* Hmm…
* Rep. Margaret Croke…
Today, State Representative Margaret Croke’s legislation to require the other party or intended parent to a pregnancy to pay at least 50% of the pregnant person’s expenses passed the Illinois House. The bill would require at least 50% of a pregnant person’s health insurance premiums not covered by an employer or government program and any medical costs incurred after conception until, and including, costs related to delivery to be covered by the other intended party. […]
The legislation, called the Pregnancy Expenses Act, would be incorporated into the Parentage Act of 2015, which currently allows for a parent to recover “reasonable expenses” incurred during the pregnancy if an action is brought within two years of a child’s birth. The bill is modeled after a similar piece of legislation passed in Utah last year.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where it is sponsored by State Senator Sara Feigenholtz.
* Illinois PIRG, Friends of the Chicago River…
Legislation to phase out the use of single-use plastic polystyrene foam foodware starting in 2024 advanced out of the Illinois House Thursday afternoon on an 67-43 vote.
The EPA estimates that Americans throw away almost 70 million plastic foam cups every day. Twenty-two million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes each year and just over half of that ends up in Lake Michigan alone. Already, eight states and roughly 200 cities and municipalities have enacted bans on polystyrene foam containers.
HB2376, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, is a priority for the Coalition for Plastic Reduction, a coalition of more than 35 organizations across Illinois.
In response to the favorable vote, Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River, a partner organization in the Coalition for Plastic Reduction, said:
“Illinois’ lakes and rivers are among its greatest assets. But plastic pollution puts our waterways at risk, polluting our drinking water and harming wildlife. We can’t recycle our way out of our plastic pollution problem. We need to stop it at its source. Phasing out single-use plastic polystyrene foam foodware is an important step toward addressing single use plastic pollution. We thank Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz for championing HB2376 and call on the Senate to follow the House’s lead in passing this critical legislation.”
* Resource Recycling…
The Illinois legislation, HB 1616, amends a previous bill passed in 2019 to extend the deadline for permitting and construction of a pilot pyrolysis or gasification facility in a locally zoned and approved site in either Will County or Grundy County by two years, from 2025 to 2027.
On March 14 the Illinois legislation was set for a third reading in the House. If it passes the House vote, it will move to the Senate. The deadline for it to move forward is March 31.
However, environmental groups are raising the alarm that the push to ease the path for certain kinds of chemical recycling processes could have serious public health and environmental consequences.
“The petrochemical industry is lobbying hard across the country to build chemical recycling plants, which they claim turn hard-to-recycle plastics back into monomers – the basic building blocks of plastics,” three environmental NGOs noted in a statement released March 15. “However, the reality is that pyrolysis, gasification and similar chemical recycling technologies are much closer to incineration in that they all result in burning plastics to create energy.”
* HB2791 was most recently referred to the Health Care Availability and AccessibilityCommittee….
* Rep. Adam Niemerg…
The Illinois House Tuesday approved State Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dietrich)-sponsored legislation creating a pathway for victims under 13 years of age to avoid appearing in open court when providing testimony in abuse cases.
House Bill 2607 passed without any opposition. The measure establishes a presumption that the testimony of a victim who is a child under 13 years of age shall testify outside the courtroom and the child’s testimony shall be shown in the courtroom by means of a closed-circuit television. The presumption could only be removed if the defendant proves the child will not suffer emotional distress by providing testimony in the courtroom.
“Protecting our kids should be our highest priority,” Niemerg said. “Kids should not have to be placed in the same room as their abusers when they give their testimony. We currently make allowances for kids to testify remotely in certain circumstances, but this legislation would make this practice the norm. It is a good idea that is long overdue. The safety and mental well-being of our kids are paramount. I appreciate the strong bipartisan support this legislation has received. I will continue to build support for it in the Senate.”
House Bill 2607 moves to the Illinois Senate for further consideration.
* Illinois Manufacturers’ Association…
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) Education Foundation is pushing for passage of several bills designed to build a workforce of the future by increasing education opportunities and removing barriers that prevent students from exploring jobs in the manufacturing industry.
