* Subscribers were told about this in detail yesterday morning. Capitol News Illinois…

One of Gov. JB Pritzker’s top legislative initiatives stalled in the General Assembly this week when the chair of the House Higher Education Committee refused to call a vote on a bill that would authorize community colleges to offer four-year bachelor’s degree programs in select, high-demand career fields.

The decision not to call the bill for a vote came as lawmakers face a Friday deadline for most bills other than spending bills to pass out of committee and be sent to the floor of their respective chamber.

But legislative deadlines are not always strictly observed in Springfield, and Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, who chairs the committee, said the decision not to act on the bill does not necessarily mean it is dead for the session.

“I don’t think around here anything’s really ever dead, and I think there’s a path forward,” she told reporters after Wednesday’s committee hearing. […]

House Bill 3717, sponsored by Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl, D-Northbrook, would implement Pritzker’s plan. It would allow community colleges to offer bachelor’s degree programs in select areas, provided the school’s board of trustees can demonstrate the program would help fill an “unmet workforce need” in the area the school serves, and that the school has sufficient resources, expertise and student interest to sustain the program.

* WAND…

A proposal moving in the Illinois House could help provide naloxone to people leaving jails and prisons if they were incarcerated for drug-related charges or have a substance use disorder.

Sponsors and advocates say studies have proven that an overdose is the leading cause of death for people recently released from correctional facilities. Although, the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association told the House Restorative Justice Committee Thursday that this could be an unfunded mandate for county jails.

“We don’t want to hamstring our counties fiscally on this,” said Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago). “However, there are a significant amount of funds to do this.”

House Bill 3662 passed out of the House Restorative Justice Committee on a 7-2 vote. The measure now moves to the House floor for further consideration.

* Crain’s…

Unions converged on Springfield this week to warn of growing risks in the health care system without better wages and more protection for workers. […]

Members of Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United want [Sen. Celina Villanueva’s] SB 2022, also called the Safe Patient Limits Act, passed. The bill would mandate staffing laws in Illinois hospitals.

“Nurses are the backbone of the Illinois health care system, and when they are in trouble, we are in trouble,” Villanueva said in a nurses union press release. “Hospitals put all of us in danger by assigning more patients than any one person could handle. SB 2022 will protect nurses and patients alike by ensuring safe staffing according to patient needs; it will encourage nurses to continue working at the bedside and most importantly, it will save lives.”

Illinois has no law limiting the number of patients a registered nurse can care for at one time, the release said. SB 2022 would limit the number of patients assigned to a registered nurse, broken down by patient care area and designed to ensure safe and effective patient care.

SB2022 failed to receive a committee vote this week. 25News Now…

The Illinois Hospital Association strongly opposes the bill, however. In a statement, Senior Director of Media and Public Affairs Paris Ervin said patient care should be made by local nurses and hospitals, and that the bill is not a one size fits all solution.

“IHA and the Illinois hospital community strongly oppose statutorily required nurse staffing ratios advanced by Senate Bill 2022. Patient care decisions should be made by local nurses and hospitals, not based on a one-size-fits-all approach mandated by state law.

“State mandated ratios would greatly increase the cost of healthcare without any proof they improve patient safety. Considering the enormous financial pressure Illinois hospitals already face, if this bill becomes law, many hospitals would be unable to absorb the significant costs that ratios would impose.

“Many hospitals - particularly small and rural hospitals and urban Safety Net Hospitals that serve our most vulnerable patients and communities - will be forced to eliminate services and close units to remain financially viable, which would reduce access to care. Some hospitals may close.

“Hospitals already prioritize and maintain safe staffing levels based on the clinical needs of patients. It is a key quality issue that is taken extremely seriously. Our hospitals are complying with the Nurse Staffing by Patient Acuity Act and the Nurse Staffing Improvement Act, two Illinois laws that already direct safe staffing in Illinois hospitals. Floor nurses and hospital leaders are communicating and working together to establish an appropriate nurse staffing plan every single day, in each particular unit.

“Current laws are effective because they ensure staffing decisions are made locally, with input from the frontline direct care nurses who are best positioned to respond in real time to the rapidly changing needs of their patients.”

* Rep. Jackie Haas…

State Representative Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) recently passed legislation to help improve communication between assisted living and nursing home providers and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) through the Human Services Committee. House Bill 3428 would require semiannual joint training sessions with providers and surveyors to discuss quality of care, potential violations, and more.

“House Bill 3428 is another step towards improving our assisted living and nursing facilities in Illinois,” said Rep. Haas. “If passed, the semi-annual training requirement will allow for more communication between care providers and IDPH, ensuring everyone is on the same page and able to move forward in the best interest of patients. I look forward to seeing continued bipartisan support on this bill that is a win-win for everyone involved.”

