* WAND…

Illinois House Democrats want to pass a plan to prohibit the use of unreliable statements made to law enforcement during criminal or juvenile court proceedings for homicides or Class X felonies. Sponsors hope the bill could change the state’s status as the leader for wrongful convictions.

Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago) told the House Judiciary-Criminal Committee Thursday that Illinois spends millions of dollars annually for settlements after people are exonerated. However, he noted that wrongful convictions cost much more to the people put behind bars for 20-35 years on average before exoneration. […]

“Currently, there is a prohibition on the use of involuntary statements,” Slaughter said. “The burden of proving a statement is voluntary rests on the prosecution. Whether a statement is reliable is currently considered by the trier of fact and not by a judge considering allowable evidence in a proceeding.” […]

House Bill 5346 passed out of the House Judiciary-Criminal Committee on a 9-6 vote Thursday. State representatives could discuss the legislation again when they return to Springfield later this week.

* President of Village Haven Housing Foundation Randy McIntyre…

Village Haven is a nonprofit organization with the goal of providing quality shared housing to residents and help them find employment, healthcare, food assistance, educational opportunities, and transportation. People who are in recovery and reentering society throughout Illinois are working incredibly hard to get their lives back on track. […]

That’s why I’m so concerned to learn that lawmakers in Springfield are considering a new bill that will add a $10.49 fee to most prescriptions filled at the pharmacy counter.

This may not sound like a lot to our legislators in Springfield who can personally afford the increase, but for people who are working hard to make ends meet, this could mean choosing between medication or other essentials like putting gas in their car to get to work. […]

This bill will also limit the ability of pharmacies to mail less-expensive prescriptions directly to people’s doors. Many who are in recovery and reentering, not to mention countless older Illinoisians and those with mobility challenges, count on this service to get their medication in a way that is quick and convenient so they can stay healthy and well.

* WGEM…

Illinois pharmacists have been able to administer long-acting injectable drugs to help people fighting addiction for the past four years. A bill in the Illinois House of Representatives aims to expand their scope of practice.

Current Illinois law prohibits them from giving the first dose. They can administer subsequent doses of long-acting injectables for substance-abuse problems.

The state House Health Care Licenses Committee passed a bill unanimously on April 3 allowing pharmacists to inject the first dose if it’s prescribed by a doctor, physician’s assistant or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse.

“By allowing pharmacists to the first injection of long-acting injectable medications for substance-use disorder treatment, access to these medications can be now expanded,” said state Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, the bill’s sponsor.

* WGEM…

Dental school graduates may soon be able to practice in Illinois before officially getting licensed.

The state House Health Care Licenses Committee unanimously passed a bill on April 3 allowing someone enrolled in a dental residency or specialty training program to practice for up to three months while waiting for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to approve their license.

The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Theresa Mah, D-Chicago, said the legislation will ensure new dentists don’t fall behind waiting for their license. […]

The bill has the support of the Illinois State Dental Society.

* George Alpogiani…

I am privileged to serve the village of Niles in two capacities. The first is at my family restaurant, which has served local customers for nearly five decades. The second is as mayor, serving my constituents since 2021. I’ve always said that running a great municipality is like running a great business, and being able to wear both hats often allows me to provide a different perspective to my fellow civic leaders.

Take, for example, a proposed bill in Springfield that would eliminate the tip credit and fundamentally change the way Illinois restaurant workers are paid. At its core, this proposal is a business-killer that would pose significant risks to the very employees it aims to help.

I know of no one in the restaurant industry who earns less than the minimum wage right now. My tipped employees see average incomes as high as $25 to $30 an hour between base wage and tips. National data shows that wait staff at full-service restaurants earn a median of $27 an hour, with the highest-paid tipped employees making $41.50 and in some places more. […]

If legislators force restaurateurs to increase their payroll for tipped employees to the full minimum wage, it will upend this system with an unaffordable cost. The ripple effects in my restaurant alone would reach an estimated $300,000 a year at just at one of my restaurants.

*SJ-R…

The mascot at Nokomis High School has been the Redskins since a 1920 vote among the town’s voters. The town, home to 2,100 residents, itself is named after a Native American mythological figure featured in a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem.

Legislation being considered in Springfield would do away with Nokomis’ mascot along with every public K-12 school in the state using a Native American name, logo or mascot. Superintendent Scott Doerr told The State Journal-Register that the bill is legislative overreach on what should be a local decision. […]

“Our signage, our gym floors … everything that indicates some kind of logo or mascot is going to have to be changed,” Doerr said in an interview, now in his 15th year as superintendent. “So, you’re looking at a large amount of money that is supposed to go to educate kids are now going to fund another unfunded mandate passed by the state of Illinois.” […]

Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, is the bill’s lead sponsor and plans to file an amendment to his legislation. The amendment, he said, will clarify schools with Native town names like Nokomis or Waukegan would not have to change and create a partnership between the Illinois State Board of Education and the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative to adopt guidelines for schools where the legislation would apply.

* Center Square…

Thursday in Springfield, the House Revenue and Finance Committee advanced several measures that would allow for increases in property tax levies. House Bill 1075 would allow villages and townships to increase theirs for museums. Illinois Municipal League Executive Director Brad Cole supported the museum levy.

“Nobody here wants to support property tax increases but what we’ve already heard is it’s a de minimis amount, it’s for a community function, museum affairs and activities,” Cole said during the committee.

Another from state Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, House Bill 4179 would allow for a voter referendum to increase taxes for private ambulance costs.

“So the voters will be there to vote for if they want an ambulance service, or if they want to drive whoever of their family members to the hospitals themselves,” Meier told the committee.

* AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Pat Devaney and IMA President Mark Denzler…

While Illinois is leading the way in the effort to mitigate climate change with a goal to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, we will fall short without embracing all available technology, including carbon capture and storage.

Also known as CCS, this process involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions at their source, preventing them from being released into the atmosphere and then storing them deep underground. It’s an established and effective process which is highly regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. CCS technology has been identified by the Clean Air Task Force as having safely operated in the U.S. for more than 50 years. Numerous international studies addressing the energy transition suggest that CCS is a required key tool for rapid decarbonization, along with energy efficiency and electrification.

In addition to the proven environmental benefits, deploying CCS more widely in Illinois also offers equally clear economic benefits. CCS development and expansion has an employment demand of 14,400 jobs, generating over $3 billion in additional revenue for the state’s economy over 10 years, according to a study conducted by the University of Illinois. This includes the creation of good union jobs in the construction industry as well as the operation of new facilities. […]

Our legislation builds upon existing federal regulations, requires consultation with impacted communities to address local concerns and establishes strong landowner protections.