* WGEM…

Illinois state lawmakers discussed the prospect of a guaranteed basic income during a state Senate Appropriations - Health and Human Services Committee meeting Wednesday.

A bill sponsored by state Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, would explore the possibility of a guaranteed income program across the state.

“Giving people cash is one of the most potent tools to creating resilient households and communities,” said Ameya Pawar, a senior advisor for the Economic Security Project, which supports the bill.

He said a guaranteed basic income is what it sounds like, giving people cash directly to supplement their income and fill in the gaps in the social safety net.

* 25News Now…

The proposal was a key topic at a recent senate committee meeting in Chicago, where the overarching goal of providing a no-strings-attached additional $1,000 monthly income was discussed.

Advocates for the bill argue that such a measure is crucial when the cost of goods and services continues to rise, while wages have largely stagnated. […]

Ameya Pawar, Senior Adviser at the Economic Security Project, cited data from a two-year experiment in Stockton, New Jersey, in 2019, where 100 low-income residents received $500 a month.

Contrary to fears, the initiative saw an increase in employment among participants, with some using the funds to start businesses, pursue education, or enhance their skills.

* Sen. Linda Holmes…

At a young age, I witnessed my father dying in pain from lung cancer and suffering terribly. More recently, my mom contracted pancreatic cancer, and I had her medical power of attorney.

A couple of weeks before she passed, I was sitting on the edge of her bed. She grabbed my arm and begged me to make sure her health care providers didn’t do any medical interventions to keep her alive, like resuscitation, that would prolong her suffering. […]

That is why I am the proud lead sponsor of the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act. I recently introduced this legislation that would allow medical aid in dying as an end-of-life care option for mentally capable, terminally ill adults in Illinois, with six months or less to live, to gently end unbearable suffering. It is 100% voluntary for terminally ill people, physicians and pharmacists.

More than 7 of 10 Illinois likely voters (71%) support passing medical aid-in-dying legislation, according to a 2023 Impact Research poll. This majority support spans the demographic, political, racial and religious spectrums, including 73% of voters with a disability, 83% of Latino voters, 69% of Catholic voters and half of Republican voters. In contrast, fewer than 1 in 5 Illinois voters (17%) oppose medical aid in dying.

* WAND…

Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs is spearheading an effort to help families put leftover college savings funds into retirement plans. The change could happen quickly in Illinois thanks to action by the federal government.

Frerichs told reporters in Chicago Tuesday that he is looking out for families who don’t use all of the money in their college savings accounts to roll over funds into a Roth IRA. The Democrat said Congress approved a bill in late 2022 to allow tax and penalty free rollovers from college savings plans to retirement plans. […]

Illinois would need a change in state law to allow people to take advantage of this opportunity. Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) and Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock (D-Villa Park) said it is a common sense change that could help parents, grandparents and guardians who open savings accounts for their young families. […]

Senate Bill 3133 currently awaits third reading in the Senate. Meanwhile, House Bill 5005 could be heard on second reading when the House returns for session next week.

* WGEM…

Illinois state lawmakers are looking at legislation to help parents protect their children on social media.

The bill, known as Sammy’s Law, would require large social media companies such as TikTok, Snapchat and Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — to use third-party software companies that would alert parents if their kid is being cyber bullied, talking about suicide, buying drugs or engaging in other dangerous activity on the platform.

The bill is named for Sammy Chapman. The 16-year-old died from a drug overdose on Feb. 7, 2021. He bought drugs containing fentanyl using Snapchat. […]

Parents would not be alerted to everything their kids do online. They’d only be notified if their kid is in potential danger. […]

The state House Consumer Protection Committee unanimously passed the bill on March 20. It heads to the floor with bipartisan support. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has also voiced support for the legislation.

* Center Square…

The legislation in Illinois House Bill 5069 would establish a Premarket Tobacco Product Application registry of products that may legally be sold in the state. Manufacturers, distributors or sellers of products who want to add them to the registry must attest under penalty of perjury that the products are either authorized for sale by a Food and Drug Administration marketing granted order, or are still undergoing review by the agency.

“Right now there are a lot of products that are being sold at various places that are illegal in the vape and e-cigarette space,” said the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island. […]

Matthieu Fortin with Upper Limits vape shop in Springfield said the measure would essentially eliminate flavored e-cigarettes. […]

The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association is running a publicity campaign against all states considering similar legislation. Outside of Illinois, other states where the group highlights possible legislation include Indiana, Washington, Florida, Colorado, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Alabama, Utah, Kansas, Georgia, Wyoming and Missouri.

