It’s just a bill
Friday, Feb 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* The Illinois End-of-Life Options Coalition…
A Lombard woman dying of a rare and aggressive form of cancer, a mom whose only son died peacefully after using a medical aid in dying law in California and health experts will join members of the Illinois Senate Executive Committee during the first hearing on the End of Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act (SB9) on Friday at 10 a.m.
The compassionate bill would allow mentally capable, terminally ill adults with six months or less to live the option to request a prescription for medication that they could decide to take to die peacefully.
WHY: Seven out of 10 Illinois likely voters (71%) want the Illinois legislature to pass medical aid-in-dying legislation, according to a February 2023 Impact Research poll. This majority spans the demographic, political, racial, and religious spectrums, including 87% of Democratic voters, 86% of Latino voters, 73% of voters living with disabilities, 69% of Independent, African American/Black, White, and Catholic voters, 58% of non-Catholic Christians and 50% of Republican voters. In contrast, fewer than one in five Illinois voters (17%) oppose medical aid in dying.
WHO: Lead sponsor Senator Linda Holmes, other sponsors and legislators
Illinoisans who will testify about the legislation include: Deb Robertson, a 66-year-old Lombard woman living with a rare, aggressive and terminal cancer, and a member of the Illinois End-of-Life Options Coalition; Suzy Flack, a Chicago mom, whose only son, Andrew ‘Drew’ Flack, died peacefully from cancer after using the End of Life Option Act in California; Diana Barnard MD, a family practice Vermont physician who prescribes medical aid in dying medication to dying Vermonters; Khadine Bennett, Director of Advocacy and Intergovernmental Affairs, ACLU of Illinois; Callie Riley, Regional Advocacy Director, Compassion & Choices
WHEN: Friday, February 21, 2025, 10AM
WHERE: Michael A. Bilandic Building, Room C600, 160 N LaSalle St, Chicago, IL
* Crain’s…
A state senator has filed a bill to establish a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Illinois, arguing financial consumers need a watchdog after President Donald Trump gutted the federal agency in the early days of his administration.
“When they close the doors it begs the question, ‘What will happen now?’,” said Illinois Sen. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights. “I think that to have people that specialize in financial services to investigate these kinds of crimes as essential.”
Walker, a Democrat representing the northwest suburbs, filed the bill Feb. 4 to establish the Consumer Financial Protection Law, which calls for expanding the authority of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The proposal, which if passed would take effect at the beginning of next year, comes as Trump’s efforts to weaken the agency through widespread layoffs are tied up in the federal courts. […]
The Illinois banking industry claims the move to create a state-level version of the CFPB would just add another layer, creating confusion about how financial firms can operate, particularly ones with a presence in multiple states and countries. California already has its own version—the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation—created in 2020.
* 25News Now…
Many Central Illinois communities face housing shortages. Local lawmakers are sponsoring a bipartisan bill hoping to add more housing through tax credits.
Lawmakers hope that the Build Illinois Homes Act will pass this year, after several attempts in the past.
If passed, the tax credit will not have an immediate financial impact. It will only cost the state money after people live in newly built affordable housing, which will be years down the road. […]
According to co-sponsor Rep. Ryan Spain, a Republican from Peoria, this would be a relatively small tax credit at only $20 million annually.
“Really, it’s seeking to address the problem of affordable housing. We need much more of it throughout the state, especially in Peoria. We need to have people that can afford to live downtown, in the warehouse district,” Spain said.
* HB3858 from Rep. Tony McCombie…
Amends the Wildlife Code. Abolishes any Chronic Wasting Disease programs established within or conducted by the Department of Natural Resources. Makes conforming changes in the Code.
* High Speed Rail Alliance…
Because of its political heft and Chicago’s role as the nation’s rail hub, a growing and dynamic railway program in Illinois will transform the national conversation.
Three newly introduced pieces of legislation offer a roadmap to realize this vision. We would like to thank Senator Terri Bryant (R- Murphysboro), Senator Mike Porfirio (D-Burbank), Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford), Representative Matt Hanson (D-Batavia), and Representative Martin Moylan (D-Des Plaines), for their leadership on this effort.
- SB1901 (Stadelman) and HB3285 (Hanson) Funding a growing and dynamic State Railway Program
- SB1863 (Bryant) and HB2938 (Moylan) Initial design and engineering for high-speed and regional rail
- SB2284 (Porfirio) and HB3166 (Moylan)
Creating an intercity bus program within IDOT’s Bureau of Railroads
- Steve - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 9:04 am:
Illinois doesn’t need another financial regulator . Just another reason for financial services to go somewhere else. The SEC, FDIC, CFTC, the Fed, and of course the DOJ regulate financial services and really are consumer watchdogs. Illinois needs to cut expensives not add to them.
- Anon2 - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 9:10 am:
Consumers need a watchdog protecting their interests. Since the federal agenvy is shut down, Sen. Walker has a great idea to set up a state bureau.
- Anon12 - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 9:25 am:
We absolutely need high speed trains in this country. The US is truly behind in this infrastructure area and it has economic and environmental impacts for us.
- Steve Polite - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 9:55 am:
“Illinois doesn’t need another financial regulator . Just another reason for financial services to go somewhere else. The SEC, FDIC, CFTC, the Fed, and of course the DOJ regulate financial services and really are consumer watchdogs.”
You only mentioned federal agencies. The Supreme Court in June 2024 overturned the Chevron Deference doctrine making it easier for businesses to challenge administrative rules. The current administration has been gutting federal agencies, including the CFPB further reducing consumer protection against fraud, deceit and deceptive business practices. With both the end of Chevron deference and the deregulatory approach of the Trump administration, consumer financial protections are at risk of becoming weaker. Illinois absolutely needs to do something to protect consumers and fill the vacuum created at the federal level.
