* Press release…

-On Friday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law Senate Bill 294, known as the Wipes Labeling Act, which now requires manufacturers of household disposable wipes for sale in the state of Illinois to clearly label “Do Not Flush” on wipes that should not be flushed down the toilet. The law will go into effect on July 1, 2022. […]

Illinois is the third state to enact legislation on labeling of non-flushable wipes. In June, similar legislation was signed into law in Oregon, continuing the momentum around the Responsible Flushing Alliance’s campaign to equip consumers with more tools to make responsible flushing decisions. Washington State was the first to enact wipes legislation in March 2020. […]

Some examples of non-flushable wipes that warrant the Do Not Flush labeling include baby wipes, cosmetic or facial wipes, hard surface cleaning or sanitizing wipes, floor cleaning wipes, make-up wipes and bath wipes. There are also non-flushable items contributing to clogs that shouldn’t be flushed, such as paper towels, menstrual products, cotton swabs, dental floss, rags, FOG (fats/oil/grease).

There’s still an issue with labeled “flushable” wipes that aren’t actually flushable…

“There is no such thing as a flushable wipe. There never has been such thing as a flushable wipe,” Jessica Walker, spokesperson for the city of Fairhope, which operates its own municipal sewer system, told AL.com.

* Another “first step”…

Illinois will take a first step toward reducing the use of firefighting foam containing harmful “forever chemicals” under a bill signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker Friday.

The measure aims to curb the use of one source of PFAS chemicals that are tied to a host of health threats, largely through a limitation on using the foam for anything other than emergencies. Fire departments that want to conduct emergency drills or test the foam have to take precautions that prevent the chemicals from reaching waterways through sewer systems, for instance.

The bill, a compromise between environmental groups, an association of fire chiefs and industry groups, does not restrict any use in an emergency. The foam is used for serious industrial fires like those that can occur at a refinery, chemical plant or another source of flammable liquids.

Separately, state officials found more than 100 drinking water systems across Illinois with some PFAS contamination, the Sun-Times recently reported. The chemicals are used in a number of products, from stain-resistant clothing to non-stick pans.

* Press release…

A bill sponsored by state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, to include mental health days in students’ excused absences was recently signed into law.

“It’s critical that schools are offering support to students who struggle with their mental health,” said Hernandez. “Just as we would allow a student with a cold or a fever to stay home from school, students should be able to have the same treatment for days where they need a break for their mental health.”

Hernandez sponsored Senate Bill 1577, which expands excused school absences to include mental or behavioral health, allowing for students to have up to 5 mental health days without needing a medical note. This measure passed unanimously through the House and Senate and was signed by the governor last week.

Throughout her time in the General Assembly, Hernandez has been a strong advocate for increasing awareness of mental health struggles among children and teens. This past session she also helped pass a bill to create a mental health task force to help determine methods and programs for K-12 students to receive mental health care. She supported a measure to urge Illinois schools to provide education for all students in grades six to 12 on how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of addiction and mental illnesses, as well as provide instruction for how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.

“Students of all ages can experience struggles with their mental health, and the pandemic has likely exacerbated that for many,” said Hernandez. “By allowing students to take a day off from school to take care of their mental health, we are not only giving them the support they need, but also validating their feelings and showing them that taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of physical health.”

* Press release…

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed HB399 on Friday, a bill authorizing the formation of the Illinois High-Speed Railway Commission. The commission will be responsible for creating a statewide plan for a high-speed line and feeder network connecting Chicago to St. Louis. It will be integrated with existing Amtrak and Metra services, intercity bus service and connect the Illinois cities of Rockford, Moline, Peoria and Decatur. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, and Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines.

“Establishing high speed rail lines that connect Chicago, St. Louis and several other cities throughout Illinois will create thousands of jobs, spur economic growth, lower carbon emissions, improve transportation safety and relieve congestion in cities,” said Rick Harnish, executive director of the High Speed Rail Alliance. HSRA has been advocating for the creation of the commission for more than three years.

Under the newly passed law, the commission has been tasked with conducting a ridership study and issuing its findings and recommendations concerning a governance structure, the frequency of service and implementation of the plan. The commission is required to provide yearly reports and be assisted by the state Department of Transportation.

“With the signing of this bill, we have taken an important first step towards creating a statewide network that feeds into the high-speed backbone,” Harnish said. “The plan would encourage coordination and cooperation between state agencies, railroads and local governments to invest wisely in targeted upgrades to the existing rail network. Improving existing tracks and connecting them to a new high-speed line would create the heart of a Midwest high-speed network and make same-day round-trips possible between all of Illinois’ major cities and destinations.

“Every Illinosian will benefit from faster trains, but without a big-picture view, it was hard to coordinate all the stakeholders.”

The proposed high speed rail line would start at O’Hare International Airport and take just 127 minutes to reach downtown St. Louis, stopping at Champaign-Urbana in less than an hour. Springfield would be 78 minutes away from Chicago’s Union Station. Champaign to downtown Indianapolis would take about a half-hour.

“Creating a high-speed rail network would provide a fast, safe and reliable way to travel across the state,” says Sen. Stadelman. “This investment in high speed rail networks will expand travel opportunities for the residents of Rockford and the entire state.”

The Commission will be composed of appointees by the governor, the four top leaders in the General Assembly, the Transportation secretary, chairs of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, Interstate Commerce Commission and Metra board of directors, the Chicago mayor, a rail workers union, a rail-industry trade group, the Metropolitan Mayors and Managers Association, Illinois Railroad Association, the University of Illinois System, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the Illinois Municipal League, the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District and regional planning agencies from the Rockford, Bloomington and Metro East (St. Louis) areas. The commission is authorized to work from the bill’s signing through 2026.

Creation of High-Speed Railway Commission Comes at the Right Time

The creation of the commission comes at an opportune time, as the infrastructure bill moves through both the U.S. House and Senate, with provisions that would commit $66 billion to passenger and freight rail over 5 years, and another $39 billion to public transit.

The formation of the commission puts Illinois in an ideal position to move forward quickly once infrastructure legislation passes. It will create a much-needed forum that the Illinois Department of Transportation can use to move from its current wish-list of individual projects to a true, state-wide railway transportation plan.

Looking ahead, the Illinois network could eventually be connected to other cities in the Midwest and the rest of the nation through a high-speed rail network such as the one envisioned by HRSA. The national network would modernize intercity and commuter trains, transit systems and buses, and integrate them into a nationally connected network, with a 220-mph high-speed trunk line to tie the network together.

The High Speed Rail Alliance is a growing community working to bring the game-changing power of fast, frequent and affordable trains to North America. We know that high-speed trains, integrated with expanding transit networks, will revitalize cities, towns and regions by making visits to family, friends and business partners easier, more productive and more affordable. And they will dramatically reduce carbon emissions in the process. For more information go to https://www.hsrail.org/.

* A relatively recent bill that helped start a national conversation…

Once again, Illinois is leading the way! In 2019, I introduced HB 3394, the Corporate Board Diversity law, which pushes to increase diversity in Fortune 100 & 500 companies in our state. I’m glad to see that Nasdaq is taking similar steps going forward. https://t.co/ZeBFdWwGxF

— Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (@RepChrisWelch) August 9, 2021

* Related…

* Hoping to stave off evictions, state to offer $60 million as ‘additional safety net, another layer’ to keep people in their homes

* Gov. Pritzker signs bills into law