It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Jan 10, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* HB4412 from Rep. Dave Vella…
Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. In provisions concerning criminal background investigations, provides that a child care facility may authorize the Department of Children and Family Services or a third-party vendor to complete the investigation. Provides that an applicant is determined to have completed the criminal background investigation when he or she has completed and submitted authorization for the performance of a criminal background investigation by either the Department or a third party contracted to perform the criminal background investigation. Makes conforming changes.
* Rep. Gregg Johnson filed HB4417…
Amends the Course of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that all public high schools, including charter schools, shall designate and annually observe a week known as “Workplace Readiness Week”. Provides that students shall be provided information on their rights as workers during that week, and sets forth what information must be included. Provides that for students in grades 11 and 12, the information shall be integrated into the regular school program but may also be provided during special events after regular school hours. Effective immediately.
* Rep. Jed Davis’ HB4347…
Amends the Blockchain Technology Act. Prohibits a public or private entity from requiring an individual to submit a blockchain based identification system as a condition of receiving goods or services from the public or private entity. Amends the Biometric Information Privacy Act. Prohibits a public or private entity from requiring an individual to provide a biometric identifier or biometric information as a condition of receiving goods or services from the public or private entity.
* HB4349 from Rep. Steven Reick…
Creates the 22nd Judicial Circuit Children and Family Services Agency Act (which may be referred to as AJ’s Law). Establishes a 22nd Judicial Circuit Children and Family Services Agency for a 5-year period to replace the operations of the Department Children and Family Services within the 22nd Judicial Circuit. Provides that the Agency shall have all powers and duties of the Department. Provides for the appointment of an Executive Director and employment of employees. Provides for requirements for operation of the Agency, including unit-based multidisciplinary teams. Provides for State funding of the Agency after submission of a budget to the Department each year. Provides for the transfer of power and duties back to the Department should the Agency cease operations after the initial 5-year period. Repeals the Act 6 years after the effective date of the Act. Effective immediately.
* 25 News Now…
If State Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) has his way, no portrait will be displayed at the Illinois Capitol of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan unless he’s found not guilty of corruption charges.
There is renewed interest in Spain’s non-binding resolution (HR0129), which he introduced last March. but its stuck in the rules committee.
An aide to Spain told 25News the GOP lawmaker is looking for support from Democrats, who hold a 78-40 majority. […]
Welch spokesperson Jaclyn Driscoll released the following statement:
“The only person talking about or considering a portrait for former Speaker Madigan is Leader Ryan Spain. And that’s a special form of hypocrisy to talk about banning portraits while staring at one of former Governor George Ryan hanging in the House chamber.
* Resource Recycling…
llinois may or may not be the next state to pass a bill setting up a beverage container deposit return system under Senate Bill 85, and industry players recently debated the benefits and concerns around the bill.
During an Illinois Recycling Foundation webinar on Dec. 12, several stakeholders discussed the work being done to create a deposit return system (DRS) in Illinois, namely SB 85.
Scott Breen, vice president of sustainability at the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), said the bill was “trying to find the sweet spot” between higher recycling rates, cost savings to municipalities, reduced litter, fewer landfill tipping fees and the needs of MRFs.
“We’re trying to get this bill in place so it works for everybody,” he said. “This is fundamentally changing how people buy and return beverage containers and also impacts the recycling industry, so this is serious stuff. There’s a lot of money and jobs wrapped up in this.”
- RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 10, 24 @ 10:38 am:
== setting up a beverage container deposit return system … ==
Back to the past … if you are old enough, you remember when Illinois had a deposit on glass soda bottles.
- ChicagoBars - Wednesday, Jan 10, 24 @ 10:43 am:
Welcome to the 2024 bill watch list SB85 (banned punctuation).
I know Michigan and other states have done it for a long time but I still see no easy way for urban bars and restaurants to store dirty empties without a fruit fly/health inspection nightmare half the year. Corona ran (still runs?) a pretty cool glass recycling pilot in Chicagoland but would have to be scaled way, way up and still have dirty cans to store issue. The phone booth (remember those?) size machine they brought to bars to pulverize glass for future recycling was pretty cool though.
- walker - Wednesday, Jan 10, 24 @ 10:50 am:
Rep Reick certainly has launched an emergency flare.
He’s very serious, caring, and thoughtful about issues related to DCFS, but it remains to be seen what this might lead to.
