* Center Square …

A measure intended to protect Illinois restaurants from unauthorized third-party delivery services has cleared the House and Senate.

The plan, known as the Fair Food and Retail Act, would prohibit services like Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats from using the name, likeness, or intellectual property of a merchant without first obtaining written approval. The delivery services also would not be allowed to provide delivery or pick-up services without that approval.

“If you have somebody representing your goodwill within your community, you’ve got to have an understanding of who that is and what they’re doing with it,” state Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, said. “We need to make sure our mom and pop businesses, after what they’ve been through under COVID, are looked out after. We have to stop this abuse.” […]

“Their entire being and their entire life’s work is in that restaurant,” Keicher said. “For someone to come in and damage that reputation or alter the experience of the customer that the owner has worked sometimes generations to experience, it’s wrong.”

Keicher was a hyphenated co-sponsor. This bill was the brainchild of Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago).

* SEIU Healthcare…

Greg Kelley, President of SEIU Healthcare Illinois, issued the following statement in response to the budget passed by lawmakers in Springfield over the weekend:

“As a union of the frontline home care, child care and healthcare workers who have experienced the direct impact of underfunded public services greatly exacerbated by a pandemic, we applaud the leadership of Governor Pritzker, President Harmon and Speaker Welch in passing a balanced budget with significant increases to home care programs, investment in affordable housing and no cuts to crucial programs.

“We also appreciate the continued investment in child care, safety net hospitals and other avenues of crucial community support.

“The final budget contained much that will strengthen the care and service programs through which our members provide crucial support to many of the state’s most vulnerable residents, from small children to seniors in need of home care. In addition, through our advocacy and that of lawmakers committed to fighting for the services their communities most need, we were able to win significant nursing home rate reform and funding, 65% of which is slated to go directly to workers and a rate increase and training improvements for Developmental Disabilities Services home care workers.

“While the budget passed this weekend will provide crucial help to the workers and communities hardest hit by the pandemic, additional investment is still needed. We look forward to continue working with the Governor and the General Assembly to address the need for additional investment in crucial care services and infrastructure in communities across the state.”

* AIDS Foundation of Chicago…

On April 7, 2022, HB4430—Increasing Access to PrEP and PEP sponsored by State Representative Kelly M. Cassidy—passed the Illinois House on concurrence with a vote of 72-30. This bill specifically prioritizes pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which are two highly effective prevention methods in reducing the risk of acquiring HIV. The bill will soon be sent over to the Governor’s Desk for the final step in the state legislative process.

Once signed into law, HB4430 would enact the following reforms:

• Allow pharmacists, under a standing order, to initiate lifesaving pre-and post-exposure prophylaxis medication and care to the communities most vulnerable to HIV.
• Aid pharmacists in referring individuals to ongoing preventative care and giving them the ability to connect patients to laboratories for additional tests to determine if PrEP is the most appropriate course of care. Pharmacists will continue to facilitate connections to ongoing medical care and social support services.

With Governor Pritzker’s signature, Illinois will become the 8th state in the nation to make HIV prevention care more accessible by expanding access through pharmacies.

“The passing of HB4430 is momentous as we are truly changing lives and circumstances for many Illinoisians who’ve been too often left out and left behind,” said State Representative Kelly M. Cassidy (D-Chicago). “This win exemplifies our power to change once we engage the whole community, from medical providers to community advocates. We are one step closer to our goal of getting to zero new cases of HIV transmission by 2030, but work does not stop here. Together, we must continue listening and addressing the needs of our community.”

* Illinois Families for Public Schools…

Young children will be protected from any current or future plans to expand state standardized testing into prekindergarten through second grade if Governor Pritzker signs a new Too Young To Test law passed by the Illinois General Assembly this session.

The Too Young To Test bill, SB 3986, received broad and bipartisan support from legislators and a coalition of Illinois parents, educators, researchers, and advocacy orgs concerned about the possible encroachment of the state testing system into PreK-2. The Too Young To Test bill prevents the state from requiring or paying for any non-diagnostic standardized testing of children before third grade.

“Too Young To Test seeks to safeguard the early years by ensuring that the Illinois State Board of Education does not spend finite resources or require standardized assessments in K-2 that have been proven to be developmentally inappropriate during such a fluid time of child development.” said State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago), the bill’s chief sponsor in the Senate. “Instead, the state should invest in research-based practices that support whole child development such as play-based learning, social-emotional skill building, and teacher coaching. Especially after the unprecedented disruptions of these last two years, we cannot forget that the same part of the brain that registers stress and trauma is also responsible for memory and learning.”

