It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Mar 12, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WCIA…
Some officials across Central Illinois are worried several townships could be dissolved if proposed bills continue to move forward. […]
Alan Sprinkle, the Monticello Township Highway Commissioner, believes it’ll cost more if townships go away. He said cities or counties would have to pick up the slack to fill the gaps instead.
His team plows snow, fixes potholes, maintains buildings and takes care of about 54 miles of road. Sprinkle said they cover a lot of ground, in part because Piatt County doesn’t have a highway department. […]
Regarding the bills, SB2504, SB2217 and HB2515 are all on the table right now. […]
Sen. Suzy Hilton (D-Western Springs) is one of the lawmakers part of the proposal. Her office confirmed she is pushing forward with SB2504, which would affect townships with 50,000 people or less.
* Sen. Rachel Ventura…
Senator Rachel Ventura introduced the Deforestation-Free Illinois Act, to make Illinois the first state to ensure state purchases don’t contribute to deforestation, forest degradation, or human rights violations.
“The state has made a serious commitment to reducing its carbon footprint with CEJA. Now more than ever, we must align Illinois’ procurement policy to match those commitments and move toward a deforestation-free procurement policy,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “Preventing deforestation is one of the most cost-effective climate mitigation strategies – by aligning our state with the policies set in this legislation, our state can make bold improvements in protecting the climate, biodiversity and human rights.”
Senate Bill 2157 would make Illinois a leader in responsible sourcing, aligning with global efforts to protect forests, climate, and biodiversity.
The Deforestation-Free Illinois Act would ban forest destruction, positioning Illinois as a global climate leader with stronger procurement standards. It safeguards biodiversity by preserving ecosystems and protecting at-risk species. The bill supports Illinois and U.S. businesses by prioritizing low-deforestation products—recognizing that U.S. soy and cattle have significantly lower deforestation risks than imports. It also includes a preference for Illinois-sourced products, keeping taxpayer dollars in-state. Additionally, the bill upholds Indigenous rights by requiring Free, Prior, and Informed Consent for developments affecting their land and resources. […]
Senate Bill 2157 awaits Senate committee assignment.
* Center Square…
Aqua Illinois and Illinois American Water sought tens of millions of dollars in rate hikes from consumers last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission reduced Aqua’s increase by 43% to just under $11 million in November. The ICC dropped Illinois American’s hike by 30% to $110 million the next month.
State Sen. Laura Murphy, D-Des Plaines, filed Senate Bill 75 in an effort to curb such moves by private utilities.
Citizens Utility Board Director of Governmental Affairs Bryan McDaniel called the rate hikes “insane” and urged support for SB 75, which would require private water utility shareholders to pay more than consumers for new acquisitions by the utilities. […]
“The other part of that bill would end a surcharge on water bills that allows the water utility to spend money more quickly and thus raise rates more quickly. This is called the QIP surcharge: Qualifying Infrastructure Plant surcharge,” McDaniel said.
* WCIA…
Stuttering can be triggered by trauma and sometimes develops over time, leaving many young people to struggle with communication due to inaccessible treatment.
A new bill filed by Senator Willie Preston (D-Chicago) would require private, public, and state health plans including Medicaid who cover habilitative or rehabilitative speech therapy to provide healthcare coverage for children struggling with stuttering, no matter the cause. […]
Under the state’s current law, speech therapy is covered by insurance for habilitative service for individuals under 19 with congenital or genetic stuttering only if it is deemed medically necessary in order to help them learn and improve their speech skills. However, some insurance plans have limitations that could exclude stuttering treatments, leaving many families paying out of pocket. […]
The bill has been assigned to the Senate Insurance Committee. If it passes it will take effect at the beginning of 2027.
* WAND…
Legislation signed into law last year require the state employees insurance program to cover medically necessary FDA-approved treatments and medications to slow progression of [Alzheimer’s]. The law also requires coverage for diagnostic testing for doctors to determine the best treatment or medication starting July 1.
