* This bill has been assigned to a subcommittee and there were no votes held after the testimony…

Local government leaders testified Thursday in favor of legislation that would help them raise money through a variety of sources, including a tax on streaming and satellite services.

Conrad Kiebles, village administrator of suburban Orland Hills, appeared before the House Revenue and Finance Committee in support of House Bill 3359, which would impose a tax on video services delivered through the internet and satellites, much like how local governments already get a piece of residents’ television cable bills.

The tax would amount to 5 percent of a video provider’s gross revenues from its subscribers.

“It offers the most equitable way to add an additional $200 million in revenue into our coffers and adds parity to competing services in our local communities,” Kiebles said. “With a 50-50 split between local governments and the state, we could each collect $100 million for charging a fee for these three competitive services.”

* Onward…

A measure one Illinois lawmaker says will give non-home rule communities the ability to pay for storm sewer maintenance is being called a rain tax by another.

State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, said House Bill 825 is a natural extension of existing state law.

“What it would allow is non-home rule municipalities the ability to charge a fee to maintain their stormwater sewer system,” DeLuca said.

The measure passed a House committee this week.

State Rep. Allen Skillicorn, R-East Dundee, said the measure would allow rain to be taxed by, as the bill states, allowing “stormwater utility charges to offset the cost of owning, maintaining, and improving local stormwater infrastructure.”

“And it’s a fee, so it’s not tax deductible,” Skillicorn said. “It’s also something a church would have to pay, businesses; it’s also unlimited, so this theoretically, ten, fifteen years from now could be the biggest tax hike Illinois has ever seen.” […]

DeLuca said Skillicorn misrepresented the bill. He said that right now home-rule municipalities can charge a fee to maintain stormwater sewer systems. He said his bill would allow non-home rule governments to do the same.

Infrastructure costs money.

* This bill has been sent to subcommittee…

State Rep Theresa Mah is pushing a plan to end sub-minimum wage pay for disabled workers in the state. Mah said about a dozen other states have already made the change.

“It’s important that we take a proactive step,” Mah said. “Rather than be forced to do it under a consent decree or some kind of lawsuit.”

State law allows some companies to pay disabled workers less as a way to get more disabled people working.

But advocates say that law, which allows for 14(c) certificate, sometimes pays disabled workers less than a dollar-per-hour.

* Related…

* Bill would protect banks from state regulation, but federal rules still apply: A state Senate committee voted unanimously Wednesday to advance a bill that would prevent state banking regulators from punishing banks or credit unions that do business with the state’s medical marijuana industry.

* Illinois lawmakers debate consolidating downstate pensions: IMRF Executive Director Brian Collins also urged lawmakers proceed with caution. “IMRF is one of the highest funded plans in the country,” he said. “It got that way for a lot of reasons. There’s a very delicate balance. When I think of a large consolidation that would happen, I immediately worry we could throw any of those things out of balance.”