“Our decisions about state standardized testing should reflect evidence-based research and provide reliable data,” chief House sponsor of SB 3986 State Representative Lindsey LaPointe (D-Chicago) said. “Encouraging schools to focus on unreliable standardized tests for children too young will change the focus of classroom instruction and create further inequity. We need to direct our education resources and energy toward proven strategies that enrich the classroom experience for our youngest learners.”

Assessment experts, teachers, and early childhood researchers all agree that test scores from children below age eight are not statistically reliable or valid measures of what children know and can do and should not be used to assess academic achievement or school performance.

Despite this, the Illinois State Board of Education has been considering a proposal to add optional, state-funded K-2 testing in Illinois to the existing 3-8th grade tests. That proposal has been unpopular with parents and teachers. A petition from grassroots public ed advocacy group Illinois Families for Public Schools calling on ISBE to drop the plan garnered over 1300 signatures from parents and community members in over 150 towns and cities across Illinois.

Too Young To Test wouldn’t restrict the ability of districts, schools, and teachers to use or develop assessments paid for with local funding dollars. It also does not stop the state from creating or funding tests or evaluations used for screening or diagnostic purposes.

Since the passage of the federal No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, overtesting has become a significant problem in early elementary school because younger students are being prepped for high-stakes tests in later grades. “We are relieved and encouraged by the General Assembly’s action to set clear criteria for what types of assessment the state can develop, fund and require before third grade.” said Cassie Creswell, director of Illinois Families for Public Schools.

“Before age eight, and even after, kids should be learning via play, exploration and inquiry, and the way teachers assess what they’ve learned should reflect that. What parents want for their children is small classes with teachers who use meaningful assessment methods, not more contracts with commercial test vendors,” added Creswell. “Governor Pritzker has said he’s committed to Illinois becoming the best state in the nation for families raising young children, and we think the Too Young To Test bill is an important part of fulfilling that. We hope we can count on him to sign this bill into law as soon as it gets to his desk.”

Too Young to Test was supported by a broad coalition of organizations, including the Chicago Teachers Union, Defending the Early Years, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois School Counselor Association, Learning Disabilities Association of IL, and the National Association of Social Workers - IL Chapter.

* Illinois Partners for Human Service…

Budget Highlights for Health and Human Services

Mental/Behavioral Health: $170M increase from FY22, which includes Mental Health and Substance Use Medicaid rate increases (to learn more about the incredible advocacy behind this investment, view this fact sheet).

Intellectual/Developmental Disability Services: Appropriations remained the same as the Governor’s initial proposal, which included $2 billion for services for people with developmental disabilities, including funds for the implementation of the second phase of the Guidehouse rate study (though the second phase of implementation is not fully covered through this appropriation). Included in this is $94.8M to support mid-year implementation of a $1.00 an hour rate increase for DSPs and the CILA Rate Study calculator; $45.1M to fund the annualization of the FY22 rate increases and liability changes; $69.6M to support 700 new PUNS placements, a 5.9% increase in the Home-Based program liability, a 2% mid-year grant COLA, and additional support for the DD service delivery system.

Childcare: Appropriations remained the same as the Governor’s initial proposal, which includes funding to support Child Care Assistance Program rate increases and anticipated caseload growth and also includes sufficient budget for federal ARPA stabilization programming. The Budget continues support for FY22 Child Care policy changes (co-pay caps, 250% FPL exit eligibility, 70% attendance policy).

Early Intervention: Appropriations increased by $7m (6.4%) from the Governor’s proposed budget.

Domestic Violence Services: Appropriations increased from $20m in the Governor’s proposed budget to $70m, thanks to the incredible advocacy of Domestic Violence providers and coalitions across the state.

Older Adult Services: Appropriations were the same as the Governor’s proposal, which included $14 million to fund a rate increase for CCP providers beginning January 1, 2023; $100.7 million funding increase for the Community Care Program (CCP) to accommodate caseload growth and utilization, with the assistance of increased federal aid.

