Senate week in review          Send a link to a friend

Aug. 27-31

[September 01, 2007]  SPRINGFIELD -- The waiting game continued as neither chamber of the General Assembly scheduled dates to address Gov. Blagojevich's $463 million in changes to the state's operating budget, noted state Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield.

However, in other news, the governor did sign legislation that offers rebates and credits to Ameren and Commonwealth Edison utility customers. Senate Bill 1592 calls for all long-term contracts to be processed by the new Illinois Power Authority, as an alternative to the controversial "reverse power auction." Critics of Illinois' reverse power auction blamed the program for contributing to the major increase in electric rates experienced by customers of the two utilities at the beginning of the year.

The utility law changes were adopted as a compromise after Senate President Emil Jones Jr., D-Chicago, a close ally of Commonwealth Edison, blocked rate freeze legislation. However, critics of Senate Bill 1592 (P.A. 95-0481) contend that the $1 billion rate relief spread over three years offered by this legislation will not result in long-term or permanent savings for many customers.

The governor announced a series of controversial changes to the state budget earlier in August -- sparking negative reactions from providers of services to the poor, local community leaders and editorial writers, all of whom noted inconsistencies and contradictions in the governor's action.

Some of the more controversial cuts, Bomke noted, were to elementary, secondary and higher education; health care; senior citizens living in nursing homes; hospitals serving the poor; and those providing services to people with developmental disabilities.

Legislation signed into law this week:

(For details on any of the bills listed below, go to http://www.ilga.gov/ and search by bill number.)

Birth certificates (House Bill 250) -- Requires public and private schools, child care facilities, and day cares (currently, only schools) to require a copy of a birth certificate for newly enrolled children.

Cool cities (Senate Bill 1242) -- Creates the Illinois Cool Cities Act, to encourage the reduction of greenhouse gases.

DNA (Senate Bill 1346) -- Requires county medical examiners and coroners to provide the state police with a DNA sample from a body if the state police determine that a DNA sample may be useful in a criminal investigation.

Drugs (Senate Bill 30) -- Requires the Department of Human Services to establish an electronic monitoring system for Schedule III-V controlled substances.

Elections (House Bill 263) -- Requires sex offenders whose polling places are located at schools to vote early or by absentee ballot.

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Internet safety (Senate Bill 1472) -- Permits school districts to adopt a curriculum for Internet safety instruction for students in K-12.

License plates (Senate Bill 169) -- Creates a new license plate for Illinois Professional Golfers Association Foundation Junior Golf.

Mold (Senate Bill 1257) -- Creates the Mold Remediation Registration Act.

Public officials (House Bill 328) -- Extends the offense of threatening a public official to include sworn law enforcement officers or peace officers.

School crossing zones (House Bill 508) -- Provides that reckless driving is a Class 4 felony if the violation causes bodily harm to a child or school crossing guard while the school crossing guard is performing his or her official duties.

Sex offenders (House Bill 50) -- Provides that a child sex offender shall not have any Internet communications with people under the age of 18.

Social Security (House Bill 574) -- Adds additional members and changes the scope of the Social Security Number Protection Task Force.

Social workers (Senate Bill 1739) -- Allows a licensed social worker to receive Medicaid reimbursements for seeing a Medicaid-eligible client.

State facilities (Senate Bill 1326) -- Requires the Commission on Government Accountability and Forecasting to review the potential closure of all state facilities rather than just those with over 25 employees.

Temporary and day labor (Senate Bill 1314) -- Allows day and temporary work agencies or clients to combine multiple days' work hours on the pay stub if the laborer has worked for the same client for more than one day in a week.

Thermostats (Senate Bill 1241) -- Provides that beginning July 1, 2008, no person shall install, sell, distribute or offer to distribute a mercury thermostat in the state.

Vehicles (Senate Bill 1164) -- Provides that certain vehicles shall be considered salvage if the vehicle sustains a specified amount of damage.

Women (Senate Bill 731) -- Requires the Department of Human Services to conduct a study of the needs of disabled women in the community as well as structured living arrangements regarding sexual assault and violence.

[Text from file sent on behalf of Sen. Larry Bomke by Illinois Senate Republican staff]

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