 In addition, the Senate Republican Caucus took time to host its
second Veterans Legislative Day. More than 200 Illinois veterans
traveled to Springfield to participate in the event.Opening
remarks were delivered by Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno,
R-Lemont, who was joined by Gov. Pat Quinn. The day was filled with
a variety of speakers, including Republican members of the Senate
Veterans' Affairs Committee; Dan Grant, director of the Illinois
Department of Veterans' Affairs; and representatives from the
offices of congressmen Peter Roskam, Aaron Schock and John Shimkus.
The speakers fielded veterans' questions, helped them better
understand what benefits are currently available to veterans, and
told them how to go about obtaining those benefits.
At the Statehouse, legislators were busy moving legislation out
of committee, including one measure that seeks to prohibit elected
officials who are convicted of violating the official misconduct
law, or who have been removed from office due to conviction or
impeachment, from financially benefiting from their misdeeds.
House Bill 4078 presumably targets former Gov. Rod Blagojevich,
whose impeachment and removal from office sparked worldwide interest
and has led to a lucrative book deal. Some lawmakers believe that
the former governor, who was recently slapped with a 19-count
indictment on corruption charges, should not be able to benefit
financially by telling his story.
The provisions of House Bill 4078 would allow the attorney
general to file a forfeiture action against the elected official to
recover all proceeds traceable to the official's offense that harmed
the citizens of Illinois. Though there is support for the
legislation's intent, similar attempts to prohibit criminals from
receiving compensation for books detailing their criminal activities
have been declared unconstitutional as an infringement of the
individual's First Amendment rights.
Also this week, the Joint Committee on Ethics met on Tuesday, and
testimony this week centered on the Illinois Health Facilities
Planning Board.
The most anticipated witness testimony came from Pamela Davis,
who is president and CEO of Edward Hospital in Naperville. Davis was
the whistle-blower who worked in conjunction with the FBI to help
uncover the pay-to-play schemes and corruption at the Health
Facilities Planning Board. She testified in favor of legislation
that would remove two administrators who served on the board during
the time the corruption schemes took place.
The legislation would prohibit David Carvalho, deputy director at
the Department of Public Health, from continuing to serve as an ex
officio member of the Health Facilities Planning Board. The measure
would also terminate Jeffrey Mark, executive secretary of the Health
Facilities Planning Board. The legislation goes on to prohibit Mark
from holding a position at any agency authorized to provide an ex
officio member to the board.
The measure is sponsored by House Republican Leader Tom Cross,
R-Oswego, who contends the legislation is needed to "continue to
fumigate state government." He says that both Carvalho and Mark
should be removed because the events at the board took place "on
their watch." Both men targeted by the legislation defended
themselves and said they acted accordingly, maintaining they
notified proper officials when they noticed suspicious activity.
On Thursday afternoon, House Speaker Michael Madigan went one
step further in the effort to eliminate the taint of corruption from
state boards and commissions, introducing legislation that would
remove anyone appointed by Govs. Rod Blagojevich or George Ryan to
one of the estimated 90 state boards and commissions. It is
projected that the measure could affect 3,000 people.
The goal of
House Bill 4450 is to restore public confidence in Illinois
government. A clause in the bill gives Gov. Pat Quinn the ability to
issue a 60-day stay and reappoint sitting board members.
Bomke said that most lawmakers are cautiously optimistic about
the measure, and acknowledged that allegations and findings of
corruption on several state boards have led to increased public
scrutiny and criticism of the appointment process in Illinois. Many
legislators are reserving judgment on the speaker's drastic action
until they can more fully examine the legislation and its impact.
Legislation approved by Senate committees this week:
Abuse (HB 3649): Requires the Department of Public Health to
investigate every allegation of abuse and requires hospital
employees to report any suspected abuse.
Aid (HB 745): Allows applicants for public aid to apply at any
local Department of Human Services office, not just the office in
the county where the applicant resides.
Animal shelters (HB 4036): Provides that animal shelters may not
allow animals to be adopted without sterilization or microchipping.
Cell phones (HB 72): Prohibits drivers from using cell phones in
school or construction zones unless using a hands-free device.
