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* Tribune…
Sen. Laura Ellman, D-Naperville, and Rep. Anna Moeller, an Elgin Democrat, introduced companion bills Tuesday that would establish a permitting program to protect wetlands from pollution and draining.
Illinois is one of several states with no statewide protections for wetlands on private land. It relied on federal Clean Water Act protections until the conservative court severely curtailed them in Sackett v. EPA, a ruling that has been celebrated by real estate developers and industry but has greatly concerned environmentalists.
“We’re not trying to write or pass the perfect wetlands law of our dreams as conservationists. What we’re trying to do is step up where the federal government has now stepped back,” said Paul Botts, the executive director of the Wetlands Initiative, a Chicago-based conservation organization that advised on the bill.
If passed, the Wetlands and Small Streams Protection Act will empower the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to regulate land use around the state’s remaining wetlands, which can be valuable natural defenses against flooding and water pollution.
* Press release…
Today, Illinois Senator Laura Ellman (District 21) and State Representative Anna Moeller (District 43) joined forces with community advocates to announce the “Wetlands and Small Stream Protection Act” – new legislation protecting Illinois waters in the wake of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that rolled back crucial federal safeguards in the Clean Water Act.
Illinois law does not currently include a comprehensive program to safeguard waters and wetlands that are now no longer federally protected, leaving the few remaining Illinois wetlands vulnerable to development. In their May 2023 Sackett v. EPA decision, the Court left protections up to the states, prompting Sen. Ellman and Rep. Moeller to introduce SB3669 and HB5386. […]
When enacted, this legislation will reinstate vital protections for Illinois wetlands, creating a long-term Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) program to protect our state waters by:
-requiring that wetland developers apply to IDNR for a permit before destroying the wetlands and small streams on which the Supreme Court has now declared an open season,
-requiring avoiding wetlands destruction to the extent possible and compensating for the losses that their activity would have on floodwater retention, water quality, and wildlife,
-allowing the Illinois counties that have good wetlands protection programs to continue their good work, and
-charging applicants a modest fee that would help pay for the program.
* WAND…
Private insurance companies in Illinois can currently limit patients to four rounds of IVF treatment. State lawmakers removed the cap on infertility coverage for state employees last year. Although, a proposal in the Illinois House could expand private insurance coverage for the critical infertility treatments.
Rep. Margaret Croke (D-Chicago) told the House Insurance Committee Tuesday that the live birth rate for a single cycle of IVF is roughly 30%. She explained there are similar success rates for one to four cycles of IVF. […]
Rep. Will Hauter (R-Morton) argued that some people may abuse the insurance coverage instead of looking into alternative family planning options such as adoption or foster care. However, Croke stressed that people make very personal decisions about starting a family and the state should not prevent patients from receiving this coverage.
The plan passed out of the House Insurance Committee on a 11-2 vote and now heads to the House floor for further consideration. If approved by both chambers and Gov. JB Pritzker, House Bill 4112 could take effect on January 1, 2026.
* Sen. Mike Porfirio…
To protect our nation’s veterans from predatory business practices, State Senator Mike Porfirio has advanced legislation aimed at combating “claim sharks” who target veterans by offering veteran and military benefit services in exchange for financial compensation.
“Our veterans have sacrificed greatly for our country, and it is our duty to ensure they are protected from crooked practices,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township). “This bill will not only hold claim sharks accountable, but it will also establish a framework that promotes transparency, empowering veterans with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their benefits.”
Senate Bill 3479 aims to combat claim sharks who target veterans in their deceptive business practices by ensuring transparency regarding these businesses lack of VA accreditation. Some of their predatory practices include guaranteeing an increased disability rating or percentage increase, advertising expedited VA claims decisions, requesting login credentials to access a veteran’s personal information through secure VA websites and more.
Through this measure, veterans will be better informed about the services offered to them, reducing the risk of misleading or fraudulent advice. The goal is to provide veterans with an avenue of recourse against these deceptive practices and establish a more secure environment when seeking assistance related to their veteran or military benefits. […]
SB 3479 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday and heads to the Senate floor for further consideration.
* WGEM…
Pharmacists from across Illinois rallied outside the state capitol Tuesday calling for legislation banning certain practices from pharmacy benefit managers (PBM), which they said hurt local pharmacies.