Homeless Services: An additional $15M in homelessness prevention funding was appropriated in the General Revenue Fund from the Governor’s initial proposal, along with $1M for homeless Youth through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Healthcare: There were no cuts from the Governor’s proposed budget, and additional funding was included for nursing homes, hospitals, and expansion of Medicaid for undocumented individuals down to age 42.

* Healthy Illinois…

We were told over and over that the state budget was tight this year, and it wasn’t the right time to expand healthcare access. But we didn’t give up–we kept organizing, making calls, sending letters, telling our stories, and meeting with legislators. And we built the power necessary to win an expansion of healthcare coverage for tens of thousands of additional undocumented Illinoisans. Starting July 1, 2022, everyone in Illinois ages 42 and older will have a pathway to healthcare coverage, regardless of their immigration status.

This win is the result of 8 years of campaigning and thousands of hours of work by dozens of organizations and countless individuals. Congratulations to all who have made a phone call, sent an email, shared their story, and helped build this campaign. Because of you, tens of thousands of people in Illinois will have access to healthcare coverage, many for the first time in decades.

* One Aim Illinois on HB4383, the ghost guns bill…

The passage of the new legislation adds Illinois to the list of the eleven other states that have passed similar ghost gun laws and ensures the following solutions:

• Immediately prohibits the sale of unserialized gun parts that can be turned into guns.
• Requires serial numbers on guns manufactured with a 3D printer.
• Creates standards for serialization for existing unserialized firearms at federally licensed firearms dealers and other federal licensees authorized to imprint serial numbers.

This legislation requires gun companies to serialize gun kits and goes one step further than today’s federal rule by requiring individuals who currently possess ghost guns to get them serialized.

* HB2775 as amended…

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Declares that it is the public policy of the State to prevent discrimination based on source of income in real estate transactions. Defines “source of income” as the lawful manner by which an individual supports himself or herself and his or her dependents. Provides that it is a civil rights violation for various people to participate in specified discriminatory actions related to real estate transactions because of an individual’s source of income.

Center Square…

Paul Arena, director of legislative affairs at the Illinois Rental Property Association, said if the bill is signed into law, landlords statewide will lose control.

“It’s a blank check for government to further control rental property moving forward, and that is why it is so dangerous,” Arena said.

Under the measure, landlords would continue to be able to screen tenants. However, if those tenants meet the landlord’s criteria, and the tenants use Section 8 subsidies, landlords would be required to sign Section 8 contracts and abide by Section 8 rules and restrictions.

The legislation also mandates that housing providers who require tenants or prospective tenants to have a certain threshold level of income must subtract any subsidies the tenant receives from the monthly rent before calculating if the income criteria have been met.

The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. LaShawn Ford, D-Chicago, said the law has been enacted in 19 other states with success.

“No one across the country that has this law has repealed it,” Ford said. “It is the right thing to do, and it was great negotiations because even the realtors decided to be in support.”

The Illinois Realtors did, indeed, slip in support.

…Adding… Center Square has changed the story…

This story has been edited since initial publication to reflect changes to the legislation that were made before final passage and add a comment from a supporter of it. Also, the Illinois Realtors now support the measure.

Gotta read those amendments.

* More…

* Illinois lawmakers approve incentivizing nursing home quality with more funding: House Bill 246 would inject more than $700 million from state and federal tax funds annually into Medicaid-funded nursing homes to reform the facilities by offering a number of incentives for safe staffing. The measure also includes a pay raise for certified nursing assistants. More than $300 million would be used as incentive payments for nursing homes to increase their staffing levels up to or beyond certain target levels.

* Illinois lawmakers pass budget with more money for schools, tax relief for families: The Monetary Award Program, otherwise known as MAP, provides scholarships to students who demonstrate financial need. The fund has grown to $601 million in the latest budget plan and would give an additional 24,000 students funding for tuition and fees as they pursue an undergraduate degree. The maximum award for students increased from $6,438 last year to $8,508 this year.

* Proposal to remove NRG’s Waukegan coal ash ponds stalls in state legislature: Once the bill arrived in the House in late February, Mayfield said NRG and lobbyists like the Illinois Manufacturers Association, the Chamber of Commerce and others began to question members about the proposed legislation. “They took them to dinner and fed them misinformation,” Mayfield said. “There is still an opportunity for the bill to pass. Schrader, who said the company representatives testified several times before the legislature, claimed the legislation was aimed at one entity. He said there is existing law establishing a regulatory process to deal with coal ash ponds.