|
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.
[to top of second column] |
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] |