Illinois Pharmacists Association Executive Director Garth Reynolds said PBMs are prescription drug middlemen. Examples include Express Scripts, CVS Caremark and Optum Rx. They negotiate between insurance companies, drug manufacturers and pharmacies.
He supports a bill that would ban PBMs from steering patients to pharmacies they own or a mail-order service. It would also ban “spread pricing.” It’s a practice in which PBMs charge insurers or drug companies more than they pay pharmacies.
“Because of a lot of this restrictive economic structure, it makes it so that for each and every prescription, pharmacies more and more are being paid in the negative, and you can’t run a pharmacy, or any business let alone, on negative dollars coming in,” Reynolds said.
* Sen. Michael Hastings…
Residents across Illinois may soon have relief from noisy highways, thanks to a measure advanced by State Senator Michael E. Hastings. […]
Hastings introduced Senate Bill 3175 in response to a number of noise complaints he was receiving from residents in the 19th Senate District.
IDOT currently maintains a Type 1 program which studies the possible impact and mitigation effects on newly constructed highways. Hastings measure would require IDOT create and implement a Type 2 Noise Suppression Program by July 1, 2025 to provide noise abatement for existing highways.
He believes this expansion of the program would alleviate constituents’ concerns and help improve the quality of life for residents throughout the state.
“This legislation will move us one step closer in improving the quality of life for those who have been suffering from endless highway noise for years,” Hastings said.
Senate Bill 3175 passed the Senate’s Transportation Committee on Tuesday and will continue on for further consideration.
* The American Council of Engineering Companies…
The American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC Illinois) has unveiled its 2024 legislative agenda, calling for a renewed commitment to full funding for infrastructural development through Rebuild Illinois and modernizing research and education tax credits and other incentives that will help the state recruit and retain engineers who build the infrastructure that will keep the state at pace with a 21st century economy.
The legislative agenda prioritizes the continued funding of transportation and infrastructure projects by the state through the historic $45 billion Rebuild Illinois program. ACEC Illinois is urging the state and the legislature to reconsider the recently-released budget proposal that calls for a diversion of $175 million committed to fund bridge repair, road improvement and other critical need projects to pay for spending on public transportation operations in the Chicago region. These public transportation costs have been historically paid for by the state’s General Revenue Fund since they are not associated with capital improvements, repairs or upgrades.
According to the Transportation for Illinois Coalition, the $175 million loss in road funding would multiply to more than a $1 billion impact in lost road and bridge improvements over the next few years. The fiscal impact of such a roll back would limit plans by IDOT and other agencies, delay projects, slow the modernization of the state’s transportation network and have an enormous impact on the state’s ambitious infrastructure development program.
“The bipartisan Rebuild Illinois Program is a once in a generation opportunity to upgrade and modernize our state’s road transportation and physical infrastructure to meet current needs and the demands of the future,” said Kevin Artl, President and CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois. “Our legislative priorities aim to ensure that the progress so far made is protected and not diminished by infrastructure funding cutbacks or diversion and that incentives for research, training and workforce development are maintained to make Illinois a destination point for engineers from across the world to locate here and work on these critical projects.
Other key issues in ACEC Illinois’ 2024 Legislative Agenda include a call for continued appropriation of funds for training and retention of engineering talent through education tax credits that will provide for a tax credit of 10% of the salary paid by engineering firms to recent graduates of Illinois’ engineering schools and 5% of the salary paid to recent graduates of engineering schools outside of Illinois; and modernization of the state’s research and development (R&D) tax credits to match changes to the R&D credit at the federal level. ACEC Illinois also supports legislation that will protect and help diverse businesses succeed at the state level through diversity in contracting and calls for a resolution to urge Congress to take action to protect the USDOT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program which is at risk due to recent legal decisions. ACEC Illinois also supports the Knowledge Transfer Act that promotes knowledge transfer, collaboration and greater communication between engineering companies, state agencies and the private sector. […]
ACEC-IL 2024 Legislative Agenda
-Preserve REBUILD Illinois: To keep Illinois’ promise to citizens to repair, maintain and upgrade Illinois’ infrastructure to support a 21st Century economy, ACEC Illinois will oppose efforts to roll back or divert funding for ReBuild Illinois capital investments.
