* Capitol News Illinois…

House Bill 3413 would streamline the process in which Illinois returns Native American remains and materials to their communities. The bill passed unanimously in the House in March and an amended version cleared a Senate committee unanimously this week, sending it to the full Senate for consideration. […]

For 30 years, the state museum has resisted returning remains and materials back to their original communities, according to a ProPublica investigation. Despite the 1990 passage of the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the state museum still maintains one of the largest collections of Native American remains in the country.

That law provides a process for federal agencies and museums receiving federal funds to repatriate or transfer their collections to lineal descendants or tribes. As of 2022, the Illinois State Museum had only returned 2 percent of the 7,700 remains it reported to the U.S. government, or just 156 individuals. […]

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, a federally recognized Native American tribe in Kansas with historic ties to Illinois, advocated in favor of the bill.

* HB2203 was re-referred to the House Rules Committee back in March. The deadline hasn’t changed and the sponsor lost one of his co-sponsors, Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin. From the Sun-Times…

The five biggest auto insurers in Illinois have raised automobile insurance rates a whopping $527 million since January, an analysis by two consumer groups shows. […]

Besides being able to raise rates as they like, only needing to notify state officials of their plans, Illinois insurers can consider non-driving factors in setting those rates — such as gender, occupation and whether a person rents or owns a home. […]

Now, state Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, has introduced legislation to address those issues and crack down on insurers. Guzzardi’s bill would:

-Require automobile insurers to get prior state approval for rate hikes.

-Ban “excessive” insurance increases.

-Prohibit using gender, marital status, age, occupation, schooling, home ownership, wealth, credit scores or a customer’s past insurance company relationships in setting car insurance rates.

* WAND…

Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) said his bill could expand education and job training credits for incarcerated people to become eligible for mandatory supervised release sooner. The proposal would also update state law regarding drug testing prior to parole hearings, as drug tests would only be required if there is reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use.

“There are requirements that the Department of Corrections makes certain disclosures to participants so they know what their goals are and what they need to do to successfully complete their term under MSR,” Cunningham said Thursday.

Senate Bill 423 states that parole officers would be required to complete quarterly reports for the Department of Corrections. However, AFSCME leaders told Cunningham they are currently opposed to that idea. […]

Senate Bill 423 passed unanimously out of the Senate Special Committee on Criminal Law & Public Safety. The legislation now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration.

* Center Square…

Republican lawmakers from both chambers hosted separate news conferences Thursday and outlined what they hope to accomplish before the end of the session, despite being in the minority. […]

State Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, said one of the ways to do this is by addressing the high cost of energy.

“Senate Bill 2200, that would get rebates into the pockets of the families that need them the most,” Plummer said. “To be clear, this policy has already passed. It’s there. All we have to do is fund it. We can fund it right now. We are spending money on many other things. We can fund Illinois families that are struggling under egregious energy bills that the General Assembly caused.” […]

State Rep. Steven Reick, R-Woodstock, said he has a measure related to DCFS he hopes to pass.

“I put forth a bill to require DCFS to institute a caseload tracking system with yearly reports to the General Assembly as to the ongoing case files, operation of the caseload management system itself, the ratio of active files to personnel, and how appropriations can be structured to incentivize caseload management,” Reick said.

* WCIA…

A bill supported by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias passed out of the Senate Thursday that would change the law so police can’t pull someone over solely for having something hang on a rearview mirror.

“There is absolutely no data to support that pulling people over for an air freshener or a rosary hanging from their rearview mirror reduces violent crime or prevents accidents,” Secretary Giannoulias said. “Amending the current law will not jeopardize public safety; instead, it will result in greater equity on the road and improve relationships between police and community by eliminating pretextual traffic stops that disproportionately affect people of color.”

The bill passed out of the Senate 41-11. […]

The bill now heads to the Governor J.B. Pritzker’s desk.

Subscribers know more, but the scare tactics used by opponents about completely obstructed views would be covered under the reckless driving statutes.

* Chicago Tribune…

A new Senate bill amendment backed by the Cook County treasurer’s office and the Chicago Community Trust seeks to reform Illinois’ property tax sale system.

Backers such as state Rep. Kam Buckner, a Chicago Democrat, say the bill would cut the cost for homeowners trying to pay off property tax debt in half, close a loophole that critics said allowed private investors and hedge funds to profit off local governments and help get vacant or abandoned properties back on the tax rolls. […]

The treasurer’s office and the Chicago Community Trust introduced separate and overlapping bills aimed at reforming the delinquent property tax system earlier this year. A merged proposal cleared the House Revenue and Finance Committee Thursday and is on track for House floor approval later this month. […]

The amendment, Senate Bill 1675 Amendment 1, would reform the state’s system for selling delinquent property taxes. Under the current system, property owners who don’t pay their bills can see their taxes put up for auction. When sold, a lien is put against the home or business until the owner can pay the taxes back to the buyer, plus interest. Delinquent sales allow taxing bodies to collect revenues they’re owed while giving property owners extra time to pay their bills without losing their homes. Investors, too, can make a profit at a low risk. Most homeowners do eventually pay back their taxes with interest.

* WMBD…

A measure amending language in child welfare and juvenile court statutes to be more inclusive has passed in the Illinois Senate.

House Bill 1596 recognizes the growing number of minor Illinoisians who identify as LGBTQ+ and amends the language to better reflect their identities.

The ACLU Director of Systems Reform Policy, Nora-Collins Mandeville said that, “Today’s majority vote in the Senate sends House Bill 1596 to the Governor’s desk for final approval. A few years ago, the Illinois Auditor General reported that DCFS was failing to meet the needs of the growing number of LGBTQ+ youth under their care.” […]

The legislation now heads to the Illinois Governor’s desk for signing into law.

* WAND…

Opioids have been involved in over 70% of fatal drug overdoses in Illinois. State lawmakers hope to pass a package of bills to address the opioid crisis before session ends.

Sen. Paul Faraci (D-Champaign) told reporters Thursday that pharmacists, nurses, and physician assistants are the only people currently authorized to use overdose prevention equipment. Faraci said his plan could allow trained overdose responders to use fentanyl testing strips to help people in need. […]

House Bill 1121 passed unanimously out of the House in March. The plan also received unanimous support from the Senate Public Health Committee on April 19. […]

House Bill 1557 could require most music venues to have Naloxone and other opioid-overdose antidotes on hand. The legislation applies to for-profit venues with an occupancy of 1,000 or more people. Sen. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) said the proposal also requires venue staff to be trained on how to properly use antidotes to safely prevent an overdose. […]

House Bill 1557 passed out of the House on a 105-2 vote on March 23. The Senate Public Health Committee unanimously approved the plan on April 19.