* HB218 is on Third reading in the House…
Gunmakers would be held responsible for dangerous marketing that contributes to gun violence under new legislation introduced by state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview.
“In 2020, guns surpassed traffic fatalities as the leading cause of death for children in the U.S. In 2023 alone, there were 58 unintentional shootings by children,” said Gong-Gershowitz. “Gun manufacturers enjoy a special immunity under federal law: they can legally market an insurrection to white supremacist groups like the Proud Boys and pink assault weapons to children too young to own one. HB218 is designed to hold gun manufacturers accountable and ensure families devastated by gun violence have a path to justice in Illinois civil court.”
Marketing campaigns sponsored by gun manufacturers often depict wanton violence, a weapon’s ability to cause egregious bodily harm and glorification of extreme paramilitary behaviors, effectively promoting violent criminal activity. Recently, an Illinois gunmaker began marketing a “JR-15,” a smaller version of the notorious AR-15 rifle but designed for children.
In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting, courts found that parents have a reasonable claim against a gun manufacturer that engages in deceptive marketing campaigns promoting “illegal offensive use of the rifle.”
House Bill 218 would empower victims of gun violence to bring civil legal action against gun manufacturers in cases when firearm advertising contributes to illegal shootings. This legislation is the result of months of work by the House Firearms Safety and Reform Working Group in concert with stakeholders and representatives of the Senate and the Illinois Attorney General’s office.
* HB676 is on Third Reading…
* Capitol News Illinois…
Senate Bill 850 would direct the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, or DCEO, to establish the “Grocery Initiative,” a program that would study “food deserts” in Illinois and provide grants to new or existing grocery stores in these areas. The grants would be available to grocery stores that are organized as independently owned for-profits, co-ops and nonprofit organizations as well as grocery stores owned by units of local government.
“It’s incredibly expensive to run a grocery store,” bill sponsor Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights, said in an interview. “It takes a lot of product and your margins are very thin.”
The initiative was first introduced in Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which called for $20 million to fund the program. Canty, who is sponsoring the proposal in the House, said she will continue to work on it in the next two weeks as lawmakers craft next year’s budget.
The initiative was first introduced in Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which called for $20 million to fund the program. Canty, who is sponsoring the proposal in the House, said she will continue to work on it in the next two weeks as lawmakers craft next year’s budget.
* WGN…
A bill in the state capitol would remove the exemption of drivers of rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft, and lump them in with carriers such as bus drivers, train conductors, airline pilots, and taxi drivers, who have “vicarious liability”: if a bus rider for an unsafe ride sues the driver, the bus company can also be found liable for employing an unsafe driver under Illinois law.
Lyft officials are strongly opposed to the bill. They argue with the current laws in place, only 0.0002% of their rides have a registered safety incident. Representatives of the company also say the new rule would increase the cost for riders.
Uber is also against the bill. They argue if the bill becomes law, it may cause them to end services in some parts of the state and impact service for users in the state. […]
The Senate passed an amendment to the House’s bill. It now returns to the House. If approved, the bill heads to Gov. JB Pritzker to be signed into law.
* Uber now appeals to Mayor-elect Johnson…
* Tribune…
Advocates called Tuesday for changes to help medical cannabis patients and to broaden opportunities in the marijuana industry.
The Alliance for Cannabis Equity, a collective of social justice advocates, medical caretakers and trade associations, is seeking the changes to be combined in state law under an omnibus bill.
For medical patients, the group called for making curbside or drive-thru pickup permanent and for buying cannabis tax-free at any dispensary. For motorists, police would be prohibited from using cannabis as probable cause to make a stop. People with prior criminal convictions would be allowed to work in the industry; craft growers would get more space to cultivate their crop; and a single agency would replace the myriad agencies that regulate the industry.
“No substantive social equity law has been passed for two years, and action is desperately needed to address many issues,” said Douglas Kelly of Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition. […]
Rep. LaShawn Ford, a Chicago Democrat, has led a cannabis working group that’s met to address some of these issues. He hopes to have a single bill to encompass many of these problems before the General Assembly adjourns its session, as scheduled for May 19.
* Scott Holland…
Policies don’t inherently prevent problems, they primarily provide recourse. But that truth doesn’t mean such efforts are wasted.
Consider two pieces of legislation moving through the General Assembly. House Bill 3425, which has already cleared both chambers, is the “anti-bullying bill” requiring schools to give parental notice of alleged bullying incidents within 24 hours. Senate Bill 90, which the Education Committee advanced to the full Senate, stipulates “each school district, charter school or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school must create, implement and maintain a policy on discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or national origin and retaliation.”