* Chalkbeat…

Education advocates are renewing a push to change Illinois law to allow Chicago school board members to be paid — with the hope that would encourage teachers and parents from low-income households to represent Chicago Public Schools’ diverse student body.

State law currently does not allow school board members to be paid, though they can be reimbursed for expenses related to the job. But a bill filed in the state senate last fall would allow Chicago Board of Education members to be paid. […]

Being a CPS board member requires between 25-30 hours of work per month, according to the board’s website, and involves attending public meetings, briefings with district officials, visiting schools, and reading hundreds of pages of documents every month. […]

State Sen. Robert Martwick, who sponsored legislation creating an elected school board in Chicago, said negotiations are underway for compensating board members, but he’s not hopeful that legislation will be passed this year.

* SJ-R…

Through House Bill 2287, led by Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines, newly purchased and leased school buses would have to be electric starting in 2028. By 2035, all school districts would be required to have solely electric school buses. […]

As a way to help teachers during the school day, Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel, D-Shorewood introduced Senate Bill 2721, a bill that would carve out at least 45 minutes during the school day for teachers to plan. The bill states that during the plan time an educator cannot be forced to substitute or attend meetings or training sessions. If this bill passes it will become a requirement for all public-school districts across the state. […]

House Bill 4175 would prevent nonpublic schools from slapping or paddling a student, placing a student in a physically painful position and the intentional infliction of bodily harm on a student. […]

Introduced by Sen. Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, Senate Bill 2872 would require each school district to offer relaxation time or relaxation activities for at least 20 minutes a week. The time would be used to emphasize self-care and downtime as a way to improve overall health.

* SJ-R…

Senate Bill 3646 was filed by Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago, and would put limitations hours minors could work, including not working more than 8 hours in a single 24-hour period or more than 3 hours per day or more than 8 hours total of work and school hours on days when school is in session.

The new bill would also ensure children 13 and under would not be allowed to get a working permit.

The proposed legislation would also provide protections for children who are featured in online content and would require that they receive compensation for any appearances made in online content. […]

Senate Bill 3646 is currently waiting for consideration of the full Senate.

* Capitol News Illinois…

Two bills that would regulate battery disposal and storage are awaiting action from the full Illinois Senate after unanimous committee approval.

Senate Bill 3481, sponsored by Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, would require facilities that store electric vehicle batteries to register with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency by February 2026. The state’s Pollution Control Board would set the regulations for the proper storage of EV batteries. […]

Senate Bill 3686, sponsored by Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, would require battery producers and importers to implement an IEPA approved battery stewardship plan starting in 2026. Retailers would be encouraged — but not required — to serve as collection facilities.

The plan would regulate the disposal, storage and recycling of certain removable batteries and portable batteries. The bill applies to most types of batteries, with some exceptions. These include liquid electrolyte batteries and lead-acid batteries, like those used in cars.

* WGEM…

A bipartisan group of Illinois lawmakers wants to make permanent a grant programing aiming to help farmers, co-ops and other small food producers across the state.

The Local Food Infrastructure Grant (LFIG) program is awarding nearly $2 million in grants to 19 recipients across the state. […]

“It takes more than just sticking a seed in the ground, right? You’ve got to have the infrastructure to be able to handle that and to be able to deliver it and to be able and make it available to people so that’s what this is about,” said state Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria.

Koehler is sponsoring bipartisan legislation making the LFIG program permanent. The bill passed unanimously out of the state Senate Agriculture Committee on March 7. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker did not include LFIG funding in his proposed fiscal year 2025 budget.

* Herald-Review…

Rep. Daniel Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, filed House Bill 4446 earlier this year after a series of incidents in which Illinois residents were keeping servals as pets when the cats got loose.

In October, a Decatur resident purchased a serval from a supplier in West Virginia, and two weeks later, the cat escaped through an open door in the owner’s apartment. The cat was loose until mid-November, when a landowner spotted and trapped the cat north of town, between Maroa and Forsyth. The serval was turned over to local officials and now resides at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point, Indiana.[…]

While Didech’s bill has overwhelming support from various organizations, opponents, such as the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, have raised some issues. In a statement, a spokesperson for the association said they have “expressed concerns with certain aspects of the legislation with the bill’s sponsor” and anticipate “meeting with the stakeholders to develop agreed upon language.” The spokesperson did not explain what those concerns were. […]

The legislation passed out of committee earlier this month. Didech said he is hopeful that the bill will be called for a vote in the House in the coming weeks.