Senate week in review          Send a link to a friend

Feb. 26-March 2

[March 06, 2007]  SPRINGFIELD -- Senate lawmakers had a busy week in Springfield attending legislative committees that approved a diverse range of legislation, spanning from stem cell research to increasing standards for obtaining a driver's license in Illinois, said state Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield.

The Senate Public Health Committee unanimously approved legislation that would require the Illinois Department of Public Health to develop a statewide network of umbilical cord blood banks to help promote the use of cord blood for stem cell research.

The measure, Senate Bill 19, would develop a system to collect the blood from a newborn's umbilical cord immediately after delivery and then process and store the necessary blood components for future medical uses.

Bomke explained that umbilical cord blood has numerous benefits, noting that it is as rich in stem cells as any of the more controversial sources -- including the hotly debated use of embryonic stem cells -- for research purposes.

Meanwhile, the Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday approved legislation that would require young drivers to spend more practice time behind the wheel. The measure, Senate Bill 172, was based on recommendations from the Secretary of State's Teen Drivers Task Force and, if signed into law, would make Illinois' graduated driver's license program one of the toughest in the nation.

The required permit phase for drivers under 18 would increase from 3 months to 9 months; new drivers would be subject to a stricter driving curfew; and new drivers who commit a moving or seat belt violation would face increased penalties. Graduated license holders under 18 would also be prohibited from having more than one passenger under the age of 20 for the first year they have the permit.

Lawmakers on the Senate Criminal Judiciary Committee took additional steps to protect the public by passing legislation intended to curb the use of a dangerous hallucinogenic herb.

The herb, salvia divinorum, is currently easily attainable and has been shown to cause symptoms similar to that experienced by users of LCD or hallucinogenic mushrooms; it can cause severe depression and has been implicated in the suicide of a Delaware teen.

If signed into law, Senate Bill 226 would add the herb to the highest level of controlled substances in Illinois, which are prohibited under almost all circumstances. Individuals found to be in possession of the herb, caught manufacturing or delivering it, or found in possession of the herb with the intent to distribute would be subject to jail time and a fine.

Despite opposition by several committee members, controversial legislation was pushed out of a Senate Public Health Committee that would require sixth-grade girls to receive a vaccine to protect against cervical cancer caused by the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus.

Though the measure would not go into effect for another four years, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed reservations that the bill would mandate the vaccination for all sixth-grade girls in Illinois and vocalized concerns that the vaccine has not been thoroughly tested or studied extensively enough to be made a requirement.

Earlier this week, the Illinois House of Representatives convened a rare committee of the whole to discuss the recent electric rate hikes, which have many Illinois consumers and business owners steamed.

Since the electric rate increases took effect in early January, electric customers --particularly in downstate and rural Illinois -- have received bills that are double, or even triple, the normal cost.

Many downstate representatives called for a rollback of the electric rates, though utility companies continue to insist that reducing the electric rates or a continued rate freeze would be financially crippling.

The following bills were approved by Senate committees and will head to the Senate floor for further debate:

Annexation (Senate Bill 194): Provides consolidation incentives for school districts whose enrollment increases by 90 percent or more as a result of a partial annexation.

Coal mines (Senate Bill 569): Reduces to $1,000, instead of $5,000, the amount of the annual fee applicable to discharges under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for mines producing coal.

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Computer tampering (Senate Bill 142): Adds unauthorized access of a computer network to the offense of computer tampering to address issues arising from the use of wireless Internet.

Cool City designations (Senate Bill 1242): Allows any unit of local government to request designation as an Illinois Cool City if the unit of local government meets certain specifications for reducing greenhouse gases.

Criminal law review (Senate Bill 150): Creates a review commission to study and evaluate Illinois' existing criminal laws to ensure that they are constitutional, consistent, appropriately located and drafted concisely.

Dental school grants (Senate Bill 387): Establishes a grant program for dental school loan repayment to provide a monetary incentive for dentists to practice in distressed areas of the state.

Disabled care (Senate Bill 481): Increases the amount available to immediate family members who provide live-in care for their disabled relatives for more than three years. The claim can be made upon the death of that relative.

Domestic violence (Senate Bill 534): Requires landlords to change the locks for apartment tenants who have been threatened with domestic or sexual violence.

Education funding (Senate Bill 1): Creates the Education Funding Reform Act of 2007.

False representation (Senate Bill 132): Increases penalties for falsely representing oneself as a public officer or a public employee.

Gang tattoos (Senate Bill 116): Establishes a task force to study the costs and effectiveness of a program for the removal of gang tattoos.

Gender discrimination (Senate Bill 1467): Amends the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 2003 to add gender to the protected classes under the act.

Methamphetamine (Senate Bill 274): Increases the penalties for unlawful anhydrous ammonia possession, to discourage the production of methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine contamination (Senate Bill 310): Requires residential property owners to report to potential buyers if the property was used to manufacture methamphetamine.

NPDES permit fee (Senate Bill 1422): Allows the Environmental Protection Agency to adopt rules to administer the NPDES permit fee program.

Open government (Senate Bill 321): Mandates that the state treasurer must post investment information on the Internet.

Phosphorus (Senate Bill 376): Stipulates that in Illinois after July 1, 2010, no person may use, sell, manufacture or distribute for sale any cleaning agent containing more than 0.5 percent phosphorus.

Sewage disposal systems (Senate Bill 1174): Allows local governments to require homeowners with private sewage disposal systems to provide verification that they had a contract with a licensed private sewage disposal system installation contractor.

Smart cities (Senate Bill 207): Allows for grants to municipalities for urban preservation and redevelopment, as well as for green technology.

Special education (Senate Bill 397): Extends some special education services to benefit individuals up to 21 years of age.

Underage drinking (Senate Bill 158): Increases penalties for parents who knowingly allow underage drinking in their residence or do not control the alcohol in their residence.

Volunteer workers (Senate Bill 252): Expands the definition of "volunteer emergency workers" to include people who are volunteer members of a county or municipal emergency service or disaster agency, an auxiliary policeman, or an auxiliary deputy.

[Text from news release sent on behalf of Sen. Larry Bomke and received from Illinois Senate Republican staff]

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