Nationally, there are nearly 800,000 open jobs in the manufacturing industry, including tens of thousands of available jobs in Illinois. The IMA Education Foundation is dedicated to working with employers, educators, and lawmakers to enact policies that help attract, retain, and grow a skilled workforce. These efforts are vital to ensuring Illinois can continue to experience strong economic growth in the coming decade, as more and more baby boomers are expected to exit the job market and companies will seek to fill the resulting knowledge and experience gaps. […]
2023 IMA Education Foundation Legislative Agenda Items:
- HB 3590: Establishes an advisory committee under the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to make recommendations on removing barriers preventing students from participating in career development experiences. The advisory committee will include representation of several key agencies including the State Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, the Department of Insurance and the Illinois Community College Board. The recommendations must include ways the state can establish a system of providing liability insurance for high school and community college students who are working with employers, including on manufacturing floors, during career development experiences.
- HB 3307: Allows students to take two years of career training education in place of two years of a foreign language that is currently part of the State’s high school graduation requirements.
- HB 3308/SB1450: Creates the Manufacturer Child Care Center Incentive Pilot Program. This pilot program will allow 10 manufacturers to open on-site, employee-only childcare centers at no cost to their employees. The employer is required to follow staffing, medication, background check and liability insurance requirements, but provides an expedited approval process.
- HB 3287/SB991: Creates stipends for manufacturing employees who also serve as teachers by providing financial incentives through stipends from ISBE, subject to appropriation, for a manufacturing employee, in the amount of one-half of the salary of the employee that is employed by a manufacturing company and working within a school district as a licensed career and technical education teacher.
- HB 3286/SB992: Creates state stipends for teacher externships. Requires ISBE, subject to appropriation, to provide stipends for teachers who participate in externships with a manufacturing company in this State. The externships experience is designed to give teachers the opportunity to spend time outside of the classroom and in manufacturing facilities.
* Daily Herald…
The Illinois House sent 41 bills to the state Senate on Tuesday ahead of a scheduled Friday deadline.
The measures, among others, included a ban on polystyrene food containers, bills focusing on gender inclusivity in state law and a requirement that expectant parents have a “duty” to split pregnancy-related costs, including for abortions. […]
The long-debated idea of building a cargo-oriented airport and shipment center in Chicago’s south suburbs could get another look under one bill that passed the House.
House Bill 2531, by Rep. Will Davis, a Homewood Democrat, calls on the Illinois Department of Transportation to establish a process for prequalifying entities that could offer a public-private agreement to develop such a project.
* SEIU Healthcare…
Illinois home care workers are raising the alarm on a looming workforce shortage that is creating a crisis for Illinois seniors who depend on home care to remain living safely at home. On Thursday, March 23, hundreds of home care workers and seniors will rally in the Statehouse rotunda calling for passage of an $18 per hour minimum wage and a revamped paid training program for home care workers serving seniors through the Community Care Program (CCP). […]
Program speakers will call on the General Assembly to create lasting industry change by supporting legislation this session that would lift pay to $18 per hour (SB 1980/HB 2718) and create standards for paid training for home care workers serving seniors through the Community Care Program (SB 2004/HB 3021).
EVENT DETAILS
WHO: SEIU Healthcare home care workers from across Illinois
SEIU Healthcare Illinois President Greg Kelley
Illinois seniors
State Representative Lakesia Collins
State Representative Marcus Evans
State Senator Omar Aquino
State Senator Javier Cervantes
WHAT: Rally and speaking program
WHEN: Thursday, March 23 at 12:00 pm CT
WHERE: State Capitol Rotunda, Springfield, IL
Livestream available here.
* WCIA…
A Springfield lawmaker wants to make it easier for agriculture students to skip class – as long as they are learning and getting experience in their fields.
The bill would allow students at a 4-H or FFA competitions or exhibitions to be marked at school as “in attendance” instead of absent.
Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) is the sponsor of the bill. She said it’s important to let students learn through experience without being penalized for missing class, as events can often conflict with school days. […]
The bill is also co-sponsored by Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City). The bill passed the Senate Education Committee Tuesday.