Many schools have well established programs for reducing bullying or being proactive about inclusion and tolerance. It’s hard to quantify when such efforts make a difference in the hearts and minds of individual kids, although at the district and region level there surely have been countless meetings and reports about what “works.”
Still, and I try not to come off as a crank when I say this, if some kid wants to call another kid fat or ugly or weak or just shake them down for lunch money, well, it’s probably going to happen and all the language in the school handbook mostly establishes the roadmap for what happens next.
* HB2044 is on First Reading in its originating chamber. Reps. Dagmara Avelar and Ryan Spain…
All around Illinois, the signs of change are apparent. The COVID-19 pandemic changed our economy, how we live and work, and how working-class and lower-income families struggle day to day.
We come together to argue for a solution to one of our State’s most pressing needs to address this change head on: Affordable housing. This is not a regional problem, or one of partisan politics. We all know someone who needs help finding a home to call their own, without bankrupting them. […]
As envisioned under House Bill 2044, Illinois can take a major step toward addressing its affordable housing shortage by mirroring that successful federal tax credit program with a State credit that more than 20 other states already have adopted.
The Build Illinois Homes State Tax Credit calls for creating an estimated 3,500 homes or apartments each year, generating nearly $1 billion in economic activity and $300 million in State and local taxes paid over the next decade, and more than 17,000 jobs supported during that time. Each annual round of tax credits will cost the state $350 million spread over 10 years, but the economic returns generated from the program will more than offset the cost.
* Chief Medical Officer at Planned Parenthood of Illinois Amy Whitaker…
A recent patient came in with concerns about her pregnancy. She had been somewhere else and was told she was carrying twins, but that one might not be developing as well as the other.
She showed us the ultrasound pictures on her phone. However, the images did not resemble typical medical ultrasound images. We quickly realized that the patient had been misinformed and had not actually received anything close to the standard of care for pregnancy diagnosis and assessment.
After she was given an ultrasound at Planned Parenthood, it was determined that the patient actually had a molar pregnancy (a rare complication) which is not viable and, if left untreated, can cause cancer. It is an outrage that the patient had been led to believe that she had received legitimate health care for her pregnancy, when really she was given the wrong information that could have caused severe health issues.
Senate Bill 1909, the Deceptive Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers Act, protects patients and allows everyone the freedom to receive medically-accurate and unbiased information. It is not intended to close down any organization; rather, it holds accountable those that systematically employ deception, fraud, and false pretense in order to sway a patient’s health care decisions.
Rep. Bill Hauter opposes access to abortion. He introduced HB 4028, which singles out abortion for special regulations which are not applied to any other similar medical procedure. Clearly, Hauter believes that abortion should be marginalized from other health care and targeted for extra regulation.
* Illinois Answers…
State Sen. Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) is proposing legislation he says would “fix” a 2010 law that aimed to stem Illinois’ pension crisis by cutting back retirement benefits for future public employees. Researchers have since warned that the measure likely went too far, potentially depriving workers of benefits they’re entitled to under federal law.
Chicago leaders and other local governments are blasting the bills for their promise to burden taxpayers with hundreds of millions more dollars in pension obligations. And at least one fiscal watchdog says the proposals risk repeating the previous law’s sin of taking action before studying the consequences. […]
Other critics, like leaders of the nonpartisan budget watchdog The Civic Federation, say Martwick and his allies risk repeating their predecessors’ mistakes by plowing forward with a “fix” without taking time to study how the new benefit formula would hold up over time. […]
Martwick responded that it can be “quite expensive” to run actuarial studies of every proposal. But he said he trusts the formula JB Pritzker’s administration reached to rejigger police and fire pensions in 2019, as well as the analysis by Preckwinkle’s finance team of an appropriate formula for county pensioners.
- Norseman - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 11:55 am:
Curious to see JS Mill analysis of the education policy bills.
- Trap - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 12:06 pm:
For anti gun zealots it’s just never enough
- Anyone Remember - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 12:07 pm:
When a legislator from the “constituent service model” and not the “policy wonk model” Raymond Poe can stump Mike Madigan (Notre Dame) and David Vaught (West Point), pretty strong indication the proposal (Tier Two) was a bad one.
