* This is why you never want to chair the Revenue Committee…

Despite broad bipartisan support for measures to reduce the tax Illinois levies on trailers, legislation has failed to advance.

State Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Raymond, has House Bill 636. There are 62 co-sponsors on the bill, more than enough to pass the House with a simple majority of bipartisan lawmakers.

Bourne said there are nine identical bills from Republicans and Democrats that decrease the trailer fee that was increased in the governor’s capital bill enacted in 2019. […]

State Rep. Mike Zalewski, who is the chairman of the House Revenue and Finance Committee, said despite having more than enough cosponsors to pass the measure in the House, he won’t let it out of committee.

“Until I’m provided with a funding alternative, I’m not going to willy nilly send every single bill to the floor,” said Zalewski, D-Riverside.

The following day on the House floor, state Rep. Tim Butler said the fee increase wasn’t negotiated as part of the governor’s capital plan. Some Republicans said they were told it was a drafting error, but Butler said it’s led to as many as 150,000 fewer trailer plate renewals and needs to be addressed because people can’t afford it.

Chairing that committee means telling lots of people “No” when you’d rather just say “Yes.” Zalewski told me last week they’re trying to work it out. We’ll see.

* Center Square…

Illinois could be moving closer to a ban on the sale of dogs and cats that have been sourced from breeders at retail pet stores.

House members have approved a measure that would prohibit a pet shop operator from offering for sale a dog or cat that has been obtained through a breeder or a person reselling animals from a breeder. Retail pet stores still would be allowed to offer dogs and cats obtained from an animal control facility or an animal shelter.

State Rep. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, says the stores don’t have an incentive to make sure families can take on the financial burdens of these pets, which often end up with serious health problems.

“These pet stores want to buy really, really cheap animals, really, really, really young,” Chesney said. “They want to pull the heartstrings of an uninformed buyer. They want to sell it at a very expensive cost. And any time they get a buyer that’s unhappy, they’re going to just pay them a bunch of money to go away because they have so much profit built into these animals.”

* Email from Rep. Stoneback’s office…

Rep. Stoneback introduced HB 3483 to strengthen our state’s Firearm Restraining Order. The bill is timely in light of all the mass shootings our country has seen this past year. I wanted to bring this to your attention in hopes of having it included as part of your “It’s just a bill” segment. I’ve included a quote below that you may use as part of the post. Thank you for your time and consideration.

“In the wake of the over 150 mass shootings our country has experienced so far this year, our state legislature must do more. The Firearms Restraining Order (FRO) in Illinois is a crucial—but vastly underutilized—tool to prevent tragedies by temporarily removing firearms from those who pose a significant danger to themselves or others. My bipartisan bill, HB 3483, would strengthen this law by closing loopholes and providing much-needed educational resources for law enforcement as well as the general public.”

From the synopsis…

Provides that the Department of Public Health, subject to appropriation or other available funding, shall conduct a program to promote awareness of firearms restraining orders to the general public. Provides that beginning July 1, 2022, the program must include the development and dissemination, through print, digital, and broadcast media, of public service announcements that publicize the options victims of domestic violence have to seek help with special emphasis on the firearms restraining order. Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall develop and approve a standard curriculum for a training program on the Firearms Restraining Order Act. Provides that the Board shall conduct a training program that trains officers on the use of firearms restraining orders, how to identify situations in which a firearms restraining order is appropriate, and how to safely promote the usage of the firearms restraining order in a domestic violence situation. Officers who have successfully completed this program shall be issued a certificate attesting to their attendance. Amends the Firearms Restraining Order Act. Provides that a firearms restraining order includes the seizure of the respondent’s ammunition. Provides that “family member of the respondent” includes a former spouse and a person with whom the respondent has or allegedly has a child in common. Provides that a petition for a firearms restraining order may be filed in any county where an incident occurred that involved the respondent posing an immediate and present danger of causing personal injury to the respondent or another by having in his or her custody or control, or purchasing, possessing, or receiving, a firearm or ammunition. Includes printing a petition for a firearms restraining order for which no fees may be charged by the circuit clerk. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall submit a yearly report to the General Assembly concerning the applications and issuance of firearms restraining orders.