- Perrid - Wednesday, Jan 10, 24 @ 10:59 am:
Rep Reick thinks building a new DCFS will work better than trying to fix the existing one? Creating local siloes is better than one statewide agency?
I’m skeptical, to say the least.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Wednesday, Jan 10, 24 @ 11:04 am:
RNUG- collecting stray bottles for the deposit was my introduction to entrepreneurship. At one point we had 6 neighborhood kids involved, but split up in a profit sharing dispute.
- Downstate Surveyor - Wednesday, Jan 10, 24 @ 11:12 am:
Time to join Iowa and Michigan……
- Downstate Surveyor - Wednesday, Jan 10, 24 @ 11:14 am:
….on recycing cans and bottles…
- Siualum - Wednesday, Jan 10, 24 @ 11:21 am:
How about setting up a hall or room in the capitol just to display portraits of disgraced and convicted Illinois politicians. Maybe in the basement.
- cermak_rd - Wednesday, Jan 10, 24 @ 11:49 am:
In Iowa we donate all our cans (and I do rinse the beer cans/bottles so they aren’t unpleasant for the workers to deal with) to the local pet shelter (PAWS) all you have to do is bring them bagged and put them in their bagged container area. They do all the rest of the work of getting them to a redemption center and get the $$ for their operating costs.
- James McIntyre Fan - Wednesday, Jan 10, 24 @ 11:55 am:
@Perrid -
There are other states who administer child welfare on a regional basis instead of having one statewide agency responsible.
On the otherhand, the motivation for the bill seems to be one high profile child death in McHenry County. So I think its fair to point out that the folks at the center of that case were McHenry County parents, McHenry County cops, the McHenry County State’s attorney’s Office, McHenry County judges, and DCFS employees who were McHenry County residents.
I think its kinda rich to suggest McHenry County would be better off on its own. This was McHenry County on its own, and look what it got us.
To the post: If I read it correctly, it looks like Vella’s bill would allow someone to start working at a child welfare agency or become a foster parent as soon as their background check was authorized, instead of waiting until it came back clean. I hope he’s not serious or I am misreading something.
- Thomas Paine - Wednesday, Jan 10, 24 @ 11:59 am:
A 12-pack of Mountain Dew currently sells for $9.49 at the Walgreens in Springfield.
How much more do they think a 12 pack of Dew should cost, and how the heck is Walgreens going to recycle my cans?
- OneMan - Wednesday, Jan 10, 24 @ 2:09 pm:
==If State Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) has his way, no portrait will be displayed at the Illinois Capitol of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan unless he’s found not guilty of corruption charges.
There is renewed interest in Spain’s non-binding resolution (HR0129), ==
If anything, he should get a very large portrait, and it should have an interpretive plack next to it explaining how he was the longest serving speaker of any state house in history and wielded extraordinary power. Despite all of that and having a very successful law practice doing property tax appeals, he was convicted of ‘insert list of convictions here’ and left this place, and his legacy is one of how no man is above the law.
And perhaps a bit of modified Shelly…
My name is Madigan, Speaker of Speakers;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Jan 10, 24 @ 2:36 pm:
I also remember getting more than just the deposit money sometimes with RC. Scratching that cork off could pay off:)
- Dr. Love - Wednesday, Jan 10, 24 @ 5:29 pm:
If Speaker Welch has a problem with George Ryan’s portrait he probably has the authority to have it removed. Grandstander.
- Rep. Steve Reick - Wednesday, Jan 10, 24 @ 6:09 pm:
@James McIntyre Fan:
If you’d been paying attention you’d have noticed that the problem with DCFS extends statewide. A.J. Freund’s death directed my attention to the problem, but my efforts have extended far beyond the boundaries of McHenry County. For you to say that this bill is because of that one death, you’re marginalizing the work that not only I but many others feel is needed to keep it from happening elsewhere.
You’re right when you say that the McHenry County authorities were on the front lines of that case, but the state agency was in control of it. That was confirmed when the state employee, who was more interested in filling out forms than paying attention to the evidence of his own eyes was found guilty of child endangerment. The procedures he was following were dictated by state policy. A one-size-fits-all statewide agency doesn’t have the flexibility to understand the different circumstances that exist throughout Illinois which lead to abuse and neglect. We need to do a better job of identifying those circumstances before the child welfare system ever gets involved.
My hope is that my bill will put child welfare investigations and policies on a level with those who do see this type of problem every day. I think the answer is within the communities in which those families live.