* Crain’s…

Illinois legislators soon will be asked to consider a series of incentives as part of the state’s intensifying push to become the nation’s hub for quantum computing. […]

According to the legislation, the campus must be a minimum of one-half square mile but not more than four square miles. Such a facility, first reported by Crain’s, would require billions of dollars to construct and massive amounts of power to operate. […]

The quantum-computing industry is still in its infancy, but the technology invented so far operates at super-cold temperatures. One of the provisions of a bill introduced in the House by state Rep. Dave Vella, D-Loves Park, would include a 20% income-tax credit on construction wages. Another provision would exempt companies in the quantum enterprise zone from taxes and gas and electricity purchases, as well as some sales taxes on other purchases. […]

The bill sponsored by Vella, which touches on incentives for other industries, as well, is expected to get a committee vote this week before heading to the full House. It largely tailors existing incentives that the state already uses to attract various types of manufacturing, including electric vehicle and battery manufacturers, as well as data centers and semiconductor and electronics makers.

* Citizen Action/Illinois…

Following is a statement from Julie Sampson, Executive Director of Citizen Action/Illinois, in response to new, misleading advertisements from the pharmaceutical industry attacking HB4472, proposed legislation which would create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board, an independent body with the authority to evaluate high-cost drugs and set limits on what Illinoisans can pay:

“It is unsurprising that PhRMA is spending money on advertisements spreading misinformation to defend its interests in the wake of new research showing that 31% of Illinoisans reported skipping or not refilling their medication due to cost, and 77% are concerned about affording their medication.

“Our solution to address rising prescription drug costs, a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB), attacks the problem by building upon new federal drug price negotiations – a policy that PhRMA spent millions to oppose. Contrary to the false attacks of PhRMA’s ads, the work of a PDAB is designed to protect consumers from the excessive and often unpredictable price hikes imposed by pharmaceutical companies.

“We’ve seen time and again that PhRMA will mislead consumers about how a drug that costs $5 to manufacture ends up costing the consumer $1000 at a U.S. pharmacy. PhRMA’s smears do not absolve them from addressing the very real concerns of Illinoisans who face rising drug costs.”

* Illinois Association of School Boards legislative report…

Hot Bills/Topics Discussed in Committees this Week
1. SB1400 SA3 (Lightford) Student Discipline
SB1400 has been an extensively negotiated bill between school management and the teachers’ unions. The original intent of the bill was to address needed changes to Section 10-22.6 of the School Code which deals with student discipline. Given the significant opposition to earlier versions of SB1400 by a coalition led by Voices of Youth in Chicago Education (VOYCE), IASB and other advocate groups agreed to scale back the bill and attempt to first start addressing the student and staff safety concerns around student discipline by requiring ISBE to issue guidance on various topics. Senate Amendment 3 does just that and directs ISBE to create model guidance for the development of reciprocal reporting systems, school bus safety procedures, evidence-based interventions, and re-engagement of students that received exclusionary discipline to provide a more uniform approach to student discipline.

The bill passed out of committee unanimously with much support from committee members.

2. HB299 (Yang Rohr) HA2 Artificial Intelligence Bullying
This bill was filed just this week and added to a shell bill, leaving little time for negotiations. The bill requires, that by the 2025-26 school year, “cyberbullying” must also include “bullying through the distribution by electronic means or the posting of a digital replica of an individual who is engaging in an activity in which the depicted individual did not engage in, including, but not limited to, sexually explicit digitized depictions of the individual.” The bill also adds definitions including artificial intelligence, digital replica, and generative artificial intelligence.

The sponsor did note the urgency of addressing this issue given the serious impact of these AI images on other students.

Concerns with the bill included definitions being too descriptive and needing to be broadened, noting that districts may not have the ability to determine where the image originated on social media platforms, school districts needing guidance on this issue, and wanting additional discussion on disciplinary consequences for these actions and the serious impact to the victim. The bill passed out of committee with a unanimous 14-0 vote.

3. SB2568 (Villa) 403(b) Plans
This bill puts new parameters in place for 403(b) plans, both on the types of 403(b) plans that can be offered and that they must be mutually agreed about by the school district and collective bargaining units. While the bill would allow employees to maintain 403(b) plans to which they are currently contributing, any employees not currently contributing to a 403(b) plan would only be able to choose from 403(b) plans that meet these new requirements. The new parameters are intended to narrow down available options to more fiscally prudent ones. However, up to 90% of current 403(b) options would be eliminated under this bill, significantly reducing employee choice. IASB, along with IASA and Illinois ASBO opposed the bill and testified to the significant liability and legal concerns with the legislation. The bill passed out of committee on partisan lines, although some legislators indicated that they were only voting to get it out of committee. IASB will continue to work on this bill given the significant outstanding concerns.

4. HJR71 (West) Native American Mascots
This Joint Resolution is in response to HB5617 which was a bill filed earlier this session by Representative West with the intention of eliminating the use of Native American Mascots in schools. Instead of moving HB5617 this session, Representative West filed HJR71 in an effort to collect more data on this issue. Although nonbinding, HJR71 urges the State Board of Education to conduct a study on the number of schools, school districts, and other public school associations across the state that currently utilize Native American names, logos, and mascots. One question raised through conversations on the topic has been the cost for school districts to change their mascot. The Illinois State Board of Education will send out a short, voluntary survey to school districts asking what their mascots are and what the cost would be to replace the mascots if needed.

