Senate week in review: April 17-21

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[APRIL 24, 2006]  SPRINGFIELD -- Democratic leadership decided to continue the Senate's hiatus this week while they and the governor discussed the details of a budget plan, according to state Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield.

Republican lawmakers have been eliminated from the budget process, creating fear that the final fiscal 2007 budget will be bloated with new spending initiatives, while relying on a pension fund raid of more than $1 billion. There is also concern that the budget will do nothing to address the state's nearly $2 billion backlog of unpaid bills or record-high state debt.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives moved several Senate measures through the legislative process. Among the highlights was comprehensive legislation intended to streamline and clearly define Illinois' eminent domain laws.

Senate Bill 3086 will reform the use of eminent domain for economic development purposes. The bill is aimed at setting stricter and more transparent guidelines on the use of eminent domain and ensuring property owners are fairly reimbursed for relocation and legal expenses. The legislation is in response to a recently Supreme Court ruling which allowed government seizure of private property, which was then given to private developers.

Having been approved by the House of Representatives, the measure will return to the Senate for concurrence before moving on to governor for final consideration.

The House also passed Senate Bill 2726, which establishes guidelines for awarding death compensation for members of the armed forces who were killed in the line of duty. Under the bill, death benefits would be paid according to the most recent version of the applicable Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Election and Certification form.

If no such form exists, compensation would be paid in accordance with a legally binding will, and if neither exists, benefits will be paid to a spouse, children of the deceased, parents of the deceased, or siblings or children of their siblings, in that order.

Bomke says these changes are in response to recent cases involving fallen service personnel whose compensation has been paid to parents or other family members who were not an active part of soldiers' lives prior to their death.

In other news, several Senate measures received House committee approval this week, including Senate Bill 1144, the "Let Them Rest in Peace Act." The legislation prohibits loud and inflammatory protests within 200 feet of all Illinois funeral services, from 30 minutes before until 30 minutes after the funeral. The proposal was crafted in response to a series of disruptions at military funerals in Illinois and nationwide by members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. The fundamentalist church group recently became known for picketing the burials of soldiers and Marines killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The legislation passed the House Judiciary 1 Civil Law Committee unanimously on April 19 and will now be sent to the full House for consideration.

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Other Senate measures gaining House committee approval this week:

Sex offenders -- Senate Bill 622 requires state police to make sex offender information available to all inquiring medical schools through the statewide Sex Offender Database. Senate Bill 859 makes failure to disclose a previous conviction of a sex offense on an employment application grounds for suspension of a teacher's certificate and allows for a certificate holder to be suspended from his or her duties if it is deemed necessary for the safety of students.

Transportation -- Senate Bill 624 requires a person convicted of driving without insurance to have their driving privileges suspended for three months, in addition to any other penalty imposed, and adds that the license will remain suspended until the offender pays a $100 reinstatement fee. Senate Bill 1089 imposes a $25 fee on traffic offenders who are granted court supervision. A portion of the money will go to the police agency that issued the ticket and will then be used to purchase police squad cars.

Consumer fraud -- Senate Bill 2310, with some exceptions, allows any consumer, not just a victim of ID theft, to place a security freeze on their credit report. It also allows a consumer reporting agency to charge a fee of up to $10 to place, remove or temporarily lift the freeze.

Open meetings -- Senate Bill 585, among other changes, expands the definition of "meetings" to include meetings by electronic means, such as instant messaging or other interactive communication.

DUI -- Senate Bill1088 expands the state's DUI fund to allow spending for DUI training, any equipment necessary for the enforcement of the DUI statute and for officer salaries.

Tattoos -- Senate Bill 927 creates the Tattoo and Body Piercing Establishment Registration Act. Under the act, tattoo and body piercing establishments must register with the Department of Public Health.

Professional regulation -- Senate Bill 946 permits a partially consumed bottle of wine to be taken from a restaurant when specific ordering and packaging conditions are met. Senate Bill 2330 makes several changes to the state's Blind Vendors Act.

HIV-AIDS -- Senate Bill1001 creates the Illinois African-American HIV-AIDS Response Fund.

Education -- Senate Bill 2795 amends the Illinois School Code to allow for a new way to convert and form school districts.

[News release from Illinois Senate Republicans]

           

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