* Senate Bill 1909 passed out of committee on a partisan 5-3 vote. WAND…
Illinois is one step closer to fining crisis pregnancy centers that use deceptive practices to prevent pregnant people from having abortions. […]
Senate Bill 1909 would prohibit the centers from interfering with access to abortion and emergency contraception.
The Illinois Attorney General’s office is also supporting the legislation in order to ban crisis pregnancy centers from deception in advertising, soliciting, and offering pregnancy-related services. […]
The conservative Thomas More Society is already preparing to file a lawsuit if the plan becomes law. Former Rep. Peter Breen is the Executive Vice President and head of litigation for the organization.
* Patch…
Lyons Township High School is fighting a state bill that would make it much tougher for the school to sell its Willow Springs land to an industrial developer.
In February, state Sen. John Curran, R-Downers Grove, introduced a bill that appears to target the high school’s effort. Willow Springs residents and nearby public bodies oppose an industrial sale.
In a mass email last week, Brian Waterman, the high school’s superintendent, said the bill is “directly targeted” at his school. Beyond that, he said, it would hurt school districts across the state.
“This provision will severely limit the marketability and value of land that a school district may own, and force a school district to sell at a below-market price,” Waterman said. “It will fundamentally change how school districts sell land and achieve fair market value for their taxpayers and students.”
On March 31, the state Senate unanimously passed the measure. It is now in the House.
The bill is in the House Executive Committee.
* WBEZ…
HB1633 passed the House and is now being considered in the Senate. Schools typically already include some Native American history in their curricula, but many Indigenous people say in Illinois that education is incomplete and possibly inaccurate. […]
If passed, the measure would leave it up to schools to structure the curriculum, but the Illinois State Board of Education would offer learning materials and guidance vetted by a Native American council.
“We’re flanking the issue,” said Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, chief sponsor of the bill. “Let’s deal with history in itself in making sure our young people understand Native American history beyond what they see on TV.”
During a floor debate in the House in March, the bill was scrutinized with some members concerned it could inaccurately portray Christopher Columbus or that schools might not have enough control over the curriculum. Some members asked for changes.
“We are desensitized when it comes to a certain community of people,” West responded to his colleagues on the House floor. “So no, I’m not going to change this bill in the Senate.”
* Sen. Robert Peters…
A measure carried by State Senator Robert Peters that would help connect patients to financial assistance for hospital costs passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Tuesday.
“The costs associated with health care upkeep are high, especially for those with pre-existing conditions and those who don’t have medical insurance,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “People should not have to choose between crippling debt and receiving necessary medical treatment.”
House Bill 2719 would require hospitals to screen a patient for financial assistance eligibility and exhaust all cost-reducing avenues before taking a collection action against the patient. Additionally, the measure would provide a 90-day window for a patient to apply for financial assistance or hospital-provided discounts after receiving care. […]
House Bill 2719 passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and will now head to the Senate floor for further consideration.
* SB754 has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. Center Square…
Senate Bill 754 passed the Senate late last month. It’s set to be heard in a House committee with lawmakers back this week. The measure could possibly be up for final passage before lawmakers adjourn spring session May 19. […]
State Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Highwood, said her bill would limit the sale of such prepackaged explosive components only from licensed firearms dealers to those with Firearm Owner ID cards. […]
“After the 4th of July shooting in Highland Park, law enforcement found large quantities of Tannerite in the shooter’s home and he disclosed to law enforcement that he had intentions of using this as bombs throughout the parade route,” Morrison later said on the Senate floor late last month. […]
State Sen. Neil Anderson, R-Andalusia, opposed the bill. He said the components to such commercially available packages are still available separately.
* Press release…
Cases of doxing are on the rise, revealing the vulnerability of millions of people’s private lives. State Senator Julie Morrison is leading the charge to ensure that people who fall victim to such cyber-attacks receive justice.
“Doxing is yet another form of online abuse that was deliberately designed to tear people down,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “Abuse, stalking and harassment have no place in our state – not in person and not online.”
As the use of technology rises, so do cases of hackers, abusive partners and others maliciously publicizing people’s private information. Often referred to as “doxing,” these attacks include the sharing of phone numbers, addresses, social security numbers and other previously private information that could lead to harassment, humiliation and threats.
“Survivors of domestic violence face the constant stress of their abuser stalking them or causing more harm. With technology on the rise, now they’re also faced with the worry that the person they once trusted with private information will share that information with the world,” said Morrison. “We must protect our state’s survivors from additional forms of abuse.”
To give victims of doxing the justice they deserve, Morrison is leading House Bill 2954. The measure – which receive unanimous support in the House – would allow people a private right of action against the individual who committed the offense. The victim could recover damages and any other appropriate relief, including attorney’s fees. […]
House Bill 2954 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously.
* Journal Courier…
A wide range of topics were on the menu at a town hall meeting hosted by state Rep. Randy Frese, but most of the early discussion centered on the future of the shuttered Jacksonville Developmental Center.
Frese introduced House Bill 1609, which would allocate $67.6 million to demolish and remediate the building and grounds of the Jacksonville center. The bill was referred to the House Rules Committee in February and has languished there since, unlikely to be acted upon further during this session.
He vowed to keep pushing the issue and reintroducing the bill each session. He said he would work with state Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville, state Sen. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy, and the city to make sure maintenance and mowing continues.
* Sen. Seth Lewis…
Legislation that would require insurance companies to cover home saliva cancer screening tests for at-risk individuals is one step closer to becoming law in Illinois.
House Bill 3202, sponsored in the Senate by State Senator Seth Lewis (R-Bartlett), received unanimous approval by the Senate Insurance Committee on Tuesday. The bill previously received a unanimous vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.