Discussion in committee included the concerns over how school districts will decide whether they need to change their mascots and who makes that final determination. Some legislators expressed concern over ensuring all Native American voices throughout Illinois are heard on this issue. The resolution passed committee with a 9-4 vote.

* WCIA…

The bill bans anyone from organizing, sponsoring, promoting, conducting, or participating in “any contest, organized competition, tournament, or derby that has the objective of taking any fur-bearing mammal” for cash or prizes. Violators could be fined between $500 and $5,000.

Mammals that would be protected by the state law include coyotes, foxes, badgers, beavers, bobcats, minks, muskrats, opossums, and raccoons.

The bill passed the Illinois House of Representatives on Wednesday 62-45. Five Democrats, Anthony DeLuca, Jay Hoffman, Dave Vella, Larry Walsh and Lance Yednock, joined the Republicans to vote ‘No’ on the bill. […]

The bill now heads to the Senate, where it will be sponsored by Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago).

* NBC Chicago…

A bill that would pave the way for Illinois residents to have access to electronic driver’s licenses and identification cards has passed the House, and will now head to the state’s Senate.

The bill, introduced by State Rep. Kam Buckner, passed the House unanimously on Monday, bringing it one step closer to implementation. […]

Under provisions of the bill, all Illinois residents eligible to receiver a driver’s license or an identification card would be eligible to obtain those documents in an electronic format, and would be able to use them in any situation calling for identification. […]

Some groups, including the ACLU, have expressed concerns about the use of mobile identification documents, citing fears that law enforcement could search a person’s phone without proper consent. The bill in Illinois would explicitly prohibit law enforcement officers from searching through a phone’s contents after viewing the mobile identification card, according to the legislation.

* Politico…

The Chicago Red Stars want the state to amend the public revenue source that comes from hotel taxes to include the women’s soccer team. The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority (ISFA) already distributes hotel tax monies to the Chicago Bears and White Sox, which are both asking that that funding source be extended as they work to build new stadiums. They’re asking for additional help, too. […]

State Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado’s legislation (HB5841) asks that ISFA meet “equity goals” that include professional women’s sports.

Delgado’s measure says if bonds are issued “to fund facilities for professional men’s sports, some bonds must also be issued to fund facilities for professional women’s sports.”

“Equity is at the heart of this bill,” Delgado told Playbook. “We must treat women’s professional sports with the same level of respect and investment as we have men’s professional sports.”

* WAND…

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle hope an independent study of Illinois property taxes can lead to solutions for the broken system. […]

While some argue an independent study could lead to actual property tax reform, local Republican representatives threw cold water on the idea. […]

Senate Bill 3455 passed out of the House on a 94-14 vote Monday. The legislation previously gained unanimous support in the Senate. This plan now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk for his signature of approval.

“The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce was proud to advocate for Senate Bill 3455 to allow the Illinois Department of Revenue and the Department of Economic Development and Opportunity to evaluate the fairness of property taxes across the levy, assessment, appeal and collection process,” the organization stated. “We appreciate Sen. Robert Martwick and Rep. Mary Beth Canty for their leadership on this effort and our partners in the House and Senate for supporting this important measure.”

* Children’s Advocates for Change President Tasha Green Cruzat and Family Focus President Dara Munson…

A bill pending in the U.S. Senate would increase the federal child tax credit. It’s not as extensive as the 2021 changes but could still lift as many as 400,000 children above the poverty line nationally in its first year, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Yet Illinois lawmakers don’t need to wait on Congress to secure relief for Illinois families.

Illinois has a state and local tax system where the lowest-income households pay twice as much of their income in state and local taxes as the top 1 percent, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Our tax system is not only regressive but also increase s the racial wealth gap, given differences in household income by race and ethnicity.

Illinois lawmakers can bring economic relief to Illinois households, and reduce racial and ethnic inequities, by passing a refundable state child tax credit. A current proposal introduced in the General Assembly (HB 4917 and SB 3329) would create a credit of $300 per child for most families below the state household median income level.

This legislation, supported by more than 50 advocacy organizations across the state, would help approximately 1.4 million children.

Both bills have been re-referred to Assignments.

* Now Decatur…

A pilot program that has given nearly $2 million to local farms would be expanded into a permanent fund under a measure that received unanimous approval in the House.

Senate Bill 3077, which also got a unanimous vote in the Senate last month, would create a special fund for the Department of Agriculture to administer the Local Food Infrastructure Grant Program. In its pilot phase, the state awarded $1.8 million to 19 local farms for a variety of projects, like building a meat processing center and a new kitchen.

Under the measure, the IDOA would be able to work with a partner nonprofit and grant money from the newly created Local Food Infrastructure Grant Fund to select small farms for things like food processing and cold storage.

Grant amounts could range from $1,000 to $75,000 if it’s for an individual project and up to $250,000 if it’s a collaborative project.