Major issues loom for Illinois Legislature's final week of session

[May 13, 2023]  By Kevin Bessler | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – As the Illinois General Assembly's spring session winds down, in addition to adopting a state budget, lawmakers in Springfield have some glaring issues that have yet to be taken up.

In the wake of the "ComEd Four" corruption convictions involving associates of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, ethics reforms are still awaiting consideration. Madigan, D-Chicago, has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges in the case involving the utility giving do-nothing jobs to Madigan associates in exchange for favorable legislation. He faces trial next year.

While reappointing the Illinois Legislative Inspector General, state Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, called for the post to have more freedom to conduct independent investigations.

"I urge us all to take up the issue of independence of the LIG moving forward so that we can be held in higher esteem in the eyes of the folks that we serve," said Keicher.

The last LIG quit, calling the post a "paper tiger." Carol Pope noted in her July 2021 resignation letter that lawmakers did nothing to help her with investigations during the 2020 legislative session.

Following an Illinois Supreme Court ruling that said each time a person's data is collected is a violation of the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act, there appeared to be bipartisan support to make changes to the law to avoid lawsuits worth billions of dollars. That has yet to happen.

The Illinois State Capitol rotunda from above
Greg Bishop / The Center Square

Officials from business, health care and technology have said the current law could be crippling to their industries, including Illinois Healthcare Association Executive Director Matt Hartman.

"Simply the bringing of the case is enough to trigger the conversations on settlement that result in hundreds of thousands of dollars flowing out of our businesses that could be better directed to direct resident care," Hartman said.

The Invest in Kids program, which will expire at the end of the calendar year if lawmakers take no action, is the tax credit scholarship program and the closest thing Illinois has to school choice.

During a candidate questionnaire in the last election, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he was in favor of the Invest in Kids program, while the Chicago Teachers Union would like to see it go away.

The last scheduled day of the spring legislative session is May 19.

Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in Illinois for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of experience in radio news reporting throughout the Midwest.