It’s just a bill…
Friday, Jun 10, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* After reading this story, I wasn’t sure about what the problem was…
Governor Bruce Rauner is reviewing a new bill that would punish tow truck drivers who pull up behind disabled vehicles to solicit business.
Often, a car is towed away, even before police arrive to take an accident report.
A bill passed by the General Assembly would make it a felony — with prison time — for a tow truck driver who stops at an accident scene without being called by the car’s owner.
* But when reading the full story at the Tribune, I realized that this happened to my car once after an accident in Chicago a few years ago…
“This is a major step forward as we attempt to put limitations on the rogue tow operators that have plagued many areas of the state,” Joe Wehrle, chief executive of Des Plaines-based nonprofit National Insurance Crime Bureau, said in a statement. “Motorists should not be subject to predatory towing practices that result in outrageous charges and tactics, such as holding cars hostage in salvage yards until the owner or their insurance company pay what amounts to a ransom to get the vehicle returned.”
Yep. Holding my car hostage is a good way to describe what they did. It was ridiculous and I couldn’t believe it was legal.
So, hopefully, this bill will be signed into law and then accomplish what it’s supposed to do.
* In other news…
A proposal introduced this week would ban daily fantasy sports in Illinois.
State Rep. Scott Drury, a Highwood Democrat who has been a vocal opponent of a plan to legalize and regulate the games, sponsored a measure that would make operating games such a crime. Seasonlong fantasy contests would remain legal.
The debate over fantasy sports betting sites, such as those operated by FanDuel and DraftKings, has raged on for months. An industry-supported measure was making progress in the General Assembly, but opposition from casinos and other gambling interests and an allegation of unethical behavior by a lobbyist plagued the proposal and stalled it at the end of the spring legislative session. Drury says he’s concerned regulations aren’t tough enough.
“There’s been no real willingness from the industry to abide by regulations,” Drury said.
* Meanwhile…
Expect the governor’s office to be sent about 400 pieces of legislation in the coming days and weeks. Right now there are only eleven bills on his desk. […]
Senate President John Cullerton’s spokesman, John Patterson, said lawmakers are managing the workload to avoid flooding the governor’s desk all at once. Patterson also said they send bills they consider priorities, including two that would increase state pay for home and child care workers to $15 an hour.
“We look at things that are trying to identify a lot of our priorities, things that would help working families,” Patterson said. […]
[State Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton] said her government transparency bill is also a priority: “[T]here’s currently an injunction against a school board that wanted to delete closed session minutes that my bill is specifically written for so that a newly elected trustee can have access to closed session minutes.”
That Illinois Policy Institute radio network article was posted a couple of days ago. There are now 34 bills on Rauner’s desk.
* Related…
* Deadline Extended for Numerous Bills: House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, extended the deadline to June 30 for more than 80 House and Senate bills. Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said it’s normal practice by the legislature to extend deadlines. Among the bills are appropriations for higher education, the auditor general’s operations and more.
* A look at bills Illinois lawmakers passed this session
- ANON. - Friday, Jun 10, 16 @ 2:02 pm:
Amid reasonable efforts to reduce prison sentences for non-violent drug offenses imprisoning a tow truck driver for soliciting a job ( which could be refused) is silly. Judges won’t give a prison sentence, prosecutors will deal it down and the predatory activity will continue. Instead a mandatory sentence of revoking a tow driver’s commercial driver’s license will put him ot of the business.
- Ron Burgundy - Friday, Jun 10, 16 @ 2:04 pm:
The tow truck bill is a good one. It’s the auto accident equivalent of the storm chasing roofers who show up at your door after a hailstorm.
- Qui Tam - Friday, Jun 10, 16 @ 2:14 pm:
ANON makes a good point, on one hand we want to release non-violent offenders, which would include non-violent thieves, from prison. On the other hand we’re introducing legislation to throw non-violent scammers in prison.
That both hand working against each other.
- cgo75 - Friday, Jun 10, 16 @ 2:17 pm:
Unscrupulous tow companies is synonymous with Chicago and has been part of the landscape forever! Not that it’s right but it’s definitely part of what makes the city what it is.
- DuPage - Friday, Jun 10, 16 @ 2:47 pm:
Towing should have maximum rates set by the Illinois Commerce Commission, or the State Police. A TV station had a news story on this a few years ago. It was a huge difference in price. I recall towing off the expressway (under control of the state police) was around $150 but on city streets (no regulation) one motorist in a fender-bender got billed for over $800.
- Anon - Friday, Jun 10, 16 @ 2:57 pm:
Be careful what you wish for. I own a tow company (central state) and we are very careful in regards to this. In fact, my instructions to our operators is to hand a business card to the motorist (even during snow storms) and make them call the office so we have a logged request. I do not trust all of the motoring public to not file a request at a later date thinking we gouged them. I have never allowed my operators to “fish”, but this law for the most part is over the top. For those who insists the state set the fees, in many areas the set fee will be higher than the fees presently charged.
- Not quite a majority - Friday, Jun 10, 16 @ 3:01 pm:
I think prison time is pretty severe. I would heartily support having their tow truck license suspended with eventual revocation for repeated offenses. But that would be an amendatory veto — doubt that’s going to happen here.
- illini - Friday, Jun 10, 16 @ 4:16 pm:
Just wondering if BVR will sign the bill allowing liquor sales at SIU events? It is on his desk.
- Lucky than Good - Friday, Jun 10, 16 @ 4:29 pm:
I agree with other posters that a mandatory felony with prison time is too harsh.