* WCIA…

Republican lawmakers are working to make mishandling human remains a crime after a central Illinois funeral home mishandled dozens of cremains last year.

A new bill filed in the Capitol Tuesday would make it a class 4 felony for mishandling human remains by providing misidentified or inaccurately identified cremains to individuals. The bill is filed by Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield), and supported by Rep. Mike Coffey (R-Springfield) and Rep. Wayne Rosenthal (R-Morrisonville).

If someone is convicted of a class 4 felony, they would face at least one year but no longer than 3 years in prison. […]

Last year, the Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon announced his office was opening an investigation into Heinz Funeral Home/Family Care Cremations in Carlinville after almost 80 families were given the wrong cremains. August Heinz, the funeral director for Heinz, has since had his license for embalming and funeral directing revoked by the state.

* HB4840 from Rep. Kelly Cassidy…

Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Provides that an initial charter shall be granted for a period of no more than 3 school years (instead of for a period of 5 school years). Provides that a charter may be renewed in incremental periods not to exceed 3 (instead of 10) school years. Makes conforming changes. Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Specifies that nothing in the provisions concerning a moratorium on school closings, consolidations, and phase-outs affects the Chicago Board of Education’s ability to not renew its authorization of a charter or contract school.

* Rep. Maurice West filed HB4816…

Creates the Pretrial Success Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services has grant making, operational, and procurement authority to distribute funds to local government health and human services agencies, community-based organizations, and other entities necessary to execute the functions under the Act. Provides that subject to appropriation, the Department shall issue grants to local governmental agencies and community-based organizations to maximize pretrial success each year. Provides that grants shall be awarded no later than October 1, 2024. Provides that grants in subsequent years shall be issued on or before September 1 of the relevant fiscal year and shall allow for pre-award expenditures beginning July 1 of the relevant fiscal year. Provides that each judicial circuit with a population of at least 250,000 constitutes a service area. Provides that each judicial circuit with populations of less than 250,000 shall be combined with at least one other geographically contiguous judicial circuit to constitute a service area with a population of at least 250,000. Provides that resources for each service area shall be distributed based on maximizing the total potential pretrial success. Subject to appropriation, the minimum annual grant amount awarded in each service area shall be $300,000. Provides that beginning in fiscal year 2027 and subject to appropriation, grants shall be awarded for a project period of 3 years, contingent on Department requirements for reporting and successful performance. Provides that organizations receiving grants under the Act shall provide the following services directly or through subgrants to other organizations:(1) case management for mental health and substance use disorders; (2) detoxification or referral to detoxification when clinically indicated and available in the community; (3) medication assisted treatment or referral to medication assisted treatment when clinically indicated and available in the community; (4) child care to remove barriers to court appearances; and (5) transportation to court appearances if not available through the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services or other court stakeholders. Effective immediately.

* HB4828 from Rep. Kevin Olickal…

Creates the Isolated Confinement Restriction Act. Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Nelson Mandela Act. Provides that, except as otherwise provided in the Act, the use of isolated confinement in correctional facilities in the State shall be restricted as follows: (1) a committed person may not be placed in isolated confinement for more than 10 consecutive days; (2) a committed person may not be placed in isolated confinement for more than 10 days in any 180-day period; and (3) while out of cell, committed persons may have access to activities, including, but not limited to: job assignments, educational classes, vocational classes, meals, recreation, yard or gymnasium, day room, bathing facilities, medical appointments, visits, and group therapy. Provides that a committed person in protective custody may opt out of that status by providing informed, voluntary, written refusal of that status. Provides that nothing in the Act is intended to restrict any rights or privileges a committed person may have under any other statute, rule, or regulation. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall post on the Department’s official website quarterly reports on the use of isolated confinement. Provides that these reports shall not include personally identifiable information regarding any committed person. Defines terms. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

* HB4835 from Rep. Anna Moeller…

Creates the Safety Moratorium on Carbon Dioxide Pipelines Act. Establishes a temporary statewide moratorium on construction of carbon dioxide pipelines until the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has adopted revised federal safety standards for transportation of carbon dioxide and the State has commissioned and finalized a relevant study regarding the safety setbacks required in the event of pipeline rupture or leak. Requires the State study to include input from first responders, to analyze pipeline ruptures or leaks in a variety of settings, and to recommend setbacks and funding based on that analysis. Provides that pending applications for carbon dioxide pipelines shall be held in abeyance. Provides for expiration of the temporary moratorium after 4 years, or when new safety standards are established, or upon enactment of a law that meets certain criteria. Makes legislative findings. Defines terms. Effective immediately.

* WGEM…

During a rally outside the capitol Tuesday, lawmakers officially announced they’ll be filing a bill requiring every worker be paid at least full state minimum wage.

