* Ben Szalinski…

Slightly more from Politico…

Legislation banning corporal punishment in Illinois’ private schools passed out of the Illinois House. The bill, which now heads to the Illinois Senate, would amend the School Code to implement the same restrictions on corporal punishment in private schools that all Illinois public schools are already subject to. State Rep. Margaret Croke is carrying the legislation.

* Center Square…

A measure now in the Illinois House says the Illinois Emergency Management Agency would be able to do “all things necessary, incidental, or appropriate for the implementation” of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.

Opponents of Senate Bill 3434 said Illinois’ emergency authority continues under the Pritzker administration and giving more power lacks proper oversight. State Sen. Win Stoller, R-Germantown Hills, said the bill grants extraordinary power to the department’s rulemaking authority and bypasses the legislature. […]

“IEMA handles emergency management and I think what we are trying to get addressed in this bill is as those incidences come up and as things happen we want to be able to have the authority to be able to move with flexibility and move swiftly,” said [Sen. Celina Villanueva].

The measure passed the Illinois Senate last week and can now be taken up in the Illinois House.

* Legal Sports Report…

FanDuel Sportsbook is urging customers to reach out to state lawmakers in an effort to stop the proposed tax hike on Illinois sports betting.

As part of his recent budget proposal, Gov. JB Pritzker suggested increasing the tax rate on Illinois sports betting to 35% from 15%.

The FanDuel app alert went out to Illinois customers over the weekend. […]

FanDuel CEO Amy Howe explained to LSR the operator’s general stance on sports betting tax rate increases.

“Our government affairs teams do a really good job of trying to educate the regulators on how to get that balance right, because at the end of the day, the revenue to the state is really important,” Howe told LSR.

Here’s the popup from FanDuel…

* Center Square…

Arguing people are “pleading guilty to offenses that they otherwise would not be pleading to,” Northwestern University Child and Family Justice Center attorney Stephanie Kollman is backing legislation designed to bring equity to the criminal justice system. […]

Filed by Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, and coming in the wake of a 2021 study commissioned by the Illinois Supreme Court that found issues ranging from a deficit in overall funding to a lack of independence from political influence within the system, the so-called Office of Public Defense Trial Support bill also seeks to create a statewide office that offers public defenders greater support and resources as they strive to defend the often indigent criminal defendants they represent.

While Harmon is pushing to see the bill become law by the end of the ongoing spring session, between now and then Kollman is hoping to see even more tweaks made to it in the name of fairness and equity.

“What’s being proposed is sort of a broad start,” she added. “What would be a more robust approach would be to ensure that defenders are structurally independent of the judicial branch.”

* Rep. Mary Beth Canty…

A measure streamlining and strengthening laws preventing sexual exploitation of minors, spearheaded by state Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights, recently passed the House with strong bipartisan support.

“Our current laws protecting children and other vulnerable people from exploitation need to be stronger,” said Canty. “This measure will shore up loopholes for disgusting crimes like grooming, which puts too many of our kids at risk. We are taking an essential step to making Illinois a safer place to live and raise a family.”

House Bill 2458 requires a number of technical changes to various Illinois laws against sexual exploitation and grooming. It also upgrades grooming from a class 4 to a class 3 felony, offenses that are more likely to be prosecuted. The bill has the support of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association and the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and it passed with strong bipartisan support and will soon be heard in the Senate.

* WICS…

Mental health advocates said the shortage of social workers in the state is still ongoing and is affecting access to services. This comes as lawmakers are trying to pass three bills aimed to help recruit and maintain social workers.

The National Association of Social Workers said the shortage of licensed professionals has been going on for years. They’re hoping that new legislation going through the General Assembly could help recruit and retain social workers across the state. […]

SB3779 would allow a licensed clinical social worker or licensed social worker to have and administer opioid antagonists. SB2222 could award grants to school districts to provide stipends to social work interns. The third bill, SB3714, would create a program to provide loan repayment assistances to eligible professionals practicing in a hospice program.

The National Association of Social Workers thinks these three pieces of legislation could significantly impact the number of social workers who stay in the field since the demand continues to grow.

* Center Square…

A state legislator says a constituent was passionate about making a change for meat processing facilities and now a measure will likely pass as a result.

State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, said existing meat processing plants have to put labels on processed meat that says “not for sale” and “not inspected.”

“You have to have ‘not for sale’ and ‘not inspected’ on meat that won’t be for sale or inspected, but this bill cleans this up a bit and removes the [required label] ‘not inspected’ and just has the ‘not for sale’ [label]. It cuts down on some government redundancy and saves local meat packer money,” told The Center Square.

So if deer hunters go to get their meat processed they’ll see just one label instead of two, if the measure is enacted.

* Rep. Wayne Rosenthal…

Legislation pending in the House of Representatives (HB 4270), would amend the Line of Duty Compensation Act. State Representative Wayne Rosenthal (R-Morrisonville) filed legislation to include emergency medical services personnel.

“Our first responders put their lives on the line to save others and we must honor their families after tragic events that occur,” said Rep. Rosenthal. “House Bill 4270 would financially assist families of first responders in times of need and also acknowledge their dedication to keeping our communities safe.”

The Line of Duty Compensation Act offers financial benefits to families of those who lost their lives while serving our nation in the armed forces or serving in a public safety role with a state or local government. Compensation under this act helps families and dependents manage difficult times after a tragic event. HB 4270 would allow families of emergency medical services personnel to file for financial benefits under the Line of Duty Compensation Act. […]

If HB 4270 becomes law, benefits under the Line of Duty Compensation Act, will be available to families of emergency medical services personnel. Beneficiaries can obtain a claim form from the Attorney General’s Office, the Secretary of State’s website, or the Court of Claims.