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A few lesser-noticed legislative achievements

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Illinois

* Press release…

Just after midnight, the Illinois House of Representatives concurred with the Senate amendment to House Bill 3404 and overwhelmingly approved the measure. This legislation paves the way for a pilot program for the distribution of grants for the construction of natural gas infrastructure in Pembroke Township, located within the 79th legislative district on the Illinois-Indiana border. Upon passage, State Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee), the chief sponsor of the bill, issued the following statement:

“I am thrilled to see this reach the finish line. My staff and I have worked really hard to get to this point, as have countless residents, community stakeholders, advocates, and elected officials on both sides of the aisle at local, state and federal levels of government.”

Haas added, “This is personal. Pembroke Township is only a few miles away from where I grew up and not far from where my husband and I live now. Pembroke is a rural community with many disparities—limited access to jobs, services, little to no economic development, and food deserts. Energy accessibility has the potential to change all that. This bill will offer residents safe, affordable and clean energy. It will also encourage economic development, attract new businesses and create jobs.

At the end of the day, this bill is about energy accessibility and equity. I look forward to bearing witness to the many opportunities that can be afforded to my constituents as soon as Gov. Pritzker signs this bill into law.”

That bill was supposed to be a no-brainer, but all sorts of games were played against it.

* Press release…

The TEAACH Act (Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History), HB 376, a bill that would require public elementary and high schools in Illinois to incorporate a unit on Asian American history, passed out of the Illinois State House on concurrence with a vote of 108-10 on May 31, 2021. The bill now goes to the Governor’s desk and advocates expect him to sign it into law.

The historic bill was introduced by State Sen. Ram Villivalam and State Rep. Jennifer Gong Gershowitz, and was championed by Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago and a coalition of over 35 organizations.

* Press release…

To expand access to health care coverage, State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) passed a Medicaid reform package in the Illinois Senate on Monday that adds coverage for a variety of services and provides more care to older Illinoisans.

“Expanding Medicaid coverage will result in better health outcomes for the most vulnerable,” Gillespie said. “This measure adds essential care options to the Medicaid program and will ensure that everyone has access to quality care.”

The legislation would add chiropractic care, post-kidney transplant management, counseling on how to quit smoking and peer support services for veterans to the list of covered services under the Illinois Medicaid program. It also requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to deliver more social services to older residents.

The measure also increases the Medicaid reimbursement rates for immunizations for children under 21, dental services and for mental health, marriage and family counseling.

Senate Bill 2294 passed the Illinois Senate with unanimous support and awaits the governor’s signature.

Anything else you’ve been tracking?

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 3:53 pm

Comments

I finally figured it out. Energy equity= higher electric rates for all, rich, middle class and poor. This only goes to show you what a little bipartisanship can do.

Comment by Blue Dog Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 4:00 pm
Waiting for the Senate to call SB 521 the gaming trailer.

Comment by sladay Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 4:08 pm
HB 1711 passed. Illinois is the 5th state to ban the sale of puppy mill puppies in pet stores.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 4:21 pm
HB102 aka Elijah’s Law which will help better train staffs around food allergy safety. It’s nice having someone like Rep Carroll who’s done unbelievable work in this area. I believe he also has a bill for gluten labeling on medications as well.

Comment by Food Allergy Poppa Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 5:09 pm
SB 2997 to give in-person teachers a bonus year of credit for this past school year.
Was banished to the black hole of the Rules Committee.

Comment by Proud Papa Bear Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 5:17 pm
Would someone explain to me how Gillespie “passed” a bill. I don’t think the Constitution allows legislators to pass a bill all by themselves. Don’t they need a majority of legislators in both chambers to vote for a bill? And then the legislator is credited with “sponsoring” the bill. This is not a slam on Gillespie. Legislators from both sides of the aisle, in both Springfield and Washington, do this, and it is dishonest. Whenever their office distributes press releases with this language, or they state it while campaigning, I am immediately doubtful of their integrity.

Comment by Motambe Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 5:27 pm
- Energy equity= higher electric rates for all -

I won’t hold my breath waiting for you to complain about rural white communities that have gas and electric through this exact same model.

Comment by Excitable Boy Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 5:45 pm
===I won’t hold my breath===

Dude is really not very self-aware.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 6:00 pm
Motambe, She was the senate sponsor of the bill, she introduced it, and while I have no idea what happened with this bill, sponsors are usually the ones working the bill to get it passed. Now, since the original version of her bill was completely gutted and Rep. Harris introduced all of the Medicaid language, I have no idea how much she actually did -though she’s on the Medicaid sub-committee, so she probably did work on the Medicaid language-, but I generally don’t hate it when legislators who introduce and work a bill take most of the credit for it.

Comment by Perrid Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 6:08 pm
Would love to read a detailed take on that Pembroke bill. My premonition is it would reveal a very ugly side of Illinois politics.

Comment by Listening Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 6:10 pm
===a very ugly side of Illinois politics===

More goofy than ugly, I think.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 6:12 pm
Perrin, you are correct, and I do not doubt that Sen. Gillespie worked hard to secure passage of this bill. I believe that nearly all of our legislators work both sides of the aisle in their chambers to obtain votes and support for legislation they are sponsoring. It is a challenging, stressful, and difficult process. I just don’t like the language used when staff issues news releases (which the Rep. or Sen. likely approved) stating the legislator passed the bill. The General Assembly passed the bill. And sadly, some legislators use this same shorthand on the campaign trail. It seems to be an effort to glorify their role and conveys a message that the voters don’t have the intelligence to understand the legislative process.

Comment by Motambe Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 6:28 pm
- More goofy than ugly, I think. -

Yeah, a bunch of Lakeview liberals who enjoy the convenience and low cost of natural gas, and will for decades to come, trying to deny it to some of the poorest residents of our state. There are plenty of areas in Illinois without it if they’d like to move to one.

Comment by Excitable Boy Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 6:29 pm
Why did Haas put a motion to reconsider on her own bill once it passed? That seems rather counterintuitive.

Comment by Tom P Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 7:15 pm
I support the making natural gas available to Pembroke. Oddly enough, I was reminded of some communities in California enacting a ban of new natural gas hookups.

https://www.kqed.org/science/1971356/san-jose-and-oakland-ban-gas-in-new-buildings

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 8:47 pm
===That seems rather counterintuitive===

To keep anyone else from doing it. Lot of hostility to her bill from people who think they’re 100 percent right.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 1, 21 @ 9:05 pm
TEAACH Act may be lesser noticed to some, but given the rise in anti-Asian violence across the country, this got noticed by Asian Americans everywhere. Sen. Villivalam and Rep.JGG made history by making our state first on this. They should be deservingly very proud.

Comment by Veil of Ignorance Wednesday, Jun 2, 21 @ 10:24 am