- The Truth - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 12:08 pm:
For anti gun zealots it’s just never enough
JR-15? Get outta here with that.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 12:20 pm:
=Curious to see JS Mill analysis of the education policy bills.=
Short answer: there is a lot of bad legislation out there.
To the post:
=House Bill 3425, which has already cleared both chambers, is the “anti-bullying bill” requiring schools to give parental notice of alleged bullying incidents within 24 hours.=
If you want to know why schools have so many administrators, this bill is a prime example.
=Senate Bill 90, which the Education Committee advanced to the full Senate, stipulates “each school district, charter school or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school must create, implement and maintain a policy on discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or national origin and retaliation.”=
Before a legislator can submit a bill for consideration they should be required to prove it is not redundant like this bill.
=Still, and I try not to come off as a crank when I say this, if some kid wants to call another kid fat or ugly or weak or just shake them down for lunch money, well, it’s probably going to happen=
And, as described it does not constitute “bullying and harassment”. Inappropriate? Yes. Worthy of discipline? Yep. But not bullying. And that is the real problem. Bullying has a real definition and most kids and parents do not know the difference between inappropriate behavior and real bullying.
- Homebody - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 12:22 pm:
== They argue with the current laws in place, only 0.0002% of their rides have a registered safety incident. ==
Sounds like you have nothing to worry about then, Lyft.
- Rudy’s teeth - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 12:22 pm:
Uber/Lyft drivers rely on maps on phones as they are not familiar with Chicago streets and neighborhoods. Often the route suggested is not a direct route.
We prefer a driver whose eyes are on the road not on a map. In the neighborhood we can hail a cab by waiting a few minutes or use a cab light on the building.
The Curb app is available and works well for securing rides at all times and in all locations across the city.
- Huh? - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 12:38 pm:
As a former cab driver, I refuse to use any ride share app.
- Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 12:45 pm:
“JR-15? Get outta here with that
In reality, this is a weapon platform distinctly designed/advertised to parents to train their kids on the proper and safe use of a first firearm. It has a unique and patented safety that the parents can engage. It uses the same firing mechanism as that of the most popular Semi-auto pistols, and it ships with a standard 5-round mag.
- Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 12:51 pm:
“In the neighborhood we can hail a cabbuilding…The Curb app”
There are just not enough cabs anymore, Uber is the best and quickest service, and everyone already has the app.
“In 2014, the I-Team reported that there were 6,600 licensed cabs, but in May of 2021, we reported there were 1,480 — and even that estimate is high according to one attorney who represents taxi cab drivers and their works with their union”.
https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-taxi-cab-driver/11184342/
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 12:51 pm:
First, - JS Mill - is truly an education touchstone and a huge asset to the comments here, always grateful for the insight.
To the post,
===Recently, an Illinois gunmaker began marketing a “JR-15,” a smaller version of the notorious AR-15 rifle but designed for children.===
Let’s keep in mind - Donnie Elgin - and the comment that makes any “Jr-15” (I know what I typed “Jr”, not a typo by me) discussion crystallized;
===Of course, gun-related killings are always regrettable===
That comment makes it clear, death is only and merely regrettable, but you get that youngster a weapon, even if that same youngster might be faced with a mass shouting in school… it’s only… regrettable.
If it’s only regrettable that mass shooting happen, why am I not shocked to this plan of marketing to possible school shootings?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 12:58 pm:
===but in May of 2021===
It’s still not all the way back up, but there are a lot more cabs in Chicago in 2023 than there were in 21. Lots.
- Lowdrag - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 1:12 pm:
So when all the Illinois gun manufacturers pull up and move out, I guess that will make them happy. I’m sure they will find other ways to tax us to make up for lost revenue.
- Adam Laroach's son Drake - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 1:13 pm:
Illinois legislature: We must pass an assault weapons ban because guns are inherently dangerous and bad.
Illinois legislature: We need to extend the first time gun offense diversion program, because the penalty for illegal gun possession is too severe … Wait, what?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 1:15 pm:
===So when all the Illinois gun manufacturers pull up and move out, I guess that will make them happy.===
Do you support any gun regulation, including an assault weapon ban?
Thanks.
- Elmer Keith - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 1:24 pm:
“House Bill 218 would empower victims of gun violence to bring civil legal action against gun manufacturers in cases when firearm advertising contributes to illegal shootings.” This anti free speech legislation will be a great boost to the incomes of hack lawyers. Gong-Gershowitz and Morgan typify the limousine liberal mentality of the North Shore. For these people, the solution to everything is get a lawyer. The Bill of Rights is never considered, just their desire to mold the masses.