House Bill 3428 now awaits action on the House floor.

* Eco-Justice Collaborative…

The bill to protect the Mahomet Aquifer from carbon sequestration (SB1723 Faraci) passed a Senate Committee today with unanimous, bipartisan support. It now advances to the Senate floor.

“Protecting the Mahomet Aquifer is not just about preserving water; it’s about safeguarding the future of our community,” said Senator Paul Faraci (D-Champaign). “While innovation in carbon sequestration holds promise, we must prioritize the health and safety of our residents, ensuring progress never comes at the expense of our most vital resource.”

“I’m grateful for the countless central Illinoisians who have called, written, and emailed in support of this important bill for clean drinking water,” said Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet). “We would not have been able to get over this first hurdle without your voices, but the fight isn’t over. We still need to get it through the Senate, House, and signed by the Governor so keep the pressure on because we are not done yet.”

“What Senator Rose said!” said Andrew Rehn, Climate Policy Director at Prairie Rivers Network. “I’m thankful to Senator Faraci and Senator Rose for their unwavering commitment to the Mahomet Aquifer, and the whole committee for their unanimous vote to move this forward.” […]

Having passed out of both a House and Senate Committee, the bill is now ready to be heard on the floor of the House and the Senate.

* WAND…

When ordering food on DoorDash or Uber Eats, sometimes the delivery comes with single use plastic cutlery.

This bill would limit that, by restricting third-party delivery services from giving plastic utensils to customers. Patrons can still order their food with plastic cutlery, but would need to request it in the app.

Advocates say that most of time customers don’t even use the plastic cutlery. […]

HB1600 passed out of the House public health committee on a partisan 6-3 vote. It now heads to the House floor where lawmakers could talk about it in the coming weeks.

* St. Louis Public Radio…

An Illinois bill that would prohibit public schools — like Freeburg High in the Metro East — from using references to disabilities as mascots passed out of committee on Thursday.

By a 9-4 vote, members of the House Education Policy Committee sent the legislation that would require the high school to phase out Midgets by 2028 to the full chamber.

“I understand the tradition,” said Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, who introduced the bill. “I understand the pride — especially the memories that you had at the high school. I just ask that you look at this within a lens of empathy as well.” […]

Freeburg’s mascot originated roughly 90 years ago when a local sports writer used the nickname to describe the school’s basketball team because its tallest player was 5-foot-10 when it defeated an unbeaten team, according to the district’s website.

* WAND…

A plan in Springfield to ban schools from using Native American names, logos and mascots is heading to the House floor.

This legislation would apply to schools using the team names Redskins, Braves, Chiefs, Chieftains, Tribe, Indians or any synonymous term, logo or mascot depicting Native Americans. Feathered headdresses, tomahawks, arrowheads or spears, arrows and other weapons combined with feathers would also prohibited as logos.

The proposal would allow schools to use uniforms or other materials with Native American mascots until September 1, 2028 if the school selects a new logo and mascot that does not violate the prohibition and stops selling school merchandise with the racist logo immediately. […]

House Bill 1237 passed out of the House Education Policy Committee on a partisan 9-4 vote. It now moves to the House floor for further consideration.

* WAND…

The Illinois State Board of Education and some Democrat lawmakers hope to ban expulsions for any kids between kindergarten and second grade.

The only times an expulsion would be accepted is if it is required by state or federal law.

The bill would also restrict the school principal’s ability to suspend a K-2 student who’s breaking the rules. Under the plan, the principal would need approval from the district superintendent to suspend a K-2 child.

Advocates for the proposal said expulsions negatively impact minority and special needs kids. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, even though representing 16.5% of the state-wide school cohort, Black students make up 33% of all expulsions. […]

While the bill passed the committee on a partisan 10-5 vote, representatives from both sides urged that the plan return to committee for more questions.

* Center Square…

House Bill 1283 would allow all municipalities, not just larger home rule communities, to impose a motor fuel tax on top of the state’s gas tax. The measure was scheduled in committee Thursday, but was not brought up.

Illinois Fuel and Retail Association CEO Nate Harris opposes the measure as bad for customers.

“Any increase in the gas tax is regressive against the low income folks here in this state and we think that increasing taxes like this just hurts regular individuals,” Harris told The Center Square Thursday. […]

Illinois’ state gas tax is 47 cents. If HB 1283 is enacted, all municipalities could increase the local gas tax by 3 more cents.

HB1283 didn’t make it through committee before today’s deadline.