© 2024 WNIJ and WNIU
Northern Public Radio
801 N 1st St.
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-9000
Northern Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Illinois Issues: Legislative Checklist

Sean Tenner
A legislative hearing for an anti-wage theft bill. Participating as proponents during the hearing are Don Chartier, founder of HourVoice and Clint Brown, representative from Local 881, a labor union.

In response to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s order for a 10-day special session, the General Assembly returned to Springfield this week to focus on crafting a budget.

Three weeks ago, legislators tried to beat the end of the official spring legislative session and worked to pass measures dealing with women’s and LGBT rights, farmer’s market concerns, and issues related to women in prison.

 

Measures addressing worker rights and labor issues also advanced. An anti-wage theft bill, which would increase criminal penalties for employers engaged in repeated wage theft, was approved by both chambers.

 

Many of these bills are waiting for action by the governor.

 

Legislation that has been approved:

 

Sexual crimes against children

SB 189: This legislation, which was sent to the governor, would eliminate statutes of limitation for felony sexual crimes against children. Sponsored by Sen. Scott Bennett, D-Champaign, it would give victims the opportunity to file charges at any time after the assault has taken place. The bill would not override cases where the statute of limitations has expired but would apply to all other cases where the legal time limit is still valid. Currently, the Illinois statute of limitations for sexual crimes against children is 20 years after the age of 18, or until the victim is 38 years of age. Rep. Michelle Mussman, D-Schaumburg, sponsored the House bill.

 

Abortion 

Credit Alisa Ryan/Flickr

Credit Alisa Ryan/Flickr

  HB 40: This measure could allow abortions to be covered by Medicaid and state-employee health insurance. It also would strike down the so-called trigger law, written in the 1970s, which said abortion would become illegal automatically in Illinois if Roe v. Wade was ever overturned. Gov. Bruce Rauner has indicated that he plans to veto the measure despite campaigning as a pro-choice candidate in 2014. The bill was proposed by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago; the Senate sponsor was Heather Steans, D-Chicago.

 

LGBT panic defense

SB 1761: Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, sponsored this bill to prohibit using a victim’s sexual orientation or a nonviolent sexual advance as a defense for violent assault or murder. The so-called “gay panic defense” or “transgender panic defense” was last used in 2009, when an Illinois man was acquitted of first-degree murder. Proponents of the bill want to ensure that this defense will not be used in Illinois again to mitigate or eliminate murder charges. The House sponsor was Rep. Litesa Wallace, D-Rockford.

 

Animal welfare

Credit Flickr

SB 1882 and SB 1884: Both bills were approved by the Senate and the House. The first bill would require disclosure on sale documents that a cat or dog was micro-chipped. The bill also prevents any pet shop owner, or dog or cat dealer, from obtaining an animal from someone who has previous violations of federal law or regulation falling under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Michael E. Hastings, D-Orland Hills; the House sponsor was Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Smithton. The second would require public research institutions in Illinois to establish an adoption policy for dogs and cats used in testing rather than euthanizing them. It was sponsored by Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora; Rep. Laura Fine, D-Glenview, sponsored the House bill.

 

Suicide prevention

HB 2545: This measure would amend the Illinois School Code by requiring all school personnel working with students in kindergarten through grade 12 to undergo annual training to identify the warning signs of mental illness and suicidal behavior in youth. The current code already mandates this annual training for specific personnel such as guidance counselors, teachers or social workers. The bill passed in the Senate, but a Senate amendment awaits approval. Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville, was the sponsor; Sen. Chuck Weaver, R-Peoria, sponsored it in the House.

 

Women in prison

HB 3904: Sponsored by Rep. Juliana Stratton, D-Chicago, this bill would create a women’s division in the Department of Corrections to oversee women’s correctional institutions. It also calls for the Corrections director to appoint a chief administrator with specialized training in gender-responsive and trauma-informed practices. The Senate approved the measure but added an amendment that needs House approval before being sent to the governor. Sen. Toi Hutchinson, D-Olympia Fields, sponsored the bill in that chamber.

