* House Minority Leader Tony McCombie…

This week Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie filed legislation to protect funding for essential programs that deliver meals to senior citizens in need. Meal delivery programs, like Meals on Wheels, have experienced recent funding delays putting their services in jeopardy. Leader McCombie’s newly filed legislation, HB5911, seeks to address that issue by driving additional state resources where they are needed most by providing meals to seniors across Illinois.

The legislative measure appropriates $25,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department on Aging for the Home Delivered Meals Program by diverting funding from the Department of Human Services for Illinois Welcoming Centers.

“We have a responsibility to care for the senior citizens who’ve contributed so much to our communities,” said Leader McCombie. “Programs like Meals on Wheels are a lifeline for many seniors, ensuring they receive nutritious meals and regular wellness checks. As our state grapples with the increasing demands on resources due to the ongoing migrant crisis, we must ensure feeding and supporting our most vulnerable residents first. This legislation reflects that commitment and priority.”

The bill has a growing list of sponsors and
will move through the legislative process in the Illinois House of Representatives for further consideration.

* HB5911…

Amends Public Act 103-589. Appropriates $25,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department on Aging for the Home Delivered Meals Program. Changes the amount appropriated to the Department of Human Services for Illinois Welcoming Centers to $114,400,000 (rather than $139,400,000). Effective immediately.

* WICS…

Democratic Representative La Shawn Ford is sponsoring the bill, which will allow a person convicted of a felony to run for elected office—provided that their sentence and parole or their supervised release term have been completed. […]

The bill’s only other exception is that it doesn’t apply to persons convicted of crimes while serving as a public official. […]

“Well the purpose of the bill- House Bill 5904 is to bring some type of balance and continuity to the law. And who can run for office and who can’t run for office,” Ford said. […]

Republican Senator Andrew Chesney introduced a bill in January that would have prevented those with convictions from seeking office. NewsChannel20 spoke with him today to get his reaction to Ford’s plan.

He said he hasn’t seen the bill but admits that republicans wouldn’t necessarily support allowing felons to seek local elected offices. […]

Chesney didn’t address the fact that republican President-elect Donald Trump has felony convictions, or why the Illinois Republican Party wouldn’t support convicted felons running at the local level.

* Rep. Anthony DeLuca filed HB5913 yesterday…

Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Provides that, subject to the reallocation by the General Assembly of moneys appropriated for Illinois Welcoming Centers for State Fiscal Year 2025, the Department of Human Services shall establish a pilot program to pay one-time property tax rebates to qualified applicants. Provides that a qualified applicant is an individual who (i) is responsible for the payment of property taxes for the 2023 tax year, due in 2024, on homestead property located in Bloom, Calumet, Rich, Thornton, or Bremen Township in Cook County and (ii) is a member of a low-income or moderate-income household. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to provide for the adoption of emergency rules. Effective immediately.

* Public News Service…

Pending legislation could change the age of Illinois’ juvenile offenders’ detention time before their trial date.

Currently, juveniles as young as 10 can be incarcerated. After a decade of negotiations with lawmakers, House Bill 2347, if passed, would raise the age of placing kids in detention centers from age 10 to 13, excluding violent offenders. The measure has passed the House and is being reviewed by the Senate. […]

The bill could be passed in the veto/lame duck sessions. [Elizabeth Clarke, founder and interim executive director of the Juvenile Justice Initiative,] pointed out the bill is an “agreed to” compromise. She noted some alternatives exist and children can be held accountable as minors, requiring authoritative intervention, probation and other punishments. She remains optimistic the Senate will pass the bill. […]

The bill said children younger than 13 could be held accountable through a legal document called the Petition for Minor Requiring Authoritative Intervention. It would permit the court to order probation or alternatives without involving an arrest or detention. Options include crisis intervention, behavioral health care services, or placement with relatives.

HB2347 passed the house 61-45 in May of 2023 and sits in Senate Assignments.

* WCIA…

An Illinois Senator is working to ensure that speech therapy, as a treatment for stuttering, is covered by health insurance […]

In the proposed Senate Bill 3972, health insurers would be required to cover “habilitative and rehabilitative speech therapy” to treat stuttering. According to Preston, speech therapy is considered a covered habilitative service for people under 19, but in reality, insurance coverage contains exclusions and limitations based on individual policy.

[State Senator Willie Preston (D-Chicago)] said that according to the National Stuttering Association, some plans even exclude stuttering treatment. Senate Bill 3972 would make this therapy more affordable and accessible for public and private insurance plans.

During the hearing, witnesses spoke up about their experiences, including former NBA player Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, two experts in the field, and Brad Steinberg, whose son, Trace Steinberg, stutters.