Now, lawmakers want to require this coverage for patients on any health insurance plan.
“The requirement applies to private health insurance plans regulated by the state, self-insuring counties, self-insuring municipalities, self-insuring school districts, health maintenance organizations, and limited health service organizations,” said Rep. Mary Gill (D-Chicago).
House Bill 1360 passed unanimously out of the House Insurance Committee Tuesday afternoon. The measure now moves to the House floor for further consideration.
* Rep. Sue Scherer…
State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, recently filed a consumer protection measure aimed at protecting older adults and patients at risk of exploitation from deceptive sales tactics by insurance companies.
“Older adults and individuals receiving memory care are particularly vulnerable to high-pressure sales tactics from people and businesses pushing expensive insurance plans that ultimately provide little to no actual coverage,” said Scherer. “These are seniors suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s, and the effects of aging who need to be protected from these sales.”
Scherer’s House Bill 1865 will curb abusive practices by regulating how health insurance companies and their representatives can communicate with individuals over the age of 65, who are suffering from dementia, living in a long-term care facility or nursing home. The solicitor must provide the senior with an opt-out option, advice to discuss changes with a family member and company contact information. Most importantly, solicitors cannot require a purchase at the first communication, which is a trick often used to entrap our most vulnerable seniors. Sales are also illegal if the solicitation is made without the consultation of the senior’s designated attorney-in-fact if one is established or has a cognitive impairment.
“There seems to be no end in sight to the amount of different scummy tactics that health insurance companies employ to take advantage of our most vulnerable,” said Scherer. “But today is a new day in Illinois, and I’m proud to stand up for our seniors and say no to big insurance companies that consistently put profits over people.”
HB1865 passed through the House Consumer Protection Committee yesterday.
- Notorious JMB - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 9:22 am:
Townships with less than 50,000? Not sure what they are accomplishing with this. You still need people and equipment to maintain the roads. In rural areas, the county, townships, and cities often work together to do road maintenance projects. They might be able to save a little by combining administrative staff, but having road maintenance performed by one agency isn’t saving much.
- John Bambenek - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 9:25 am:
SB2504 does two things… says in counties less than 50,000 that all assessing is done by the county and it allows citizens of townships on petition of 5% of voters to get a question on ballot to consolidate.
The consistent fearmongering of township officials, especially microtownships that provide little besides salaries to elected officials shows what they are afraid of… that people realize the jig is up and if they went away tomorrow no one would notice.
To the bill, the other township functions (roads, general assistance) are unaffected by the assessment provision. The sky is not falling. Hell, you can’t find people to run for these posts anyway.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 9:36 am:
= The sky is not falling. Hell, you can’t find people to run for these posts anyway.=
True. I would add that the new generation that is taking over these positions seem to feel very put upon when the roads need to be plowed.
- Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 9:38 am:
For the love of Pete, don’t get rid of townships. Way out here in the middle of nowhere, they are the most efficient, responsive governmental entities. The county is worthless, the state is not much better. The last thing we need is to put the county in charge of more roads when they can’t maintain the ones they’ve got.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 10:15 am:
I had no idea that the townships issue was a big deal.
- bhartbanjo - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 10:17 am:
The statement from WCIA is incorrect. The bill would affect townships in *counties* of less than 50,000. The bill removes only the township (or multi-township) assessors offices, and shifts the duties to the county assessor. Not roads.
Yup, sky is not falling.
- Leap Day William - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 10:21 am:
The same people who are quick to point out “Illinois has 7000+ units of government” as being a problem are always seem to squawk the loudest when any legislation comes forward to consolidate some of those units.
- We've never had one before - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 10:23 am:
>>>>protecting older adults and patients at risk of exploitation from deceptive sales tactics by insurance companies.
Old Glory Insurance is on the vanguard of this effort, together with their paid spokesman Sam Waterston.
