Major issues loom for Illinois Legislature's final week of session
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[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.
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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.
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The Illinois State Capitol rotunda from
above
Greg Bishop / The Center Square
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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.
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