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* SJ-R…
The REACH Act would require all public schools to implement health curricula tailored for each grade level. Here’s the proposed breakdown:
• Grades K-2: Personal safety, identifying trusted adults children can rely on for guidance and support, respecting others
• Grades 3-5: Continues on personal safety and healthy relationships, discusses bullying, harassment and abuse, and covers topics such as anatomy, puberty, hygiene, body image, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression
• Grades 6-12: Builds on prior instruction about healthy relationships by covering issues like consent, sexual harassment, abuse, and interpersonal violence, provides additional information on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, and covers the benefits of abstinence, behavioral changes, barrier methods like condoms, medication, contraception, and sexually transmitted infection prevention methods.
[…] The Illinois Association of School Boards plans to oppose the bill because the group is against all new curricular mandates, said Thomas Bertrand, IASB executive director.
The ACLU has a competing bill that would not be a state mandate. I’m hearing tensions are high between the two sides and that may prevent anything from passing this spring.
* Pete Janko, candidate for the Illinois House…
It used to be that millionaires and billionaires would just buy our politicians to do their bidding. But with so many special interests competing to buy favors from our elected officials, it’s becoming too much work for some of the rich to get the first in line spot with our elected officials. As the old saying goes, “If you want something done your way, you do it yourself,” right? So it looks like the rich are simply cutting out the middleman, spending huge amounts of money flooding the airwaves, the internet, and your mailbox with their propaganda, trying to buy elections.
No doubt we need to get Citizens United and Buckley v Valeo reversed. But, until that happens, I that the States should levy a so-called ‘sin tax’ on politicians, which I call the “Excessive Political Campaigns Tax” (EPC Tax).
How The Tax Work Would Work.
Every year, IRS Form 1040 asks taxpayers if they would like $3 to go to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. Let’s interpret $3 as the suggested value of a single voter. We take that $3 and multiply it by the number of registered voters that can vote for a specific candidate (district, county, city, etc.). That becomes the amount of money raised in the election cycle that would be exempt form the EPC Tax. Any money a campaign raises above that amount, including any of the candidate’s own money spent on the race, would be considered “excessive” and taxed – let’s say at 15%.
For example, a given district has 50,000 registered voters. Multiplied by $3 equals $150,000 that will be exempt from the EPC Tax. The last thing anyone wants to do is hinder in any way a grass-roots campaign or just a traditional campaign. But as we can see, the vast majority of campaign will not pay the EPC Tax .
Illinois’ solar industry is sounding the alarm on a dwindling source of state money that supports hundreds of solar energy projects, leading renewable energy advocates to warn of a solar energy “bust.”
The 2016 Future Energy Jobs Act provides approximately $235 million in grant funding annually for renewable energy projects including solar and wind. But that fund — fueled by fees paid by utility customers— has failed to keep up with demand for solar energy projects from both large-scale companies and homeowners.
Those pushing a bill referred to as the “Path to 100” are asking the state to gradually increase renewable energy fees from 2 percent to 4 percent by 2020. Advocates said the change would mean the average residential customer would pay approximately $1.75 per month to support solar and wind energy.
* Tribune…
Earlier on Wednesday, the House Transportation Committee voted to send another red-light camera bill that would prohibit employees of red-light camera companies or employee-created PACs from contributing more than $500 to any political candidate in a given year to the full House for a vote.
* Press release…
State Representative Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) has filed a constitutional amendment to create retroactive term limits in Illinois. HJRCA44 provides that each General Assembly office is limited to 12 years and each executive branch office is limited to 8 years, specifically:
· A State Senator may not be elected to office for more than 12 years
· A State Representative may not be elected to office for more than 12 years
· An individual can serve a combined 24 years in the General Assembly
· No person can be elected to an Executive Branch office for more than 8 years
· Time served prior to the adoption of this amendment would also be considered in the calculation of years of serviceBatinick has long advocated for term limits in the General Assembly, but with the uptick in corruption plaguing the statehouse, the Representative deemed the retroactive addition necessary to firmly part with the status quo.
“No amount of laws will make us immune to corruption, but we can minimize the root cause,” said Rep. Batinick. “If we are serious about ethics reform, this is a strong start to prevent concentrated power—and the influence peddling that goes along with that. To part with the corruption that has become the norm for us and the disappointment of our taxpayers, we need change.”
The purpose of this legislation is to make retroactive term limits a constitutional amendment to be put on the ballot in the November 2020 election. Should HJRCA44 pass, those who currently exceed these term limits would be able to finish out their term, but cannot run for reelection.
“We need term limits in Illinois to move forward to responsible and transparent government,” continued Batinick. “Until that happens, we will continue to wade through the old ways of governing that made Illinois synonymous with corruption.”
As legislative session resumes, Representative Batinick will continue the push for ethics reform, including HJRCA44. Currently, the legislation is awaiting further consideration in the Rules Committee.
* Other stuff…
* Why Supreme Court’s denial of term-limit referendum is a big win for Elk Grove’s mayor: The unanimous decision reverses a Cook County judge’s Jan. 15 ruling that found a state law barring retroactive term-limit measures to be unconstitutional. Instead, the high court sided with Elk Grove’s electoral board — and ultimately Gov. J.B. Pritzker — which upheld an objection to the referendum question on the basis it violated the recently-enacted state law.
* Advocates rally to end cash bail in Illinois
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 11:24 am
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I would like to see a list of every mandated order and a list of every mandated course and or teaching requirement passed by Illinois. And a rough idea of what all mandates cost schools districts
Comment by DuPage Saint Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 11:39 am
How do these term limit warriors choose the appropriate years for their terms? Why would terms for GA be 12 years instead of ten or fourteen? Or for a Senator why 12 instead of 8 or 16? Is there some kind of science behind this?
