* Tribune…

Illinois Municipal League Executive Director Brad Cole and other mayors are scheduled to unveil their legislative agenda on Tuesday in Springfield.

The “Moving Cities Forward” package includes the state automatically paying out motor fuel tax, 911, use tax and gaming revenues —an outgrowth of the state’s historic budget impasse.

In addition, the group also is seeking changes in workers’ compensation and prevailing wage laws, an expansion of home rule eligibility for smaller municipalities and a consolidation of municipal public safety pension funds.

The IML’s full agenda is here.

* Some interesting developments here, particularly the industrial hemp bill…

A group of bi-partisan state legislators have come together to announce a slate of bills that seeks to remove barriers to local food production in Illinois. The bill package, unveiled at a press conference hosted by the Illinois Stewardship Alliance this past week, also shows support of small businesses and Illinois farmers.

State Representative Peter Breen (R-Lombard) participated in the press conference and discussed his HB 2466, which would broaden Illinoisans’ access to raw milk. “Consumers are demanding more food choices today,” said Breen. “They are looking for organic and locally-grown options, and a growing number of people are looking for unpasteurized milk. My House Bill 2466 will remove costly and unnecessary restrictions, to allow for the expansion of the safe production and distribution of raw milk beyond dairy farms and to local farmers’ markets across the state.” State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) has filed an identical bill in the Senate.

SB1469/HB2820, sponsored by Koehler and State Representative Steven Andersson (R-Geneva), would add additional allowable foods for production by Cottage Food Operations (homemade foods) and streamline certain farmers market food sanitation rules across counties. An additional bill, sponsored by State Representative Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago), would expand the cottage food market even more. Guzzardi’s HB3063 would allow food producers to sell any harvested or homemade food to an informed end consumer for personal home use, without inspection or certification (excluding non-poultry meats). State Representative Carol Ammons (D–Champaign) is also advancing HB 2592, which would create a statewide permitting system for farmers’ markets.

State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights) has introduced the Industrial Hemp bill (SB1294) which would create an opportunity for Illinois farmers to apply for permits from the Illinois Department of Agriculture in order to grow industrial hemp, reviving a once thriving market for Illinois farmers and processors. Neighboring Kentucky has a similar law in place and has already enrolled over 135 farmers, 4,500+ acres, and 40 processors in hemp projects.

Raw milk is treated like a biohazard right now. Growing up in Iroquois County, I had a school friend who lived on a dairy farm. It’s the only time I ever drank raw milk. I remember it tasting better than any milk I’d ever had, but I was a kid.

…Adding… From Brittan Bolin…

Hi Rich:

I represent the Illinois Public Health Association and wanted to comment on your raw milk post. The IPHA (as well as the CDC) opposes relaxing restrictions on the sale of raw milk because the safety of raw milk and its products cannot be ensured. Pasteurization eliminates pathogens that can be contained in milk, including salmonella, listeria and E coli, to name a few. While you may hear many people say they have consumed raw milk without any problems, the fact is that drinking unpasteurized milk can make you very ill. This is particularly true for the elderly, children, or people with compromised immunity. This is why pasteurization became the norm, because it can prevent serious illnesses, miscarriage and even death. Your “biohazard” comment could be inferred as the public health organizations are overreacting. This is not the case, IPHA is simply continuing to take a scientifically-based position that consumption of raw milk is not safe, and therefore not recommended.

Here is a link to a story about a child became ill and suffered hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) after being given raw milk by his mother for two weeks. http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/04/is-the-foundation-of-good-health-found-in-a-bottle-of-raw-milk/#.WKyFTjt7b4N
He was hospitalized for two months.

Thanks -

Brittan

* Tribune…

Safe sex could get about 5-cents-a-pop cheaper, if state Sen. Toi Hutchinson gets her way.

The south suburban Democrat wants to slash the tax on condoms to 1 percent from 6.25 percent as a way to “nudge” frisky Illinoisans toward safer choices.

“Healthy sexuality is not a luxury,” Hutchinson told Chicago Inc. She said she hopes a bill she is sponsoring in the Senate will spur conversations about safe sex, reduce “unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases,” and “save people who make smart choices money.”

Under existing law, condoms are taxed by the state at the same rate as luxury goods. Hutchinson’s bill would have them taxed at the same rate as necessities like prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Except, isn’t the Senate also debating whether to tax food and medicine? So, classifying these items as medicine wouldn’t do much good if they pass that tax base expansion proposal.

* Other bills…

* Lawmaker wants increase in interstate speed limits again: Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove, is chief sponsor of Senate Bill 2036 that seeks to increase the speed limit from 70 to 75 mph on most interstates outside of Chicago. Oberweis said that making the interstates 5 mph faster would help with the flow of traffic and improve public safety. He argues that 75 mph is the safest speed because 85 percent of traffic travels at that pace anyway.

* Editorial: Bring back legislative scholarships? You’re kidding

* Does Illinois’ official seal get the state’s birthday wrong?