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* Patrick Keck of the State Journal-Register takes a look into environmental lobby day and the bills environmental groups are behind…
A bill that did not pass in the Illinois House of Representatives last month still has the support of environmentalists. House Bill 2520 from state Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, has now been approved for consideration by the House Rules Committee and would have until May 19 to move out of the chamber.
The bill creates several new provisions to construction projects to ensure they are environmentally-friendly, including a supplemental fee of $100,000 for each construction permit application if the build takes place in an “environmental justice community.” […]
Senate Bill 2421, among several changes, would create the Carbon Transportation and Sequestration Readiness Fund and require any company or individual wishing to capture CO2 to receive a permit from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. EMS workers would also receive training in case of a carbon release. […]
A bill banning the use of polystyrene by retail establishments advanced out of the House and now awaits a vote in the Senate. […]
HB 2376 from state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, is now in the Senate Executive Committee and would make Illinois the first midwestern state to ban polystyrene.
* Throwback!…
April 20, 1993: A bill eliminating a requirement that limited partnership renewal reports be filed with county recorders failed in the Senate with just six votes after Sen. Gary LaPaille denounced sponsoring Sen. John Cullerton as "the Dr. Kevorkian of county funding in Illinois" pic.twitter.com/59CKiAaVDN
— John Amdor (@JohnAmdor) April 20, 2023
* Moving through…
House Bill 2789 passed the Illinois Senate Executive Committee today. The bill moves to the full Senate for a vote. We are one step closer as we work to support libraries and librarians as they face unprecedented censorship of books and resources. #ILSOS @IllLibraryAssoc pic.twitter.com/anyeQLO2Iv
— Alexi Giannoulias (@ILSecOfState) April 19, 2023
* Play USA…
A bill to lower exorbitant Illinois sports betting renewal fees for suppliers faced backlash Wednesday in the House Gaming Committee.
The Illinois sports betting legislation passed in 2019 set the initial supplier licensing fee at $150,000 for the first four years. But suppliers must continue paying $150,000 annually.
Chris Nybo, a lobbyist representing the gaming trade association iDEA Growth, presented the discrepancy as a drafting error. That argument worked in the Senate, where SB 323 passed 55-1 on March 29.
But with Illinois Gaming Control Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter expressing opposition, House committee members pushed back on lowering the fee.
* WCIA…
A new bill may make more community college students continue to universities in state.
Senator Paul Faraci (D-Champaign) is pushing for a bill that would allow automatic admission to more of Illinois’ universities to community college students.
The current law allows any Illinois high school graduate to go to University of Illinois if they complete at least 36 graded transferable hours at an Illinois community college with a 3.0 GPA. The bill would expand the law to allow guaranteed admission into all state universities, including Eastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, both Southern Illinois Universities, and Western Illinois University as well. […]
The bill passed the Illinois House of Representatives, and the Senate Higher Education Committee unanimously. If signed into law, the proposal would go into effect during the 2024-2025 academic year.
* Sen. Fine’s HB1364 passed committee and now heads to the Senate Floor…
State Senator Laura Fine is launching an initiative to review data from the first year of operations and recommend updates for the future in order to make the 988 hotline as effective as possible for hotline operators and people experiencing a mental health crisis.
“The 988 hotline is the most accessible form of mental health care in Illinois and can be lifesaving in times of crisis,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “It is vital that we work to make the operation of care as effective as possible to best support Illinoisans struggling with their mental health.”
Last year, Illinois launched the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a three-digit dialing code for a national suicide prevention and mental health hotline, offering 24/7 access to trained counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress. The hotline has been beneficial to many Illinoisans, but currently there is no method of collecting data on the hotline that may be used to improve the 988 system.
House Bill 1364 would create a task force to review existing information about the first year of the 988 call center operations in Illinois and examine the recommendations and decisions of previous state-led workgroups on transforming the mental health crisis response system. The task force would develop a plan for establishing a network of 988 call centers in Illinois that will best promote connection to care and sustainably funding the 988 call centers in future fiscal years.
* Sen. Villanueva…
Senator Villanueva championed legislation to bring more qualified computer science and art teachers to Chicago Public Schools, creating better learning opportunities throughout the district. […]
House Bill 2442 would increase the amount of computer science and art teachers in CPS. CPS says there are not enough teachers endorsed to teach these classes to meet district needs. To tackle this issue, Villanueva’s measure would allow licensed employees to receive additional training – or endorsements – through a pilot program within the district, allowing them to teach other classes, such as computer science and art classes. […]
House Bill 2442 passed in the Senate Education Committee and is headed to the Senate for further consideration.
* WMBD…
State Senator Dave Koehler latest legislation is advocating for the hard of hearing.
According to a press release, Senator Koehler has introduced House Bill 2443, which would require insurance providers to cover hearing aids and related services. […]
Building upon a 2018 measure that requires insurance to cover hearing aids for children under 18, the new bill would expand upon anyone who is prescribed a hearing instrument by a doctor. […]
House Bill 2443 passed the Senate Insurance Committee Tuesday and now heads to the full Senate for further consideration.