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 11:46 am
And yet the enviros continue to claim that their bills will “save” money… This is a multi-billion dollar tax on Illinois families and businesses.
Comment by 4 percent Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 11:53 am
So, long-term staffers will run the GA instead of our elected representatives? While this is not the “dumbest idea” I have ever heard, it’s pretty close. Yes, the “panda bear” of the year award goes to “elect me and then throw me out” Mark Batinick! When does this idiot get term limited?
Comment by Marty36 Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 12:00 pm
Really like Mr. Janko’s idea. If the money raised from that tax was applied to pay down the pension deficit it almost feels like Boomberg’s ads alone would be enough to keep pension “reformers” from stealing earned pensions.
Comment by West Side the Best Side Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 12:04 pm
We really need to get out of the business of micromanaging school curricula via legislation. ISBE should have a commission that establishes and promotes best practices, with adherence to those practices perhaps reflected on the school scorecards. That lets the State influence curricula without mandating it. And you could throw a bone to lawmakers who love to chase headlines with ill-considered legislation by giving them priority access to get a new best practice on the commission’s agenda for consideration.
Comment by thechampaignlife Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 12:12 pm
The campaign fund sin tax is an interesting idea, but I fear it would just result in hundreds of statewide “shell campaigns” to circumvent the limit.
Comment by thechampaignlife Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 12:17 pm
“Excessive Political Campaigns Tax”
Can I send Madigan a bill for yesterday’s haul?
Comment by City Zen Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 12:21 pm
No term limits.
Fair maps allows for voters to choose, not politicians choosing them, and if they win, they serve.
Term limits?
Mr. Batinick,
I point you to Mr. Amdor’s chart of General Assembly service.
You’re welcome.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 12:27 pm
Here is a list of every mandated unit that the Illinois requires of school districts. Districts must “prove” this to their Regional Offices of Education that the content is covered each year.
http://www.sccroe50.org/administrators/forms/st._clair_co._mandated_units_of_study_8-6-18.pdf
Comment by The Wombat Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 12:27 pm
This is another attempt by some members of the legislature and groups like PPIL to continue to work on changing society. And we’ll give it to the schools to get done. Of course does anyone think that schools can take this task on? Don’t count on it. They are having enough trouble with finding capable teachers who can keep up with the current mandates. Then there’s the issue of what will be taught. “Woke” society is speeding towards making the acceptance of Transgenderism as a typical expression of gender diversity. Doesn’t matter that there are only 2 genders/sexes. Science will be ignored or twisted to prove this. And then we can eliminate any opposition to boys in girls bathrooms and on girls sports teams. Somebody really needs to stand up to these people (the people pushing for these laws) and say no. People who are confused about what sex they are are in fact at the least confused and at worst mentally ill. Just a final comment, I am not saying that all males or females must express their sex/gender identically. But that doesn’t magically make them int ot he other sex/gender.
Comment by NeverPoliticallyCorrect Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 12:32 pm
I agree with Willy, Fair Maps would be a better way to address the problems term limits aim to solve.
That, and I would lower the signature requirement for State Rep from 500 to 100 so we get less unopposed elections.
Comment by Marquee Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 12:34 pm
===People who are confused about what sex they are are in fact at the least confused and at worst mentally ill===
When someone tells you who they are… like this… believe them.
“…at the least confused and at worst mentally ill”
And people wonder why others fear telling anyone, even loved ones…
Whew.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 12:36 pm
You’ve said it won’t pass, but:
If you’re waiting until 3rd grade to “discuss bullying,”
you’re at least three years too late.
Comment by Teacher Lady Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 12:47 pm
=== Doesn’t matter that there are only 2 genders/sexes. Science will be ignored or twisted to prove this.===
Nope.
Most people belong to the two main genders. One out of 100 people are not conventional.
There are people who are xxx, x, xyy, xxy and some babies born with conventional xx and xy genes have phenotypes of the opposite sex, for example a boy with androgen insensitivity syndrome will have the body of a girl.
Here are some stats from the Intersex Society of North America: Not XX and not XY one in 1,666 births
Klinefelter (XXY) one in 1,000 births
Androgen insensitivity syndrome one in 13,000 births
Partial androgen insensitivity syndrome one in 130,000 births
Classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia one in 13,000 births
Late onset adrenal hyperplasia one in 66 individuals
Vaginal agenesis one in 6,000 births
Ovotestes one in 83,000 births
Idiopathic (no discernable medical cause) one in 110,000 births
Iatrogenic (caused by medical treatment, for instance progestin administered to pregnant mother) no estimate
5 alpha reductase deficiency no estimate
Mixed gonadal dysgenesis no estimate
Complete gonadal dysgenesis one in 150,000 births
Hypospadias (urethral opening in perineum or along penile shaft) one in 2,000 births
Hypospadias (urethral opening between corona and tip of glans penis) one in 770 births
If you have been born with a conventional body congratulations.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 1:35 pm
Shoving mandated curriculum down the throats of teachers is what drives some out of teaching. Most didn’t sign up for some social engineering agenda. I do, however, wish that more people understood that teachers are the assembly line workers, not the creators of the agenda. The state tells them what to teach–if not directly, through state testing. When parents or community members have a beef about what is being taught in a classroom, they need to educate themselves about the authority structure of a school before they proceed. Too often teachers, they think, are running the world when they’re just the peons implementing the set curriculum.
Comment by Ano Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 4:31 pm