* Center Square…

House Bill 1533 is sponsored by State Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, and would make it a finable offense to surgically remove a cat’s claws and ban any other surgical process that would alter a cat’s paws. The measure is up for final passage in the Illinois House before it could be sent to the Senate. […]

“It’s really hurtful and it can damage the behavior of the animal as well,” Hernandez said during a recent House Agriculture Committee hearing. “If it’s a cat that is roaming around the streets, it is now defenseless.”  […]

State Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, said the measure will force some pet owners to give up their cats.

“A cat that has been raised and nurtured in a house for most of its life will maybe now be thrown outside,” Meier said. “They won’t last long out there, even if it does have claws.”  […]

“Declawed cats do tend to bite more, and so the concern from us and medical experts is that a bite is worse than a scratch,” said Marc Ayers, Illinois state director of the Humane Society.

* Effingham Daily News…

As the April 4 consolidated election rapidly approaches, the Effingham Daily News is preparing questionnaires for candidates in contested races around the county. That can sometimes be tedious, as we poke around trying to find email addresses for those candidates.

That gives us a personal interest in legislation filed recently by State Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin.

As our colleagues at the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights note, the proposed law would require candidates for political office to include email addresses on petitions filed with their statement of candidacy. Already, candidates provide a standard mailing address. This legislation would move that requirement into the 21st century.

We agree with Daily Herald: “For us in the news media, that means assured access to candidates, so reporters can cover their campaigns more accurately and thoroughly and media outlets can reach them for basic information, such as candidate questionnaires, that voters use to be more informed about their selections. That increased quantity of information is certainly valuable for you as a voter, and the increased access can allow you to interact with campaigns in ways that not only provide details about candidates’ positions but also enable candidates to interact with you in ways that help them refine and clarify their message.”

* The bill is on Second Reading…

A bill introduced and advanced out of committee by state Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, would close a loophole often exploited by puppy mills and unscrupulous breeders to profit from their activities at the expense of animal welfare.

“The vast majority of Illinoisans are united behind the idea that animals should not be abused and that those who try to profit from activities that are harmful to innocent creatures need to be stopped,” Carroll said. “What this bill is about is stopping a small minority of people from continuing to shamelessly inflict harm in their heedless rush to enrich themselves no matter the cost.”

Carroll’s House Bill 3236 would prohibit financing companies from offering or engaging in any type of installment loan or other loan transaction related to the sale or purchase of a companion animal. Companies that do enter into such loans would have no right under state law to enforce the agreement.

The bill is aimed at puppy mills and disreputable breeding operations which profit by selling companion animals at exorbitant prices. Because of the high prices such fly-by-night operations often charge, many purchasers take out a loan or pay in installments. Without the ability to enter into loans, abusive and unethical breeding operations would become less profitable, helping to discourage breeding practices in which animals are abused.

* WTTW…

Illinois lawmakers are eyeing a bill that would force the owner of a decommissioned generating station on the shores of Lake Michigan to clean up all the coal ash left behind.

Coal ash, the byproduct created when plants burn coal for power, contains potentially dangerous materials like arsenic, mercury and cadmium that can endanger nearby water supplies. Since coal-fired power plants use a lot of water to keep their equipment cool, they’re often near bodies of water like Lake Michigan — including Midwest Generation’s now-decommissioned generating station in Waukegan. […]

“I want to be proactive, not reactive,” said state Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Waukegan. She’s sponsoring a bill that would force NRG to remove all the coal ash from its Waukegan facility, which the company is not currently required to do. […]

The Waukegan bill has cleared a state House committee. If it’s passed by the full House, it’ll head to the state Senate.