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The senators spent much of the week in
committee hearings as they began to consider bills that have been
approved by the House of Representatives.
On April 21, the Senate adopted
Senate Joint Resolution 18, urging the Department of Defense and
the Base Realignment and Closure Commission to save the Peoria Air
National Guard Base, Rock Island Arsenal, Springfield National Guard
Base and Scott Air Force Base from closure because of their military
and local value.
Illinois lawmakers want federal
officials to know that the military bases are major economic
engines, employing thousands of people and adding billions of
dollars to the state's economy, as well as being key to homeland
security and National Guard recruiting efforts.
President George Bush has called for
a 2005 round of defense base realignment and closure, and the
Department of Defense has stated it wants to trim about 25 percent
of its infrastructure, which puts Illinois' military bases at risk.
The Department of Defense will forward its list recommendations for
closure and realignment to the Base Realignment and Closure
Commission on May 16. The commission's formal recommendations will
be made to Congress on Sept. 8.
In other business, the Senate kept
working toward a goal of greater public disclosure on state
contracts dealing with prescription drug benefits.
Senate Bill 1828 was introduced in response to questions during
the last 12 months about the awarding and disclosure of contracts
between the state and Caremark, a mail-order pharmaceutical provider
that oversees prescription benefits for state employees. The issue
also sparked efforts by two Republican senators who went to court on
behalf of taxpayers to force Caremark to reveal details of its
contract with the state. The Senate advanced Senate Bill 1828 to the
House of Representatives, where negotiations will continue on the
issue.
On April 19, President George Bush
paid tribute to Illinois' favorite son at the dedication of the
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield.
Joined by first lady Laura Bush, Senate Republican Leader Frank
Watson, U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and other dignitaries, the
president praised Abraham Lincoln for his courage, stating that
Lincoln's personal faith in God and the leadership of America's
founding fathers gave him the strength to guide this country through
the dark days of the Civil War. President Bush remarked that Lincoln
"embodied the democratic ideal -- that leadership and even genius
are found among the people themselves, and sometimes in the most
unlikely places."
The Senate also took time to honor
former state Sen. Ralph Dunn, who died May 3, 2004, at the age of
90. The Senate adopted
Senate Resolution 164 on April 21 to honor the former southern
Illinois senator. Dunn served in the House of Representatives from
1973 to 1985 and in the Senate from 1985 to 1995. He was a delegate
to the sixth Illinois Constitutional Convention in 1969-1970.
Senators remembered Dunn as a
gentleman who worked hard for his constituents. He was the driving
force behind the creation of the Coal Research Center at Southern
Illinois University, and his efforts helped the university purchase
a generator for its power plant. In 1997, SIU renamed its business
incubator the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center.
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 The following bills were passed by
Senate committees during the week of April 18-22:
Protecting children (HB 172) --
Requires that information on individuals involved in a criminal case
regarding the sexual abuse, torture or death of a child be retained
for a period of 50 years.
Biodiesel (HB 112) -- Requires state
and local government vehicles to use biodiesel fuel.
Military funerals (HB 415) --
Increases from $50 to $100 the stipend paid to military members for
funeral honors duty.
Veterans (HB 497) -- Allows the
Department of Veterans' Affairs to provide grants to service
offices, which help vets get benefits.
State symbols (HB 847) -- Names the
eastern tiger salamander as official state amphibian and the painted
turtle as the official state reptile.
Gold Star plates (HB 544) --
Eliminates an additional $15 fee for license plates issued to Gold
Star recipients. The original $78 registration fee would still
apply.
Vehicle (HB 960) -- Prohibits the
operation on a highway of any motor vehicle with a television or DVD
player if the screen is visible from the driver's seat and a show or
movie is playing.
Government contracts (HB 1529) --
Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to
develop a program promoting greater awareness among Illinois
companies of availabilities to bid on federal, state and local
government contracts.
Veterans (HB 593) -- Provides that
military personnel who were in line for employment, but not yet
actually employed, have the same status when they return as when
they left for active duty. (HB 270) -- Increases the homestead
exemption for disabled veterans from $58,000 to $70,000.
Tax checkoff (HB 395) -- Creates a
new state income tax checkoff for blindness prevention and eye care
assistance.
Recycling (HB 1149) -- Creates a
computer recycling commission.
[News release from Illinois
Senate Republicans]
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