* Sen. Bill Cunningham…

State Senator Bill Cunningham held a press conference Tuesday to introduce legislation aimed to address a projected energy deficit for Illinois.

“With energy prices skyrocketing across the country and leaders in Washington opening the floodgates for fossil fuels, our bill makes it clear that Illinois will remain at the forefront of lowering energy costs while investing in clean energy,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This legislation proves to the nation that we don’t have to choose between taking care of our communities, our economy, or our planet.”

Senate Bill 2497 would address Illinois’ energy crisis caused by rapid inflation and steep tariffs on many goods used to build and maintain energy infrastructure. The bill would also address and rectify significant delays in connecting clean energy projects to regional energy grids.

The bill would by establish a target for Illinois to build 15 gigawatts of clean energy storage – a battery technology that stores excess solar and wind power for later use – and remove barriers keeping newly built clean energy infrastructure from connecting to the grid, potentially saving consumers $2.4 billion on energy bills over the next 20 years.

Senate Bill 2497 awaits a committee assignment.

* WAND…

Rep. Nick Smith (D-Chicago) told WAND News Tuesday that he saw and heard stories about so many people who tried to buy tickets for the Taylor Swift Eras Tour but struggled with third party groups that drove up prices.

Smith’s legislation could require ticket sellers to display the full price and assessed fees to consumers when the price is first shown online. Ticket resellers would also be prohibited from selling or offering tickets they do not possess or have a contract to purchase. […]

House Bill 3108 also states that ticket resale marketplaces would not be allowed to include the name of an artist, team or event venue in a URL of a website operated by the ticket reseller or its agents unless it is authorized by the artist, team or event venue. Smith noted ticket issuers should deliver any tickets purchased within four days unless a delay is clearly and conspicuously disclosed at the time of sale. […]

House Bill 3108 has not moved out of the House Rules Committee at this time. Although, Smith hopes to have the plan moved to the Consumer Protection Committee soon.

* Sen. Mary Edly-Allen…

To address unnecessary and burdensome Illinois School Code mandates, State Senator Mary Edly-Allen worked with multiple statewide education stakeholders to create Senate Bill 1740, which passed the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday.

“As an educator, I know personally how overly burdensome and duplicative educational mandates can harm schools that are already struggling due time constraints and limited funding,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “This bill aims to increase administrative efficiency and create more flexibility for local school districts.”

Senate Bill 1740 initiates the reduction of unnecessary school code mandates agreed upon by statewide educational stakeholders. The bill would create the School Code Mandate Reduction Council, comprised of eight members of the General Assembly and one member from each of the 12 statewide educational organizations, to identify and recommend the removal of mandates that align with the state’s goal of providing high-quality education tailored to each student.

“The state should be working to make schools a safe, accessible and supportive place for both students and educators,” said Edly-Allen. “We do not need to bog down our educators with more mandates to their already full plate. I was proud to work alongside Senator Loughran Cappel and many education experts to begin the process of evaluating the 699 mandates introduced since 1982.”

Senate Bill 1740 heads to the full Senate for further consideration.

* Center Square…

Hundreds of Illinoisans descended on the Illinois State House Tuesday calling for legislation to control the rising costs of prescription medications.

State Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Palatine, is sponsoring House Bill 1443 that would create the Health Care Availability and Access Board. The proposed board would be an independent body that would review and set upper payment limits in each step of the supply chain. The board would decide which prescriptions would be subject to price caps.

“We really don’t have time to waste,” said Syed. “There are people that are genuinely struggling, these are our neighbors, these are people we love, and we can’t afford to delay the progress on this so Big Pharma can continue to pad profits. It’s critical that we pass this bill this session.” […]

“Over one in three Illinoisans are either skipping pills, cutting pills in half, or skipping refilling their prescriptions all together due to costs, and we don’t believe that it is right,” said Anusha Thotakura, executive director of the public interest group Citizen Action Illinois.

* WAND…

Sen. Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles) told the Senate Transportation Committee Tuesday that people who live in neighboring states but work as public safety employees should be able to operate emergency vehicles in Illinois if they have the required driver’s license in their home state.