Still waiting for Morgan or Gershowitz to remove assault weapons from police and retired police, and regulate police armored vehicles.
- Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 1:44 pm:
Only in Illinois would legislators vote to expand government pension benefits, without an actuarial study on the true cost of the bill, and ignoring the fact the unfunded liability actually rose 7.5% last year to 139.7 billion
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-08/illinois-s-pension-debt-is-rising-again-as-stock-rout-takes-toll#?in_source=embedded-checkout-banner
- Norseman - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 2:06 pm:
One of my frustrations in my involvement with the GA is that “need” was only a factor in response to emergencies. Never a consideration for ordinary bills. Needless bills were ok if nobody complained. It was a minor victory if we stopped a bill because it was already law. Then it was because it was a blatant duplication or a minority legislator.
- Sir Reel - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 2:17 pm:
I remember when cigarette ads were on TV, in magazines and on billboards. Then the ads were toned down. Then they mentioned cancer. Then they disappeared. The world didn’t end. I doubt it’ll end if gun ads are toned down or even disappear.
- Which one is Pink - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 2:28 pm:
“In 2020, guns surpassed traffic fatalities as the leading cause of death for children in the U.S“
According to Snopes.com this is true if 18 and 19 year olds are included. However for ages 1-17 auto accidents are still the leading cause of death.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 2:42 pm:
===According to Snopes.com this is true if 18 and 19 year olds are included. However for ages 1-17 auto accidents are still the leading cause of death.===
(Sigh)
We also have seatbelt laws, where a child can/can’t sit, car seat regulations.
They are now promoting “Jr-15” weapons
- Norseman - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 2:46 pm:
=== So when all the (IL) gun manufacturers … move out, I guess that will make them happy. I’m sure they will find other ways to tax us to make up for lost revenue. ===
How much lost revenue are we talking about? I suspect it’s less than spent responding to gun crimes, caring for victims and increased security.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 2:57 pm:
===Only in Illinois would legislators vote to expand government pension benefits, without an actuarial study on the true cost of the bill===
If we can’t afford the pensions, we surely can’t bailout the Bears, amirite, - LP -?
Fiscal responsibility and all.
- Which one is Pink - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 3:06 pm:
=(Sigh)=
Just adding context.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 3:08 pm:
===Just adding context.===
Which is what, exactly?
Weapons aren’t still killing children in mass shootings, or seatbelt laws, car seats, and child seating in an auto need more regulation?
- Which one is Pink - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 3:10 pm:
If you can’t figure that out I can’t help you. Have a good day.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 3:12 pm:
===If you can’t figure that out===
If you can’t use your words to make an argument maybe figure out what exactly your argument is.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 4:00 pm:
=Only in Illinois would legislators vote to expand government pension benefits,=
By fixing Tier 2 the state will save money as they will not have to pay SSI on top of the pension.
You should know that.
- Which one is Pink. - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 4:33 pm:
I’ll spell it out. Legally, 18 and 19 year olds are considered adults. They can enter into contracts, get married without parental consent and serve in the military. Statistics can be manipulated to obtain a pre-ordained conclusion like more kids are killed by guns than by auto accidents. That works if what one calls a child is expanded.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 4:38 pm:
- Which one is Pink -
NPR…
===For decades, auto accidents have been the leading cause of death among children, but in 2020 guns were the No. 1 cause, researchers say.
Overall firearm-related deaths increased 13.5% between 2019 and 2020, but such fatalities for those 1 to 19 years old jumped nearly 30%, according to a research letter in New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers analyzed data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that there were a record 45,222 firearm-related deaths in the U.S. in 2020.
Patrick Carter, one of the authors of the research letter and co-director of the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, said about 10% of those deaths — 4,357 in total — were children.
Studies have shown that firearm violence increased during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, according to the research letter, the reason behind the increase in child deaths attributed to guns is unclear.
For decades prior to 2020, motor vehicle accidents were the leading cause of death among children. Carter tells NPR that the reason the two have swapped places is a “tale of two stories.”===
Here’s the thing, while your concern wanes and seemingly makes it “ok” that children are dying from guns, as long as car accidents are first drivel…
===”Firearm deaths we haven’t made much progress on, in fact it increased in recent years. And we have had a decrease in moto vehicle deaths,” he said.