* Sen. Dave Koehler…
State Senator Dave Koehler is leading a measure to remove vital records fees for survivors of domestic violence.
“Domestic violence survivors are already dealing with immense trauma,” said Koehler (D – Peoria). “Why are we taking money out of their pockets, adding more burdens to the reporting process?”
House Bill 2841 would remove the fees associated with services of vital records done by the State Registrar for survivors of domestic violence. The fee for a search of vital records is $10 per application currently and includes the files on birth, death, and fetal death. These records can be used to dissolve marriages and civil unions, receive information on the birth of a child and unexpected miscarriages and for genealogical purposes.
“A basic service to help a survivor in need shouldn’t have a cost,” said Koehler. “This initiative would prevent the possibility of survivors being turned away.”
House Bill 2841 passed the Senate Local Government Committee Wednesday and now heads to the full Senate for further consideration.
* Press release…
To ensure that Illinois schools have a crisis response plan in case of an emergency, State Senator Julie Morrison is advancing a measure that would require rapid entry protocol for law enforcement and first responders, including the threat of firearms.
“It seems like every day there is a new violent threat made against schools – we just saw that at Highland Park High School,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “While we have taken strides to curb gun violence in Illinois, we must continue to develop new strategies in partnership with law enforcement and first responders so that our schools are as safe as possible.”
Morrison’s House Bill 3559 would require schools’ emergency and crisis response plans to include procedures for local law enforcement to rapidly enter the school building in the event of an emergency.
House Bill 3559 passed the Senate Education Committee just two weeks after five students at Highland Park High School were taken into custody following a report of a student with a handgun. The threat left the community shaken, as it came less than a year after the 4th of July mass shooting that took the lives of seven innocent community members.
“The threat at Highland Park High School could have become a tragedy,” said Morrison. “Law enforcement should be equipped to handle safety threats immediately and without hesitation.”
The measure now heads to the full Senate for further consideration.
posted by Isabel Miller
Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 11:50 am
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I pulled up HB2520 to take a look. It seems to be well intentioned but ut sounds like it could have unintended consequences. For example, if someone wanted to build a new grocery store in a food desert… Depending on the size of the store, the store would likely want a couple of back-up power generators in case of a power outage. Depending on the capacity that could require a source permit that would now cost them an extra $100,000. Or if someone wanted to build a new affordable housing development that might have some minimal wetland or floodplain impacts, that would also require a permit and cost an extra $100,000.
Comment by Benniefly2 Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 12:18 pm
-a supplemental fee of $100,000 for each construction permit application if the build takes place in an “environmental justice community.” […]-
Raising the cost of building a project in a place like Chicago. Probably not a great idea.
Comment by Steve Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 1:17 pm
=Senator Villanueva championed legislation to bring more qualified computer science and art teachers to Chicago Public Schools,=
I guess the rest of us don’t count? We have not had a comp science teacher for two years because we cannot find anyone.
Thanks for looking out for kids senator./s
=would require schools’ emergency and crisis response plans to include procedures for local law enforcement to rapidly enter the school building in the event of an emergency.=
Why would our plans require this? Does not make much sense. County and municipal police departments should have these and they can share them with us. No one in schools is really qualified to create these. Reading the bill (it may be the shortest and least detailed bill on record) it does not specify much as to who is responsible for what.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 1:31 pm
–HB 2376 from state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, is now in the Senate Executive Committee and would make Illinois the first midwestern state to ban polystyrene.–
Hopefully we are a trendsetter with this.
HB 1364 re: 988 is important. The data will allow for informed improvements and changes to this essential service. Big fan.
HB 2443… if this passes I will have zero excuse for not getting my hearing checked and possibly getting a hearing aid. I’ve used the unaffordability excuse for awhile now. Can’t even imagine how many people this will help.
Comment by Squirrel Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 1:46 pm
“environmental justice community.”
Impacts to EJ communities are not impacts to the natural or cultural environment. In other words, we aren’t talking about impacts to T&E species or historic resources. EJ communities are generally considered to be neighborhoods consisting of disadvantaged minority and/or low income populations.
The way I read the bill is that if a project requires a clean air act permit and is being proposed in an EJ community, that is when the $100k added permit cost applies.
For instance, the General Iron scrap yard wanted to move from Lincoln Park to the SE side of Chicago. They were moving from an affluent neighborhood to a disadvantaged neighborhood of low income and minorities. When USEPA was to issue a permit, they would have studied whether the impacts to the populations of the SE side neighborhood were equatible.
Comment by Huh? Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 4:34 pm
The bill language says it applies to any project requiring a federal or state operating permit. If your chillers or boiler is big enough, you might actually need a permit. They need to find a way to limit it to industrial and manufacturing facilities.
Comment by Benniefly2 Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 5:31 pm
AND that upfront $100k is required just when a small-start-up company maybe thinking about doing something new in a poor community is most cash strapped.
Comment by Joe Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 9:36 pm