- Aaron B - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 10:40 am:
= The last thing we need is to put the county in charge of more roads when they can’t maintain the ones they’ve got. =
Perhaps you’re asking the wrong questions here. Why do the county officials continue being elected if they are as useless as you claim they are? I think that consolidation of some townships will ultimately save taxpayers money or at least experience slower property taxes increases if some of the duplicate administration costs are done away with.
- Notorious JMB - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 10:45 am:
Stadleman has a bill that would dissolve townships with less than 500 people. There’s townships in this state that have a very low population but relatively high miles of roadways to maintain. Conversely there are townships with high population and low miles. If you want to eliminate people who just do it to draw a paycheck, go after the low mileage high pop townships, not the low population ones. Low pop high mileage townships don’t have the money to make it a lucrative do nothing job.
- Anyone Remember - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 10:57 am:
Townships cannot vanish fast enough. Part of Illinois’ “governance” problem (incompetence, corruption, etc.) stems from too many units of local government. Too many for the press to cover. Too many to ensure compliance with the relevant laws. Too many elected officials.
Other than the boodlers & sinecures, the only people who seem to benefit seem are muckrackers.
- NIU Grad - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 10:58 am:
“less than 50,000″ - Townships that have more than 50,000 are usually the ones with the least real responsibility, because their communities are mostly incorporated and managed by municipalities. The end result is those townships get a massive tax base, inflated budgets, and no real service need besides whatever will help get votes for the Supervisor. That money would be better spent being filtered to other surrounding governmental entities where residents are actually aware of the elected officials in charge.
- Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 11:08 am:
“Why do the county officials continue being elected if they are as useless as you claim they are?”
It’s hard to lose elections when nobody runs against you. But it’s not the elected officials necessarily. It is a lack of staff and money. The sheriff’s office eats the budget. And each township having it’s own part-time supervisor is what makes it so responsive, versus having a couple of unelected county employees charged with taking care of roads. And maybe the idea of getting rid of townships would save money. But the level of service would absolutely plummet.
- Cool Papa Bell - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 11:14 am:
=Way out here in the middle of nowhere, they are the most efficient, responsive governmental entities.=
Townships are not created equal. There are many that fix roads and clean culverts first in front of homes of those who they know. Post roads in a manner not befitting sound thought. And otherwise ignore longstaning problems, just because.
This bill may or may not be the way to improve that. But the system needs reform.
- TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 11:41 am:
“Part of Illinois’ “governance” problem (incompetence, corruption, etc.) stems from too many units of local government.”
Yes, zero is technically ‘a part’.
Among other things, TIFs and neighborhood SSAs are counted in those ‘units of government’. Nobody ever talks about getting rid of those though.
The wealthy neighborhoods never want you to figure out that by dissolving their neighborhood SSA providing luxury amenities to their neighborhood, that the cost is now absorbed by the county and spread to you - who is not living in their neighborhood. Their taxes go down, and yours go up. They get the luxury, you get the bill for it.
And many think that’s a good idea, not because they’ve actually looked into the details at the line-item level, but because someone in a wealthy neighborhood has been shoveling that message to them for years.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 11:48 am:
===Nobody ever talks about getting rid of those though===
From the Illinois Constitution: “The General Assembly may not deny or limit the power of home rule units … to levy or impose additional taxes upon areas within their boundaries in the manner provided by law for the provision of special services to those areas and for the payment of debt incurred in order to provide those special services.”
It’s purely a local decision. The GA can have no role.
- illinifan - Wednesday, Mar 12, 25 @ 12:23 pm:
Living in an area which is served by Illinois American Water and paying $250 a month for 5000 gallons of water is ridiculous (when I moved in 25 years ago it was $35 a month). The cost of many all utilities should be a shared expense with the community and shareholders and fully placed on the shoulders of the consumer. This would force the company to not waste our dollars. This is a classic example of why our utilities should never be sourced out to private business.