 

Farmers’ markets

Credit Gemma Billings/Flickr

HB 2820: Legislation sponsored by Rep. Steven Andersson, R-Geneva, would help address farmers’ market vendor concerns about fees and sanitation. Under this legislation, a Farmers’ Market Task Force would be created to work with the Illinois Department of Public Health to establish sanitary practices, such as shared hand-washing stations and food storage, that can be used across all farmers’ markets. Sen. David Koehler, D- Peoria, is the Senate sponsor. The Senate added an amendment that is awaiting House approval.

 

Wage theft

Credit Daisy Contreras/Illinois Issues
Proponents of the anti-wage theft bill after a Senate Labor Committee, where the measure passed. From left to right: Sean Tenner, lobbyist for the anti-wage theft bill, Don Chartier, founder of HourVoice, and Clint Brown, representative from Local 881.

SB 1720: This bill, approved by both chambers, would increase penalties for employers who repeatedly engage in wage theft and add restrictions for repeat offenders when contracting with the state. Unpaid wage amounts of $5,000 or less would become Class A misdemeanors, equivalent to driving under the influence and damaging property, with possible penalties of less than a year in jail and a fee of no more than $2,500. Higher unpaid wage amounts become Class 4 felonies, ranked with crimes such as stalking and aggravated assault, with possible prison terms of one to three years. Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, sponsored this bill. House co-sponsors are Reps. Lisa Hernandez, D-Chicago, and Carol Ammons, D-Urbana.

 

Inmate information requests

HB 619: This legislation would change the Freedom of Information Act to prohibit access to records by a person committed to the Department of Corrections or a county jail if disclosure potentially could result in the risk of a jail escape. These changes also would protect inmate-requested records that disclose personal information about the inmate’s victim or the victim’s family. Rep. Lawrence Walsh, D-Joliet, sponsored the House bill. In the Senate, William Haine, D-Alton, was the sponsor.

 

PASSED ONE CHAMBER

 

Publicly funded campaigns

SB 1424: Sponsored by Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, this legislation would create a publicly funded campaign donor matching program for candidates running for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, treasurer, secretary of state, senator and representative. Candidates enrolled in the program would be required to limit the amount of individual contributions. The General Assembly would need to set aside the equivalent of $1 per resident in the state. Under this legislation, the program would match a candidate’s donations by six times the donated amount. The bill was approved in the Senate but did not move out of a House committee.

 

Police chief training

HB 3328: This measure, which passed in the House but stalled in a Senate committee, would amend the Police Training Act to include the City of Chicago Police Department and the Cook County Sheriff's Police Department in the annual mandated 20-hour training for chiefs in law enforcement, management development or ethics. Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, sponsored this bill. The Senate bill is sponsored by Sen. Michael Connelly, R-Wheaton.

 

REJECTED

Revolving door

SB 615: This bill would have amended the Lobbyist Registration Act to require any former state employee or official to wait one year after leaving the job before lobbying in government. Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, sponsored this bill, which did not move out of committee.

 

State bail system

HB 3421: This legislation, sponsored by Rep. Christian Mitchell, D-Chicago, proposes to release detainees who are considered low-risk without having them pay bail. Detainees considered a danger to the community or a potential flight risk would not be considered for bail. The bill also would require clerks to publicly disclose reports on people arrested, released and detained in each county. Additional services to defendants, such as reminders for upcoming court dates via phone or text message, as well as transportation to court, would be required from pretrial service agencies. It failed to get out of committee. A similar measure at reforming the state’s bail system, SB 2034, was signed into law earlier in June. The measure would allow those who can’t immediately afford bond to attend a second bail hearing and it would give $30 credit toward bond for every day spent in jail.

 

Illinois Issuesis in-depth reporting and analysis that takes you beyond the headlines to provide a deeper understanding of our state. Illinois Issuesis produced by NPR Illinois in Springfield.

Daisy reports on various assignments for NPR Illinois. She graduated from the Public Affairs Reporting master’s degree program at the University of Illinois Springfield, where she spent time covering the legislative session for NPR Illinois' Illinois Issues. Daisy interned then researched for the Chicago Reporter. She obtained an associate degree in French language from Harry S Truman College and a bachelor's degree in communications from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Before coming to Springfield, Daisy worked in communication roles for several Chicago non-profits. Daisy is from Chicago where she attended Lane Tech High School.