Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday heralded the passage of a bill that would partially consolidate the state’s 649 downstate and suburban police and firefighter pension funds into two statewide funds with a goal of increasing investment returns on pooled assets. Meanwhile, a bill the governor had came out in strong support of during the first week of fall Veto Session failed to advance in the Senate. 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s full-court press to pass a bill designed to make a Chicago casino financially feasible failed to get any sort of vote Thursday, complicating the city’s financial future.  

Lightfoot said in a statement that she was “disappointed” that the bill never came together, and vowed to try again in January — warning lawmakers that the state’s capital bill relies on revenue from a Chicago casino.

Any ethics measures the General Assembly might pass to police lawmakers’ and lobbyists’ activities in the midst of an ever-growing federal corruption probe touching Chicago, Springfield and beyond have been pushed off until Thursday — the last day legislators are scheduled to be in session for the rest of 2019. Meanwhile, a bill to fix the way in which sales tax is collected from online retailers is on its way to full passage, and a ban on flavored e-cigarettes passed a Senate committee Wednesday, but won’t make it through the full General Assembly before the end of session.

An effort to ban a chemical used to sterilize medical equipment failed to advance Wednesday, delaying efforts to phase out or tighten regulations for the chemical thought to cause cancer until spring. 

A bill that would partially consolidate Illinois 649 suburban and downstate police and firefighter pension funds passed the House Wednesday and will land in the Senate for a final vote on Thursday, overcoming  a hurdle that nearly derailed the bill earlier in the week.

A bill that would ban all flavors of e-cigarettes is set to be heard in a Senate committee Wednesday, but the bill is not likely to pass through the General Assembly before the end of Veto Session. Meanwhile, House Republicans are continuing to push an omnibus ethics package that may only have partial support from Democrats.

A bill that would partially consolidate Illinois 649 suburban and downstate police and firefighter pension funds is on track, despite a hurdle that nearly derailed the bill Tuesday.

The Illinois Municipal League told its members Tuesday morning it may no longer be in support of a bill that would partially consolidate 649 downstate and suburban police and firefighter pension funds — a bill it helped to write — because of a provision inserted into the bill on Monday.

An amendment to SB 1300 filed Monday reflects an agreement made with the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police late Friday, which should have sealed the deal on the bill — one Gov. JB Pritzker indicated was his number one priority for Veto Session.

But in a memo sent to its members Tuesday morning, the Illinois Municipal League said the amendment, filed by State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) would make it easier for police officers and firefighters to claim disability, which could add extra burdens to municipalities’ budgets if it were abused.

The amendment includes a provision that league officials said would change the longstanding practice of allowing municipalities to intervene if it believes a police officer or firefighter’s claim for permanent disability and pension payouts is invalid or deficient. 

Instead, league officials said the new language introduced Monday would not allow for any review by the municipality, and the exclusive power to grant disability claims would lie with the local pension boards. 

“A third party, including the Police Officers' Pension Investment Fund established under Article 22B of this Code, shall not have the authority to control, alter, or modify, or the ability to review or intervene in, the proceedings or decisions of the fund as otherwise provided in this Section,” according to the new language filed Monday. 

League Director Brad Cole told The Daily Line that the language means any third party — not even state police” could intervene “if there’s a fraudulent claim or something.”

That amendment would not allow for a third party, including the municipality, could even review proceedings later, Cole said.

“It’s a secret tribunal,” Cole said. 

Already, municipalities say they’re at a disadvantage when it comes to first responder disability claims, as the five-member local pension boards are made up of three active or retired members of the same union as the injured cop or firefighter. Two trustees are appointed by the mayor or a village president, but the majority on the board decides whether or not to grant disability benefits.

Additionally, the legal advisor for the pension board is also selected by that same board and often advocates in favor of the member seeking benefits, according to league officials. The league claims it has the potential for a biased board to determine whether or not to grant disability benefits.

Cole said the disability benefits and pension awards are “lifetime awards.”

“I mean, we’re talking about millions of dollars potentially,” Cole said. “If the taxpayer can’t have the opportunity through the municipality to intervene or at least request proceedings, how it that fair?”

Cole claimed the new language is “totally unrelated” to the issue of pension consolidation.

One month ago, Cole stood with Pritzker and others who served on the governor’s Pension Consolidation Task Force, touting the report the group had put together since being assembled in the first weeks of Pritzker’s term. 

But the league memo sent to members Tuesday morning warned it was possible the group — which has for years been one of the loudest voices pushing for pension consolidation — might be unable to support the bill.

“At this critical point in the process, IML is actively seeking to correct the overreaches put forward in the new proposed legislation,” the memo said. “If IML is unable to refocus the General Assembly on the primary issue of protecting taxpayer funds through the elimination of duplicative fund administration and burdensome, costly mandates, all of which would be addressed through common sense solutions involving consolidation, it is unknown how things will end this week or if a beneficial resolution will develop.”

Hoffman declined to comment while walking into caucus Tuesday afternoon. At press time, the governor’s office had not responded to a request for comment.

As lawmakers are returning to Springfield Tuesday for the second half of their fall Veto Session, several pieces of high-profile legislation been placed on the back burner amid a widespread federal corruption probe that appears to touch marquee programs like infrastructure and gambling expansion.

But even as lawmakers’ anxiety looms, support is still high for a proposal to partially consolidate Illinois 649 suburban and downstate public safety pension funds into two statewide funds, one serving police and one serving firefighters.

Menthol cigarettes and flavored chewing tobacco would still be allowed to be sold in Illinois as negotiations continue over a bill aimed at banning flavored tobacco products, The Daily Line has learned.