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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] |