His legislation also states nonresidents must complete the fire service vehicle operator program with the Illinois State Fire Marshal in order to be eligible. […]

DeWitte said he appreciates the Illinois State Police, State Fire Marshal and Secretary of State’s office working together to make this plan a reality.

Senate Bill 1249 passed unanimously out of the Senate Transportation Committee Tuesday. The proposal now moves to the Senate floor for further consideration.

* The Caucus Blog of the Illinois House Republicans…

The long line of cars that sit idling on the side of the busy roadways leading to O’Hare Airport is threatening the safety of thousands of motorists who travel to O’Hare each day.

Instead of using the cell phone lot created for drivers so they can remain in their vehicles while they await incoming flights at O’Hare International Airport, some motorists are lining up in the emergency lanes alongside the highly trafficked road leading to the airport.

Traffic heading into O’Hare is often traveling in excess of 55 mph. Drivers who pull onto the shoulder, sit on the side of the road or merge back into fast moving traffic create a dangerous scenario for the motoring public. A scenario Illinois State Representative Brad Stephens is committed to preventing.

Last year, Stephens’ O’Hare Driver Safety Act was enacted and is aimed at improving safety for those driving to the airport. The new law prohibits motor vehicles from idling or stopping on the shoulder of a highway, including the highway entrance and exit ramps or on the side of a roadway, within a one-half-mile radius of the eastern entrance to O’Hare International Airport as well as the intersection of Interstate 90 and Interstate 294. It also requires the Illinois Toll Highway Authority to install and maintain cameras along those same areas to help enforce the law.

However, a jurisdictional issue has complicated the installation of the cameras and enforcement of the law, in response Stephens has introduced “a trailer bill” in the form of HB 1502 to ensure all necessary state agencies have the authority needed to implement the provisions of the O’Hare Driver Safety Act.

“I will continue to work with the Illinois State Police, Toll Highway Authority and Illinois Department of Transportation to ensure the safety of the traveling public.” said Stephens.

House Bill 1502 is scheduled to be heard in the Transportation Committee on Wednesday, February 26. Those wishing to file an electronic witness slip can do so on the ILGA website.

* Sen. Julie Morrison…

With more than 60% of infectious diseases in humans originating from animals, State Senator Julie Morrison is working to address public health challenges in Illinois through improved collaboration between health care professionals, veterinarians and environmental experts.

“The well-being of people, animals and our environment are all interconnected,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “Through improved communication and collaboration among agencies, we can more effectively prevent and address health risks across the state.”

Senate Bill 291 would establish a One Health Framework Task Force within the Illinois Department of Public Health charged with developing a strategic plan to promote collaboration among physicians, veterinarians and other scientific professionals. The task force would work closely with state agencies to advance health initiatives that benefit both humans and animals, and submit a report of recommendations to the governor and General Assembly by Jan. 1, 2027.

The One Health approach, which is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recognizes the connection between human, animal and environmental health. This framework promotes a multisector approach to addressing broad health challenges, such as diseases that spread between animals and people, and bacteria or viruses that become resistant to medicine. Research shows integrating expertise across disciplines helps achieve better health outcomes for all living things.

“Recent outbreaks like the bird flu and Salmonella highlight the need for a more coordinated response,” said Morrison. “This bill lays the groundwork for a stronger and more proactive approach to addressing these issues in Illinois.”

Senate Bill 291 passed the Senate Public Health Committee on Tuesday and heads to the full Senate for further consideration.

* Politico…

There’s an effort to improve Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site in Petersburg, Ill. It’s where Abraham Lincoln lived in his 20s. Volunteers with the New Salem Lincoln League say the historic site has experienced “deterioration and neglect” and is working with state Sen. Steve McClure, who represents the New Salem and some surrounding Springfield area, on legislation to make needed repairs: Senate Bill 1417 would create the New Salem Preservation Commission to address repairs and improvements; Senate Bill 1496 would appropriate $5 million in state capital funds for site improvements and Senate Bill 1861 would create an exemption from the state Procurement Code for needed purchases.