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Unfinished business

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* The Tribune has a pretty good roundup today of some unfinished legislative business…

TRANS FATS - The Senate approved a measure restricting food with trans fats in school cafeterias but it didn’t get a vote in the House. […]

TEEN WAGES - An attempt to amend the state’s minimum wage law to remove the provision that allows workers under 18 to be paid 50 cents below the regular minimum wage stayed put in the Illinois Senate. […]

MEDICAL MARIJUANA - A plan stalled in the Senate to legalize marijuana as an alternative medicine for people with debilitating illnesses like AIDS or cancer who use marijuana to ease their symptoms. […]

INTERNET BETTING - The General Assembly couldn’t reach a final agreement on setting up a system to encourage Internet betting on horse races run in Illinois. […]

CIVIL UNIONS - Rep. Greg Harris failed to collect enough support for legislation to allow same-sex couples to form civil unions. The bill gives same-sex couples the same the rights as married couples to estate benefits, child custody or adoption, property ownership.

There was a lot more left on the table, of course, but that wasn’t a bad piece at all.

* Crain’s has another one…

The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which runs McCormick Place and Navy Pier, said Tuesday it’s inevitable it will need state sales tax money to cover debt payments after the Illinois General Assembly adjourned for the summer without passing a refinancing bill.

The authority, known as McPier, has been lobbying lawmakers to approve a refinancing plan that would lower the agency’s debt payments by stretching out the payment schedule. The Illinois Senate approved a bill in April, but the measure languished in the House and was not called for a vote before the General Assembly adjourned last weekend.

After a meeting Tuesday, McPier officials said they hope the House will act on the bill when the legislature returns to the state capitol late in the year or during any special sessions called by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

However, passage of the bill won’t forestall the use of state sales tax revenue for the agency’s debt payments because the refinancing could not be completed before the agency’s debt payments come due in July, McPier officials said.

I’m positive we’ll be seeing more stories like this in the future. Were there any bills important to you that didn’t make the final cut?

* Somewhat related…

* Income loss turns into schools’ gain

* NIU officials ‘cautiously optimistic’ about state funding for Cole Hall

* Illinois Works Letter

* Legislative Leaders to Meet With Governor on Budget

* Pankau predicts budget veto

* IDOT gets back on track

* llinois scrapes up roadkill removal money

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 9:48 am

Comments

HB 4518 - Libraries in Name Only - died in the Senate rules committee after passing the house 112-0. The legislation deals with areas that pass referendum establishing library districts, only to then take no action in forming the district (not holding meetings, not electing a board, not appropriating monies). It borrowed language from park district laws in regards to dissolution.

There are four townships in LaSalle County were this occurred, causing confusion when people that actually wanted to use their “local library” couldn’t because there was no physical presence, and never would be, because the “district,” as established, was simply meant to keep out anyone or any entity from establishing a true district that would levy taxes for library service.

These people living in these townships that wanted library service couldn’t even go and use - check out materials, use services, etc. - a neighboring library because in order to do that, you need a library card from your home library. No physical home library, no library card, no ability to use a neighboring library.

Comment by Anon from BB Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:15 am
How about HB5595 and SB1900, which provide health insurance to kids with disabilities and autism? Both passed both houses without a no vote, they address desperate needs that the state won’t provide, but they’re hung up on the Madigan rule-making amendment and the Jones/Blago refusal to accept it. This is an outrage, frankly. Using kids with disabilities to make a political (personal) point. This group gets stiffed in the budget year after year (IL ranks 51 in disability home/community services), including this year, but this one is really a new low.

Comment by Actual Health Care for Kids???? Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:32 am
Something doesn’t seem quite right about the McPier story.

The bonds are backed by hotel, meal and cab taxes. Tourism by all accounts is at an all-time high. Occupany and average daily hotel rates are up.

Convention attendees are stagnant, and conventioneers spend more per day than tourists. Perhaps the bonds assumed a rise in attendees.

I’m not sure why McPier needs to spend money on the hotel addition. Hyatt’s got a captive market there, they should be able to do it themselves if there is a need.

If anyone’s interested, here’s some further reading.

http://www.choosechicago.com/media/statistics/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.choosechicago.com/media/press_releases/Pages/07_tourism.aspx

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:42 am
Didn’t Fritchey sponsor TIF sunshine legislation a few months back? Considering the CPS’ need for more funds, escalating property taxes in Chicago, and asinine other taxes and fees (i.e. bottled water), I would have very much like to have seen this bill passed.

Comment by The Doc Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 11:24 am
Loopy lawmaking at its finest.

The recently renewed Nurse Practice Act defines the administration of medication as a nursing activity. Nursing activities are, by definition, restricted to licensed individuals only.

“Medication” is defined so broadly that over the counter meds, prescription meds, tablets, injectables, topicals and, yes Sen. Cullerton, even one-day-legal smokables are now a nurse-only activity.

The personal, policy and financial implications of this meshuganah definition / restriction are mind-boggling.

Family and friends who help MS patients, cancer patients, HepC patients with vital injections are now in violation of the Nurse Practice Act. Daddies and Mommies to be who give their partners fertility treatment injections are now law-breakers. And kids with diabetes, asthma, epilepsy? Your parents, you friends and your teachers violate State law every time they administer the medication that keeps you safe, healthy, alive.

Prescriptions written by M.D.s and A.P.N.s may be construed as a conspiracy to break the law if there’s an expectation that someone other than a nurse will administer the prescription. The quadraplegic who wants for a Tylenol now has to hire a nurse.

Oh sure, the Act provides an exception for the incidental care of sick family members but there’s nothing incidental about primary care and there’s something oddly sick about limiting loved ones to fluffing pillows.

HB5960, filed this year by Rep. Cross and Rep. Lang, was borne out of nearly six years of patient (pun intended), painstaking negotiations. It was far from perfect but it provided a partial fix.

But as my beloved great grandmother used to say: Why be sensible when you can be stupid? Love those Swedes . . .

Comment by Suzanne Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 3:52 pm