Child abuse (HB 224): Requires a person convicted of a sexual
offense against a child by the use or threat of force to wear a GPS
tracking device as a condition of parole.
Conservation Fund (HB 36): Replaces $16 million in state wildlife
and fish funds so Illinois does not lose federal funds, and also
prevents future transfers from the fund.
Comprehensive care (HB 838): Provides that no person may operate
as a participant as part of the Comprehensive Care in Residential
Settings Demonstration Project until they obtain a valid license.
Cyberstalking (HB 2542): Changes stalking and cyberstalking laws
to prohibit conduct that could cause a victim to suffer emotional
distress.
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Dental services (HB 917): Authorizes Medicaid reimbursement of
preventive dental services.
Dentists (HB 921): Requires every dental office to have an
emergency medical plan, and requires all dental offices that
administer anesthesia or sedation to have an automated external
defibrillator on the premises.
Disabilities (HB 1035): Mandates the Illinois State Board of
Education and school districts to provide education about people
with disabilities and the history of people with disabilities.
Disease (HB 3922): Requires the Department of Public Health to
investigate the causes of dangerously contagious or infectious
disease and the health effects, health conditions, or health
ailments related to biological, chemical, radiological or nuclear
events.
DNA (HB 935): Requires every person arrested for committing a
felony to submit a DNA sample at the time of booking.
Dogfighting (HB 69): Raises the penalty for sponsoring or
attending an illegal dogfight or other illegal animal fight.
Economic development (HB 798): Creates a local economic
development grant program to stimulate the economy.
EPA (HB 4021): Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to
provide notice to the public whenever there is a risk that dangerous
vapors or gases are emitted from the soil.
Firearms (HB 1032): Increases the penalty for selling or giving a
firearm to a convicted felon from a Class 4 to a Class 3 felony.
FOID card (HB 3991): Requires denial or revocation of the FOID
card of a person who is the subject of an order of protection.
Foster care (HB 4054): Establishes a program of transitional
discharge from foster care for teenage foster children, enabling
former foster youths younger than 21 who encounter significant
hardship upon emancipation to re-engage with the Department of
Children and Family Services.
Health grants (HB 208): Establishes grants for constructing or
renovating health care centers.
Insurance (HB 2325): Extends insurance coverage from the current
nine months to 12 months for employees who would lose their health
insurance because they have lost their job or had their hours cut.
ISAC grants (HB 168): Requires the Illinois Student Assistance
Commission to award grants to students who participate in the
Clinical Center Achievement Program at Southern Illinois University
Carbondale.
Lobbyists (HB 1060): Expands the Lobbyist Registration Act to
include those who lobby members of state boards and commissions.
Medicaid (HB 1033): Expands Medicaid eligibility to include
coverage to uninsured individuals who have been screened and found
in need of treatment for prostate or testicular cancer.
NPDES (HB 170): Provides that no private sewage disposal system
that discharges into public waters can be built without a National
Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit issued by the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency, unless the system is built in a
jurisdiction in which the local public health department has a
general NPDES.
Obesity (HB 3767): Organizes at least six hearings on the health
effects and costs of obesity and the need to address the obesity
epidemic.
Opioid antidotes (HB 497): Authorizes medical providers to
prescribe opioid antidotes to patients who will administer these
drugs to someone other than themselves.
Pedestrians (HB 43): Requires vehicles to stop and yield to
pedestrians at intersections without traffic signals.
Robbery (HB 10): Increases the penalty for individuals convicted
of robbing or burglarizing a day care center.
RSDS (HB 9): Requires the Department of Public Health to
establish a Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Education Program
to promote public awareness of the syndrome and the importance of
early detection, diagnosis and treatment.
Sexual harassment (HB 2573): Mandates that every institution of
higher education must post sexual harassment laws and policies.
Stroke victims (HB 2244): Provides for the establishment of an
EMS regional plan concerning the triage, treatment and transport of
possible acute stroke patients.
Threats (HB 1105): Increases penalties for disorderly conduct
that involves threatening to destroy a school, school event or
people at a school.
[Text from file sent on behalf of
Sen.
Larry Bomke by Illinois
Senate Republican staff]
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