-Maintain Funding for IDOT Engineer Student Loan Repayment Program: Legislation was passed last year to launch a pilot program to incentivize engineers trained in Illinois to work in Illinois. The state budget included funding at the pilot level, and ACEC requests re-appropriations of those dollars, as students graduate college and become eligible for the program, in order to see the program implemented.
-Modernize the State’s Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit (SB 163), (HB 4457): Research and Development (R&D) is critical to Illinois’ engineers as they work to modernize the state’s infrastructure. However, Illinois’ R&D credit is outdated and expires without state intervention. ACEC Illinois supports this initiative that increases the R&D credit by providing that the increase in research and development activities shall be based on an increase over 50% of the average of the qualifying expenditures for each year in the base period. This change modernizes the bill to match changes to the R&D credit at the federal level. Additionally, the bill makes the R&D credit permanent moving forward. The legislation is sponsored by Senator DeWitte and Rep. Joe Sosnowski.
-Retain Illinois Students of Engineering (RISE) Tax Credit (HB 2425) (SB 2282): Helping attract and retain engineers as the industry faces a shortage of educated talent, this legislation provides for a tax credit of 10% of the salary paid to recent graduates of Illinois’ engineering schools and 5% of the salary paid to recent graduates of engineering schools outside of Illinois. This legislation is sponsored by Rep. Marty Moylan and Senator Ram Villivalam.
-Knowledge Transfer Innovation Act (SB 3712): To ensure Illinois’ most innovative engineering firms can share their cutting-edge technology and design approaches with state agencies, this legislation allows for greater communication and knowledge transfer between the private and public sector. This legislation is sponsored by Senator Ram Villivalam.
-Protect Illinois’ Diverse Businesses: The USDOT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program along with other local DBE programs are at risk due to the implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling last year to block considerations of race in university admissions. In Illinois, IDOT, Tollway and CDB have effectively and credibly used these programs to help Illinois businesses succeed and grow, and ACEC is calling for attention to this issue to ensure they are protected. The Resolution is sponsored by Senator Villivalam.
posted by Isabel Miller
Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 9:07 am
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==Rep. Will Hauter (R-Morton) argued that some people may abuse the insurance coverage instead of looking into alternative family planning options such as adoption or foster care.==
Once again we have a Republican trying to insert themselves into the personal business of a family when it comes to family planning. Why Republicans continue to believe that decisions like this are any of their business is beyond me. These are very personal decisions and it’s really none of his business.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 9:13 am
Liking the Ellman Moeller bill to protect wetlands and small streams. it may seem odd in a time where more flooding is happening to protect the wet but it actually does help. from a very fast scan section 35 of the bill proposes an appointed commission and section 60 technical assistance. The public actually needs technical assistance to understand and participate in preserving such spaces and in creating more spaces with native plants that take up water. can’t do enough encouragement of that.
Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 9:35 am
SB3669 - Creates the Wetlands and Small Streams Protection Act
SCOTUS in Sackett v. EPA narrowed and clearly defined what a wetland is and it purposely limited EPA regulators from creating restrictive rules. So in IL let’s create a vague definition for wetlands and then empower an unelected committee to create rules.
from the bill…
“Contiguous area” means the portion of a wetland or small stream that extends beyond the property boundary of the affected property”
“The Wetlands and Streams Advisory Committee is created, which shall consist of the following 17 voting members appointed by the Governor”
“The Committee shall provide support to the Department in developing implementing rules”
Comment by Donnie Elgin Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 9:43 am
==unelected committee to create rules.==
This just shows the level of ignorance out there with regard to how the rules process works. Agencies are generally given authority to draft rules. ELECTED officials review those rules. Understand what you are talking about before commenting.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 9:49 am
Also @Donnie when the Supreme Court is completely upending regulations and will likely obliterate the ability of federal agencies to even create rules it is up to the states to do something. Illinois is doing that. I know that some people despise environmental regulations and believe that we should just be able to treat our environment however we want but I’m all for Illinois pushing back hard against those attitudes.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 9:53 am
Regarding highway noise–Don’t build, buy or rent a place next to a highway. Why folks do that is a mystery to me. I have seen hundreds of these units pop up next to interstates. Yeah, I know, some will say there is no other choice. I do feel for folks who settled on a quiet stretch, only to see the highway or street later expanded. They’re the ones I feel compassion for.