According to a separate study, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of child deaths for more than 60 years. But over time, cars have become safer and driver education has improved. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and others have pushed for better child safety in cars, taking a scientific approach to the problem, Carter said.===
So, you must favor gun control or a limiting of guns, if we’re spelling things out…
- Which one is Pink - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 4:54 pm:
=spelling things out=
You put words in my mouth. I said no such thing. I merely question referring to 18 and 19 year olds as children.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 5:01 pm:
===You put words in my mouth===
Actually I’m not. Sorry.
Your concern for which numbers are “manipulated”, why even have that concern if only to make less children being killed?
So you don’t favor gun controls or bans, those deaths of children are, as - Donnie Elgin - said… regrettable?
I mean, car deaths for children are going down, it’s in the piece I just grabbed.
You can use your words and explain, start with the concern of manipulation of ages and children’s deaths
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 5:29 pm:
I guess I’d also add that a vast majority of 18 year olds could be in high school during any (all or part) of that 18th year of life.
So are they students or adults as their parents, family, and friends morn an 18 year old just going to school, like he/she did on any other Tuesday.
- We've never had one before - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 7:38 pm:
to the JR-15:
downsized firearms for youth and people of smaller stature have always been part of the landscape.
The JR-15 gets the attention only because of the name. There are similarly styled firearms for the youth market, including the S&W M&P 15-22 in “Muddy Girl” camo.
- Which one is Pink - Wednesday, May 10, 23 @ 11:37 pm:
Whether those 18 and 19 year olds are still in high school is irrelevant as those same 18 or 19 year olds can legally purchase forearms. Last I checked minor children cannot nor should they be able to purchase any type of gun. But I get it. As you have said before it’s all about framing the issue. I’m just pointing out that the talking point that guns kill more kids than auto accidents depends on including people that are legally defined as adults.
- Which one is Pink - Thursday, May 11, 23 @ 12:11 am:
Yikes. Firearms not forearms. Please pardon my fat fingering.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 11, 23 @ 5:50 am:
===Whether those 18 and 19 year olds are still in high school is irrelevant as those same 18 or 19 year olds can legally purchase forearms.===
Tell that to student wounded or killed at school.
Do you tell those parents, “well, your 18 year old is an adult in a school, they don’t matter the same”?
Good try. No.
===I’m just pointing out that the talking point that guns kill more kids than auto accidents depends on including people that are legally defined as adults.===
You, again, just want a framing to make *less* the deaths of students in schools, and deaths by firearms, and you still are not purposely grasping that laws to curtail the cease to buying guns matter.
You want to diminish kids dying by firearms. Ignoring that 18 year olds are high school seniors is pretending “adults” makes those deaths different.
Do you support stricter gun laws?
- Which one is Pink - Thursday, May 11, 23 @ 8:47 am:
You are really good at jumping to conclusions. You read way to much into what I said. That being said, thank you for helping me understand how I feel about the issue. I had no idea I felt that way. Well done. Do I support more gun controls? That depends on the restrictions being proposed. I would support age appropriate firearms safety classes in school. I don’t mean showing kids how to shoot a gun either. Teach kids what to do if they find a gun. Show them how firearms are to be properly handled and stored. Emphasize how dangerous guns can be. For older students, show them the damage firearms can cause to the human body. We’ve all seen images of what smoking does to you, do something similar regarding guns.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 11, 23 @ 9:07 am:
=== You are really good at jumping to conclusions. You read way to much into what I said.===
“Sure, Jan”
Here’s how you started this…
=== According to Snopes.com this is true if 18 and 19 year olds are included. However for ages 1-17 auto accidents are still the leading cause of death.===
You want to diminish the impact of deaths of children by deciding that an 18 year old senior *IS* an adult, and further you flat out refuse to see what I cited with car deaths versus guns.
Each comment was to diminish the death impact. I read what you wrote, even the first two drive bys.
Further?
=== Do I support more gun controls? That depends on the restrictions being proposed. I would support age appropriate firearms safety classes in school. I don’t mean showing kids how to shoot a gun either. Teach kids what to do if they find a gun. Show them how firearms are to be properly handled and stored. Emphasize how dangerous guns can be. For older students, show them the damage firearms can cause to the human body. We’ve all seen images of what smoking does to you, do something similar regarding guns.===
None of this blather is about gun control.
Not one word.
You know this, but you think either I can’t read or I’ll forget what I asked.
You don’t have any gun control thoughts but “education” in schools, the same schools you refuse to see 18 year old only as students but as adults.
Just say that these deaths are regrettable like - Donnie Elgin -