Depending on what form the proposal takes, expanded gaming could generate from $1 billion to $1.5 billion – enough to leverage $25 billion in job-creating construction investments. Lawmakers are exploring numerous possibilities, including an expansion of the positions at existing riverboats; a Chicago-based casino; gaming at horse racing tracks; video poker; an Internet lottery; modification of the current smoking ban as it applies to riverboats; and a professional management contract for the state’s Lottery.
Both leaders said that any allocations from a capital plan must be fair to all areas of the state, the projects should be based on the needs of the state, and any projects that have been promised must be funded.
Also this week, a Senate committee rejected a proposal that would allow residents to carry concealed weapons. Senate Bill 1976 would have allowed qualified gun owners to apply for concealed carry permits, to be issued by Illinois county sheriffs. However, on March 10, members of a Senate panel largely comprised of Chicago-area lawmakers shot down the proposal.
Concealed carry laws have long been supported by downstate lawmakers, but are vigorously opposed by most Chicago and suburban legislators. Supporters pledged to continue to pursue the legislation, which has also been introduced in the House of Representatives. Illinois is one of only two states without any form of concealed carry law.
To increase transparency and promote taxpayer accountability, the Senate Education Committee approved legislation that would require the State Board of Education to make publicly available an itemized breakdown of all public educators’ and administrators’ salaries. Currently, lawmakers and the public are restricted from seeing exactly when and how salary increases take place.
Senate Bill 2270 requires school districts to provide the State Board of Education with an itemized salary compensation report for every certified employee in the district, including teachers, principals and the superintendent. The report would include all compensation, including paid sick and vacation day payouts, annuities and all other forms of compensation. The schools would also be required to present the report at a school board meeting, post it on the district’s Internet Web site and submit the report to the Regional Superintendent. The State Board of Education would also be required to publish the report on its Web site.
The Illinois Civic Federation and the Illinois Policy Institute this week released their recommendations to bring prosperity back to Illinois. Both organizations agree with Senate Republicans – Illinois has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Since 2003, the state has consistently created and expanded programs using one-time revenues and short- term gimmicks, including raiding the pension systems, borrowing, raiding special state funds and selling state assets.
The Illinois Civic Federation urged legislative leaders and Gov. Quinn to cap or reduce state spending; warned against income tax increases for new spending; and urged lawmakers to consider a capital improvement proposal that identifies and prioritizes projects before capital funds are appropriated.
The Illinois Policy Institute wants to increase government transparency and oversight, cut wasteful spending and impose new, more stringent limitations on tax and fee increases.
Legislation approved by Senate committees this week includes:
Arbitration (SB 1715): Establishes a time frame within which an initial agreement must be reached or conciliation and arbitration attempted.
Business tax exemption (SB 1923): States that businesses that intend to establish a new wind power facility in Illinois may be considered "high impact businesses" and qualify for certain occupation tax exemptions.
Cancer treatment (SB 1683): Sets forth new guidelines for use of cancer treatment drugs.
Cigarette tax (SB 44): Increases the tax on cigarettes by $1 per pack to raise approximately $250 million annually.
Credit cards (SB 1524): Prohibits colleges from selling or transferring student data to credit card issuers.
Crime (SB 1885): Provides that a student with a pending juvenile or criminal proceeding alleging the commission of a felony may be immediately transferred to an alternative program.
Employers (SB 1547): Requires employers who fail to pay commission in final compensation to pay three times the amount not paid.
Excessive idling (SB 2104): Sets fines for an excessive idling violation at $90 for the first conviction and $500 for a second or subsequent conviction within a 12-month period.
Firefighters (SB 1642): Requires disabled firefighters receiving benefits to have annual examinations.
Flu immunization (SB 1736): Requires hospitals to adopt a flu and pneumonia immunization policy for patients 65 and older.
Foster care rates (SB 1576): Increases foster care rates to bring the state in line with national methodology.
Graduation (SB 1796): Establishes the Illinois Hope and Opportunity Pathways through Education (IHOPE) Program to develop a comprehensive system to re-enroll significant numbers of high school dropouts in programs that will enable them to earn their high school diploma.
Illinois Cares Rx (SB 2069): Expands the Illinois Cares Rx program (formerly SeniorCare) to 239% of the federal poverty line (FPL).
Insurance (SB 240): Exempts certain religious groups from insurance laws. (SB 2287): States that no insurer or administrator may require a healthcare provider to agree to a written contractor policy containing any language that directly or indirectly limits the ability of that provider to seek legal redress in any court of law.
Judicial protection (SB 1582): Restricts the disclosure of the home residence or telephone number of a judge or a judicial candidate.
LIHEAP (SB 2271): Expands eligibility for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program by requiring medical expenses to be considered when determining eligibility.
Mexican-American history (SB 1557): Requires the Study of Mexican-American History curriculum in every public elementary school and high school.
MRSA (SB 105): Requires all state residential facilities, such as mental health hospitals or correctional facilities, to establish MRSA prevention control and reporting procedures.
Multiple sclerosis (SB 1809): Requires insurance coverage for medically necessary preventative physical therapy for multiple sclerosis.
Nuclear power plants (SB 2162): Allows for the construction of new nuclear power plants in Illinois.
Party affiliation (SB 1666): Provides that when voting in a primary election, voters are not required to declare their political party affiliation.
Physician immunity (SB 1487): Allows physician assistants to provide medical care in an emergency situation or in a state or local disaster without the supervision of a physician, and givens them civil immunity, unless there is willful and wanton misconduct.
Political committee (SB 1662): Requires political committees created within 30 days of an election to file their statement of organization within 24 hours of creation.
Public safety (SB 1919): Prohibits healthcare facilities from flushing unused meds into a public wastewater collection system or septic system.
Prevailing wage (SB 1423): Expands prevailing wage to transporters of aggregate material.
Renewable energy (SB 1912): Authorizes bonds for renewable energy projects, so the state can help finance a broad array of energy projects, particularly those eligible for incentives under the new federal stimulus law.
Speed limit (SB 1467): Increases the speed limit for large trucks, buses, RVs and trucks towing other vehicles from 55 miles per hour to 65 miles per hour on rural interstates.
Solar power (SB 1570): Creates the School Wind and Solar Generation Program to fund wind generation projects and solar generation projects for school districts and community college districts.
Special education (SB 1853): Allows a school district to contract for administrative services or alternate facilities in order to maintain special educational facilities as may be needed for children with disabilities.
Storm water management (SB 1489): Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a statewide standard for storm water management programs to transition toward the use of green infrastructure.
Testing waivers (SB 2220): Allows Illinois to issue out-of-state testing waivers, except for basic skills testing.
Textbook publishers (SB 1485): Places restrictions on college textbook publishers, especially on bundling of textbooks.
Therapists (SB 1391): Mandates the State Board of Education to adopt rules to provide for standards for the certification of marital and family therapists employed by school boards.
Veterans (SB 206): Creates a Task Force to determine an appropriate percentage goal for award each fiscal year of the state’s total expenditures for contracts awarded under the Procurement Code to disabled veterans.
Workers’ compensation (SB 1594): States that an employee who sustained an injury while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, must prove that the injury would have occurred regardless of their intoxication for them to receive workers’ comp.