- We've never had one before - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 9:56 am:
High Speed Trains: We could start with fixing the low speed ones, bring them up to medium speed. And be careful what you wish for. California will have nuclear fusion before it has high-speed rail.
Right-to-end-of-life: Sure, we need this. And votes opposing this will only spur its adoption.
- SN - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 10:08 am:
What does Tony McCombie have against chronic wasting disease research?
- Donnie Elgin - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 10:18 am:
=Walker, a Democrat representing the northwest suburbs, filed the bill Feb. 4 to establish the Consumer Financial Protection Law, which calls for expanding the authority of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation=
The last thing we need is a bunch of new regulations out of Springfield limiting individuals from making informed choices for themselves.
- Excitable Boy - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 10:31 am:
- What does Tony McCombie have against chronic wasting disease research? -
I think this is more about the state culling deer to keep the population down to prevent the spread of CWD. A lot of hunters think they’re killing too many for no reason.
- Center Drift - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 10:34 am:
So there are no laws protecting consumers? How about we not start another agency until we can fully fund the ones we already have in place.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 10:44 am:
“A lot of hunters think they’re killing too many for no reason.”
Then they’re not spending a lot of time hunting in Southern Illinois.
We’ve got them like rabbits.
- Excitable Boy - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 11:00 am:
- Then they’re not spending a lot of time hunting in Southern Illinois. -
I think the state does this mainly closer to the Wisconsin border. I work with hunters from Lake and McHenry counties and they’re the ones I’ve heard complain about this.
- Homebody - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 11:00 am:
== The Illinois banking industry claims the move to create a state-level version of the CFPB would just add another layer, creating confusion about how financial firms can operate, particularly ones with a presence in multiple states and countries. California already has its own version—the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation—created in 2020.==
Seems to me that the more polarization there is between national parties, the less we can rely on consistent application of regulation and law enforcement at federal level. Instead we’ll end up with a network of blue states who make their regulations generally match, then a network of red states with basically no rules.
- @misterjayem - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 11:14 am:
“allow mentally capable, terminally ill adults with six months or less to live the option to request a prescription for medication that they could decide to take to die peacefully”
I should be allowed to give my family the gift of my death in lieu of my prolonged suffering and dying.
If you don’t agree, then don’t do it.
– MrJM
- yinn - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 11:19 am:
The attorney general has a consumer protection division. Before I could support a new state-level CFPB, I’d need to know it wouldn’t duplicate what the AG does.
- Amalia - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 11:20 am:
no more new agencies. expanding the authority of an existing agency is one thing. IDFPR TCB
- Steve Polite - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 11:39 am:
I’ve made this suggestion before. If we truly want high speed rail, a new dedicated high speed rail system needs to be built. The best option for this being along interstate highways with one stop along the highway for each destination. This eliminates the need to slow down when traveling through towns and cities.
- Steve Polite - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 11:46 am:
“The last thing we need is a bunch of new regulations out of Springfield limiting individuals from making informed choices for themselves.”
It’s difficult and sometimes impossible to make informed decisions when individuals are being deceived by unscrupulous business practices.
- Froganon - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 12:05 pm:
Hunters think IDNR takes too many deer,not enough left for them. So the solution is to stop the program keeping CWD under control leading to more and more deer dying from CWD, like in Wisconsin. Brilliant strategy GOP and so on brand. Stop effective solutions in favor of making the problem worse.
BTW, there are a ton of deer 🦌 northern Illinois with annual culling. They live in our forest preserves and yards.
- thechampaignlife - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 12:43 pm:
===hoping to add more housing through tax credits===
We need to stop picking business winners and losers via tax policy. If we ensure that every able bodied person can earn a living wage and disrupt the obscene wealth inequalities, people are free to spend that money on better housing, eggs, gas, food, or whatever they need. The focus needs to be on the source of the problem (inquality), not the symptom (housing affordability).
- Huh? - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 12:43 pm:
My wife was diagnosed with alzheimer’s disease in October. It is her desire to die by medically assisted suicide before she is to the point of being put into assisted living. She does not want to be in the position of being in unable to control of her body.
We visited her 98 year old father today. He is wheelchair bound, unable to effectively communicate. He yells if something occurs that he dislikes or causes him pain. But cannot say what is problem. As we left, she stated empathetically that she did want to be in a similar position.
As a recently diagnosed alzheimer’s patient, my wife has a life expectancy between three and 11 years. She ought to be able to die with dignity.
- Dotnonymous x - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 1:48 pm:
We have the decency to assist our pets near the end of life…because we love them and want to prevent un-neccessary suffering.
- Two Left Feet - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 2:06 pm:
A 180mph high speed rail for $10m will get not get you from Champaign to Urbana.
- Sun God - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 2:32 pm:
@Froganon
Except those sharp shooting efforts aren’t effective. CWD continues to spread southward with detection in several new counties this past year. I read somewhere recently (I can’t find the article now) that IDNR was backing away from its sharp shooting programs beginning in 2025. Is that decision based on science or lack of funding, I do not know, but regardless it’s unfair to paint this as a GOP issue when the Governor’s own DNR is winding down the State’s primary CWD program of the past decade plus.
- FormerParatrooper - Friday, Feb 21, 25 @ 2:56 pm:
RE CWD. Hunters that complain about the culling, will complain more if this disease keeps spreading and there is a large-scale outbreak, there will be fewer deer to hunt.
Keep the research on CWD.