State Rep. Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero, and state Sen. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, will be the primary House and Senate sponsors. The bill is expected to be officially filed later this week.

Tipped workers make only 60% of the state’s minimum wage. That’s $8.40 of the $14 per hour state-mandated minimum for most workers. Those figures will go up to $9 and $15 in 2025. Employees under 18 working less than 650 hours annually also can make less. Their minimum wage is $12 per hour. It will go up to $13 per hour in 2025.

The proposal would standardize the state’s minimum wage, raising youth and tipped workers to the full minimum wage.

* Capitol News Illinois…

Families of gun violence victims are asking the state legislature to reform how police handle unsolved murder investigations through legislation introduced this week.

House Bill 4753, sponsored by Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, would establish a procedure for families to request a review of “open unresolved murders” or cold cases.

Buckner, whose uncle died in a yet-unsolved shooting, said the bill began as a “passion project” in 2019 that has gained new momentum since several advocacy groups have begun supporting it. […]

Another bill from Buckner, House Bill 4754, would require law enforcement agencies to publish monthly data on how many homicides occurred and how many homicides were “cleared” through an arrest or were otherwise closed.

* Press release…

Today, standing with gun violence survivors with unsolved cases with the Everytown Survivor Network and Moms Demand Action, Representative Kam Buckner introduced House Bill 4753, the Homicide Victims’ Families Rights Act. HB 4753 would allow the surviving family members of cold case victims to seek new investigations. HB 4754, the Homicide Data Transparency Act was also introduced, which will require all law enforcement agencies in Illinois to publish monthly clear and transparent data in regard to homicides and their subsequent investigations. These bills honor gun violence survivors and families impacted by gun violence by addressing cold case clearance rates.

“Too many mothers across the United States have had their children taken by gun violence, and far too many like myself wait year after year while never getting answers or seeing justice served,” said Valerie Burgest, a deputy lead volunteer with the Illinois chapter of Moms Demand Action and Senior Fellow with the Everytown Survivor Network whose son, Craig Williams, was shot and killed at a store in 2013. His murder remains unsolved. “Having closure is incredibly important for healing and breaking cycles of violence. We need to pass HB 4753 to empower survivors of unsolved shootings immediately.”

Solving gun crimes is an important component in preventing gun violence, building community trust with law enforcement, and providing a measure of justice for survivors and family members who have had loved ones taken by gun violence. Nationally, nearly half of murders and non-negligent homicides go unsolved. In 2021 in Chicago, which had its deadliest year in more than a quarter century, about half of homicides were cleared. But less than half of those cleared homicides ended with an arrest.

Research consistently shows that homicides committed with a gun take longer to solve and are solved less often than when committed with other weapons. Further, firearm homicide clearance rates have dropped 20 percent from the 1980s, while non-firearm homicide clearance rates have improved by 11 percent, suggesting the police are increasingly less effective at solving fatal shootings. Additionally, cases are less likely to be solved when the victim of gun violence is Black and/or Latinx.

* HB4839 from Rep. Laura Faver Dias…

Creates the Protecting Illinois Native Landscapes Act. Provides that a unit of local government may not enact or enforce an ordinance or resolution that prohibits or unreasonably restricts an owner, authorized agent, or authorized occupant of privately owned residential land or a premises from allowing Illinois native species to voluntarily grow within the landscape or to install and maintain Illinois native species within a managed native landscape. Provides that native landscaping that may not be prohibited includes small or large areas of native landscaping in the front, back, or side yard or in areas that do not fit a standard definition of yard, such as areas on farms, rural properties, corporate campuses, school campuses, and large estates. Excludes from the scope of the Act an ordinance or resolution of a unit of local government that prohibits plants, trees, or other landscaping from interfering with public transportation, vehicular traffic, or driveway or entrance road sight lines or from crossing sidewalks or property boundaries. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers.

* SB3140 from Sen. Dale Fowler…

Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Provides that the prohibition against a licensee carrying a firearm into any building, parking area, or portion of a building under the control of an officer of the executive or legislative branch of government does not apply to any rest areas under the control of the Department of Transportation or to buildings located in rest areas under the control of the Department of Transportation. Eliminates a provision that a licensee shall not knowingly carry a firearm on any bus, train, or form of transportation paid for in whole or in part with public funds, and any building, real property, and parking area under the control of a public transportation facility paid for in whole or in part with public funds. Eliminates a provision that a licensee shall not knowingly carry a firearm in any public park, athletic area, or athletic facility under the control of a municipality or park district. Effective immediately.

* Rep. Rita Mayfield filed HB4819 yesterday…

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall provide lactation or nursing mothers rooms for personnel of the Department. Provides that these rooms shall be used exclusively for nursing mothers. The rooms shall be provided in each facility of the Department that employs nursing mothers. Specifies the requirements for the lactation or nursing mothers rooms.