* Capitol News Illinois…

Anyone who cast a ballot in the last three years or who registered to vote or changed addresses after the March primary will be sent an application to vote by mail in the Nov. 3 election.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill expanding the program Tuesday. In a news release, Pritzker’s office said the program is aimed at ensuring “safe and active participation in the 2020 general election during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”

The measure also expands early voting hours at permanent polling places and makes Election Day a state holiday.

Local election authorities must mail or email the applications to voters who cast a ballot in the 2018 general election, the 2019 consolidated election or the 2020 general primary election, as well as to voters who registered or changed addresses after the March primary. Any eligible voter who submits an application by Oct. 1 will receive their ballot by Oct 6.

* Hannah Meisel at the Daily Line went beyond the press release…

During the State Board of Elections’ monthly meeting Tuesday, board member Bill Cadigan said staff had voiced doubts last month about the ability to meet every deadline.

“Are we any more comfortable that local elections authorities can meet these real aggressive deadlines to implement this legislation?” Cadigan asked.

Elections board legislative director Angela Ryan pointed out that the association representing Illinois’ 108 local elections authorities supported the bill but said the timeline for implementation would be “tight.” […]

Ryan said there are no penalties included in the new law if local elections authorities failed to meet deadlines but said the Board of Elections could vote to withhold federal money from the CARES Act, which is helping fund the expanded vote by mail initiative.

Local elections authorities who fail to fully implement the expanded vote by mail program could also be challenged in court, Ryan said.

* Back to Capitol News Illinois…

New permanent regulations that govern licensed firearms dealers in Illinois have finally been approved 18 months after Gov. JB Pritzker signed the bill into law.

The General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, or JCAR, gave its okay to the rules at a meeting Tuesday in Springfield. […]

The new law requires anyone with a federal firearms license who operates a retail gun store, which does not include gun shows, to also obtain a state certificate and to comply with regulations adopted by the Illinois State Police. Those were to include, among other things, rules on maintaining alarm systems, video surveillance systems and ways to secure the store’s inventory after business hours.

The Illinois State Rifle Association and several Illinois gun dealers filed suit challenging the law’s constitutionality in Sangamon County Circuit Court. That case is still pending.

During the JCAR meeting Tuesday, Sen. Paul Schimpf (R-Waterloo) and Rep. Steven Reick (R-Woodstock) praised ISP for working with lawmakers to find compromises on the new rules that were agreeable to all parties.

* Back to Hannah…

[JCAR] did, however, object to the Department of Children and Family Services’ emergency rule on reopening licensed daycare centers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead it chose not to suspend the rule altogether and let it proceed with a promise from DCFS that the rule would be adjusted to clarify potential penalties.

JCAR member State Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) said while the body had concerns about the “improper use of a rule” — in this case that DCFS did not actually incorporate its guidelines into its childcare reopening rule, but only referred to the guidelines on its website — no one wanted to suspend it “because we want childcare centers to open and to have guidance.”