“It is a pleasure to work with my House counterpart, State Representative Jennifer Sanalitro (R-Bartlett), on this important legislation,” said Lewis. “Providing individuals who are at-risk for developing certain types of cancer need access to these potentially life-saving tests. As lawmakers, we need to ensure there is no cost barrier that would prevent patients from having access to tests that could help detect biomarkers for early-stage cancer.”
* Press release…
When Laura Kane lost her son, Zachary, to suicide, she was still expected to return to work merely three days later. Senators Karina Villa, Steve Stadelman and Representative Maurice West will stand with Zachary’s mother at a press conference Wednesday to outline a plan to support families grieving the loss of a child and ensure no one else is put in the same situation.
WHO: State Senators Karina Villa (D-West Chicago), Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford), Representative Maurice West (D-Rockford), and Laura Kane
WHAT: Press Conference on Senate Bill 2034, supporting grieving families coping with the loss of a child
WHEN: Wednesday, April 26 at 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: Blue Room, Illinois State Capitol and live on BlueRoomStream.com
* Woodstock Institute…
HB 1519 is a bill backed by the Income Share Agreement (ISA) industry that would saddle students with a mountain of high-interest debt. The bill is posted for the Senate Executive Committee tomorrow at 1:30. If the bill is called the Student Borrower Protection Center, Citizen Action Illinois and Devine Sims, an impacted student borrower, are set to testify on the harm HB 1519 would cause student consumers.
Under an ISA, a loan is made in exchange for the student’s agreement to pay the lender a percentage of their future income for up to 20 years.
ISAs are a form of private student loan but they are frequently marketed to students as a better alternative to traditional student loans. Additionally, ISAs are prevalent among for-profit vocational schools that target marginalized populations who have historically been excluded from economic opportunities
WHEN: Wednesday, April 26 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Illinois State Capitol Building Room 212
- H-W - Wednesday, Apr 26, 23 @ 12:00 pm:
== Thomas More Society is already preparing to file a lawsuit ==
Wouldn’t it be easier and cheaper to just not use deceptive practices?
- Dotnonymous - Wednesday, Apr 26, 23 @ 12:07 pm:
Tricking desperate pregnant Women is at the bottom of mean and low.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Apr 26, 23 @ 12:25 pm:
===The conservative Thomas More Society is already preparing to file a lawsuit===
“We think it encroaches on our religious freedom to not be able to lie and mislead people into believing that they’re receiving prenatal care from a licensed medical professional.”
===others maliciously publicizing people’s private information. Often referred to as “doxing,” these attacks include the sharing of phone numbers, addresses, social security numbers and other previously private information that could lead to harassment, humiliation and threats. ===
and
===The victim could recover damages and any other appropriate relief, including attorney’s fees===
So, lets say I discover that a police officer, for example, has been operating a blog or youtube channel where they are actively engaged in promoting the neo-Nazi organization that they’re a part of and I make a social media post about this person and share the content they’re creating and share it with their employer — this theoretical neo-Nazi could take action against me if his employer fires him (we all know it is a him) for being a neo-Nazi?
Or, lets say some person has some really vulgar and racist tweets on an account where they don’t identify their name — can I be sued if I publicize those tweets and share them with their employer?
Or, lets say I am leaking classified information on discord and the New York Times uses my information from my Steam account and pictures posted to social media to identify me publicly, can I then sue the New York Times for the damages I receive when they dox me?
I suppose the “Protect Internet Nazis from Consequences Act” wasn’t as catchy of a name.
I think this bill might have started from the right place, but the way I read it, it looks like it can be used to allow bad actors to sue people who promote their bad behavior online or directly tie a person to their efforts to remain anonymous while promoting bad things.
One’s employer should be able to fire someone for being a Nazi. One should be able to share with their friends, neighbors, and others when they discover the identity of someone who is secretly being a Nazi. Maybe Nazis deserve mental anguish and deserve to be fired.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Apr 26, 23 @ 1:56 pm:
===but the way I read it===
I think the bolded “and” likely answers your question. You need to satisfy both requirements.
“(1) the information is published with the intent that it be used to harm or harass the person whose information is published and with knowledge or reckless disregard that the person whose information is published would be reasonably likely to suffer death, bodily injury, or stalking; and (2) the publishing of the information: (i) causes the person whose information is published to suffer significant economic injury or mental anguish or to fear serious bodily injury or death of the person or a family or household member to the person; or (ii) causes the person whose information is published to suffer a substantial life disruption.”
- Suburban Mom - Wednesday, Apr 26, 23 @ 3:30 pm:
===Schools typically already include some Native American history in their curricula, but many Indigenous people say in Illinois that education is incomplete and possibly inaccurate. ===
Illinois is the second-farthest-west state with no Indian Reservations (Arkansas is West-er), and that’s largely because Governor Ninian Edwards (when he wasn’t busy owning slaves in a free state *that he governed* and using his sole veto to reject attempts to release those “not-slaves” from servitude) spent much of his political career as territorial governor, Senator, and state Governor urging to US Army to extirpate or exterminate all Native American individuals and tribes from Illinois. He was extremely successful, holding multiple little local wars against tribal groups in the state and finally convincing the feds to oust the few remaining Tribes because otherwise, he threatened, he was just gonna murder them all; he’d done it before and he’d do it again.
There hasn’t been a super-visible lobby for improving Illinois’s teaching of Native history, because we’re too far West for much local *colonial* history of contact with Native Americans (like Thanksgiving etc) but we don’t have any Reservations to keep alive the history of the fate of Native Americans during the Westward Expansion. So I am hugely in favor of this bill; it’s a neglected part of Illinois history and our children are missing huge parts of pre-US and US history that children in other states get to learn a lot about.
tl;dr — Ninian Edwards sucked.