About wetlands–I have seen hundreds of acres of fields newly tiled over the winter. Some land just plain should not be farmed.
Comment by Stix Hix Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 10:04 am
=from the bill…
“Contiguous area” means the portion of a wetland or small stream that extends beyond the property boundary of the affected property”=
Hopefully its more defined than all the language that sent Sackett to SCOTUS and the failed WOTUS rules.
Ephemeral and intermittent streams and significant nexus made the original WOTUS a near impossible set of rules to understand.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 10:07 am
==Agencies are generally given authority to draft rules. ELECTED officials review those rules==
I guess that review would be the passage of this bill by a Dem supermajority - once enacted the committee acts without legislative review.
If passed the Committee will promulgate rules within 120 days ( and then as they deem necessary) they then become enforceable under the Illinois Department of Natural Resources authority “This Act is enforceable under Section 31(d) of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, 415 ILCS 5/31″
Comment by Donnie Elgin Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 10:11 am
==once enacted the committee acts without legislative review==
You really don’t have any idea what you are talking about. JCAR is a bipartisan body and review ALL rules. Just stop until you understand the process, which you clearly do not.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 10:38 am
Stix Hix, FYI. There are more than ten million acres of tile drained cropland in Ilinois and these are the most productive soils in the state.
Comment by very old soil Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 10:42 am
===I guess that review would be the passage of this bill by a Dem supermajority - once enacted the committee acts without legislative review.
You have just identified how the Illinois Administrative Procedures Act works as well as the federal Administrative Procedures Act works. Of course, legislators have oversight over state government agencies and in this case that’s not a committee. What exactly is your criticism here?
Comment by ArchPundit Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 10:55 am
=I guess that review would be the passage of this bill by a Dem supermajority -=
You mean passage by the “Illinois General Assembly”. That is how the legislative process works. These bureaucrats, as some derisively call them, do this work so the state can function. They are not some secret shadow government, they are the people that make government function. If you want every single rule, process, and procedure to receive a vote then you do not understand how a representative style of government works in a nation of 330 million people or a state of over 12 million people.
=There are more than ten million acres of tile drained cropland in Ilinois and these are the most productive soils in the state=
Ever wonder why so many of pour smaller communities have issue with flooding when there are heavy rains? Problems they didn’t have 30 0r 40 years ago? Or wonder why there is so much fish kill or silting of creeks? Spoiler alert…tile drained crop land.
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 10:56 am
I do wish that someone would come up with a way to get kids in foster care adopted. As I’m seeing more of how we do foster care, it can be somewhat cruel on the children.
Comment by Lurker Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 11:36 am
JS, with respect you are wrong about the effects of tile drainage. Tile drainage reduces surface water runoff by increasing the infiltration capacity of the soil. Surface water runoff carries sediment and phosphorus, Phosphorus increases algal growth which causes decreased dissolved oxygen which causes fish kills. Tile drainage significantly increases nitrate losses/transport to streams. Nitrate is not an important contributor to algal growth in Illinois rivers and streams. It is important in ocean systems like the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Increased flooding is primarily the result of increases in cropland acres (less hay and other permanent cover) and increased intensity of rainfall.
Comment by very old soil Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 11:58 am
The wetlands legislation makes sense with the reality of warming and increased heavy rainfalls.
Why would you fill in wetlands?
Everyone loves water except when it’s in your basement.
Comment by Loop Lady Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 12:47 pm
Wetlands protection act? 30 years too late for DuPage County. Hundreds upon hundreds of smaller wetlands were filled in by builders to build big houses on. The feds did not have enough people to enforce the regulations on smaller wetland violations. They would depend on local officials to not issue permits to build on swamps. Local city and county officials would pretend they did not know about any restrictions. They had the same attitude that Chicago has about undocumented persons. “It is not our job to enforce federal regulations.” They sort of felt their towns would be better off if a low land value mosquito swamp turned into a half dozen super high value houses with high taxes. $$$$$
Comment by DuPage Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 12:55 pm
What you say is true DuPage, but development in Northern IL will one day reach IA.
Stop the madness!
Comment by Loop Lady Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 1:11 pm