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 4:06 pm:
You put Ole Slip and Sue on as a de facto “overall” head of “all agencies”… no staff, no nothing…
… nothing but Guv in Waiting.
I can’t wait… Can Not Wait… to see Ole Slip and Sue in campaign mode again!