* Sen. Mike Simmons…
To expand coverage of preventative screenings for liver disease, State Senator Mike Simmons advanced legislation from the Senate Insurance Committee on Tuesday.
“The best chance at fighting any disease is early detection,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “This bill will provide liver disease screenings to people who need them, regardless of their health insurer status. Identifying liver disease early improves long-term health outcomes, especially for those most at-risk.”
Senate Bill 1282 requires Medicaid, private insurance plans and government employee insurance plans to cover preventative screenings for liver disease for individuals who are at high risk for liver disease. These screenings may occur every six months, and plans will be prohibited from imposing a deductible, coinsurance, co-payment or any other cost-sharing requirement.
According to the CDC, in 2021, 56,585 adults in the U.S. died from liver disease, making it the ninth leading cause of death. […]i
Senate Bill 1282 passed out of the Senate Insurance Committee Tuesday and awaits further consideration.
- Perrid - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 1:01 pm:
I’ve thought for a while that costs related to pregnancy or delivery should be part of child support, glad something like that is being put forward. Whatever the mechanism.
- Homebody - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 1:09 pm:
Oh sure, I’d love to drop our drinking age to both increase the amount of alcohol-related car accidents, while also putting our federal highway dollars at risk.
The GOP double whammy: make life more dangerous and make the budget worse in one hit.
- Nearly Normal - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 1:27 pm:
RE: Tom Bennett; he is now a Senator replacing Jason Barickman who resigned.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 1:34 pm:
==legislation to return the State’s legal drinking age to 18==
There is a federal law that sets the minimum drinking age and as @Homebody has noted not abiding by that law results in a loss of some federal funding.
- very old soil - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 1:35 pm:
Rep. Cabello is from Machesney Park, not Freeport.
- Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 1:50 pm:
“is from Machesney Park”
District Office:
50 West Douglas Street
Suite 1001
Freeport, IL 61032
(815) 974-0090
- TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 1:52 pm:
He also introduced a bill to lower the age for FOID and CC from 21 to 18.
- Nick Name - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 1:53 pm:
===return the state’s legal drinking age to 18===
How to say you’re against federal highway money without saying your against federal highway money.
- Politix - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 1:57 pm:
Who is lobbying for lowering the drinking age? Big alcohol? Restaurant industry? Sure as heck isn’t parents or communities.
- Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 2:01 pm:
“Who is lobbying for lowering the drinking age”
Legal adults age 18-20 that is one group
- TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 2:08 pm:
– Who is lobbying for lowering the drinking age? –
Nobody. It’s a part of their bizarre fever dream to increase the voting age to 21, by contrasting it with the drinking age being higher than the voting age. Therefore the drinking age should be the same as the voting age. No matter what age it ends up being.
When his bill fails, and it obviously will because *that’s the point*, he will immediately pivot into the conversation about raising the voting age to 21 to match the drinking age.
Bank on it.
- Merle Webb’s Jump Shot - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 2:17 pm:
Unless there has been a rash of unexcused absences associated with FFA field trips that bill is an immense waste of time for school office personnel. Generally all field trips are marked the same way whether they are ag related or not.
- Bud's Bar Stool - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 2:21 pm:
Nuts!
During House debate today over HB 2840, designating the black walnut as the official state nut, the sponsor stipulated that pecans are not grown in Illinois.
Ahem, Voss Pecans in Carlyle would like a word …
- Sayitaintso - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 2:37 pm:
Sen Turner and Sen Bennett are right on target. ‘Outside’ learning can be superior to classroom learning.
- Redbird - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 3:20 pm:
IMA’s HB 3307: IMA should have focused on a clean repeal of the foreign language mandate, which won’t take effect until school year 28-29. There is no rationale behind the foreign language mandate and adding the “or” career training will only make it harder to eliminate in the future.
- very old soil - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 3:50 pm:
He lives in Machesney Park
- JoanP - Wednesday, Mar 22, 23 @ 8:48 pm:
HB 1607 is clearly unconstitutional under prior U.S. Supreme Court decisions regarding the right to confront the witnesses against
you.