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MAY 15, 2018
Volkswagen Settlement - At 3:30 p.m. in Stratton room 413, the House Environment Committee is slated to take up SB3101 from Sen. Cristina Castro (D-Elgin). The bill would require the Illinois EPA to create a state beneficiary mitigation plan and a Volkswagen Settlement Task Force. The task force would open up the settlement process for more public hearings, be required to keep the public informed, and would have to produce a public report on its findings and recommendations by January 2019. The measure passed the Senate 31-21 on April 26.
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MAY 14, 2018
This weekend’s In Case You Missed It report from the Capitol brings you the must-read round-up on the latest gun bill awaiting action on the governor’s desk, and the budget-mastery advice from one Republican Illinois governor to the next.
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MAY 14, 2018
The General Assembly re-assembles in Springfield Tuesday to dive into its second week of the last month of session. Budget negotiations are expected to pick up steam as top lawmakers continue meetings with Gov. Bruce Rauner. A number of high-visibility bills are still circulating in the statehouse at a rapid clip and election pressures are mounting for candidates in the crosshairs.
Committee times and bill hearings are always subject to change, but here are some of the key ones we’ll be watching this week:
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A measure aimed to prevent the state from creating a database of Muslim residents cleared the Illinois Senate Thursday.
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MAY 11, 2018
Victim protection - The Illinois Senate approved a bill Thursday which would extend the statute of limitations on adult sexual assault charges to a full year after the sexual assault is discovered by the victim. Sen. Jill Tracy (R-Quincy) said SB2271 came about after a woman who was drugged later discovered video evidence that her assailant had sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious. Tracy said a loophole in the current statute of limitations left the woman unable to press charges. The bill cleared the chamber 50-0 and now moves to the House.
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MAY 10, 2018
The Illinois Senate Wednesday approved a measure aimed to protect immigrant tenants from discrimination by landlords.
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MAY 10, 2018
Civic Fed Dings Rauner Budget - In a fiscal analysis released Wednesday, the Civic Federation said it did not support Gov. Bruce Rauner's proposed budget for FY2019, calling it "precariously balanced" and asserting it does not sufficiently address the state's $7.7 billion backlog. The group's Institute for Illinois' Fiscal Sustainability focused its caution on the governor's projected $1.8 billion revenue plan which relies on the sale of the James R. Thompson Center, "speculative" group health plan savings, and shifting pension costs to Chicago Public Schools. Civic Federation President Laurence Msall said in the release: “The possibility of renewed political stalemate hangs over Springfield, and it would be financially reckless to wait until after the upcoming election to start working toward long-term stabilization. The state narrowly avoided a downgrade to junk status last year and another impasse could squander recent progress.” [Civic Federation Report: Governor's FY2019 Budget Proposal]
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On Tuesday, the Senate Education Committee approved a bill to allow THC-infused prescription medication in schools. The bill bans medical cannabis from being smoked in schools, since it is already barred in Illinois for those younger than 18.
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MAY 09, 2018
Party leaders of both the Illinois House and Senate met with Gov. Bruce Rauner Tuesday to discuss the state’s budgeting process, while a group of state senators urged lawmakers to change Chicago's gang database.
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MAY 08, 2018
Equal Rights Amendment supporters have rallied a coalition of women groups who are scheduled to lobby the statehouse Tuesday, calling for Illinois House members to vote for the amendments long-awaited ratification. At least eight buses have been chartered to bring the groups from across the state for ERA Lobby Day.
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