Legislators Consider Redistricting, Unemployment Benefits, State Office Merger

Lawmakers responded to a letter from a top Caterpillar Inc. executive to Gov. Pat Quinn that was leaked to the public last weekend, kicking off a busy week at the Illinois Statehouse, said State Sen. Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove). 

On March 25, the Peoria Journal-Star reported that chairman and CEO of Caterpillar, Doug Oberhelman, sent Quinn a private letter referencing the impact the state’s recent tax increase has had on the company’s ability to remain profitable in Illinois. 

Oberhelman has since clarified that the Peoria-based company has no plans to leave Illinois, but stressed the importance of lawmakers embracing a more employer-friendly agenda. The letter said Caterpillar had been approached by other states eager to benefit from the jobs and economic boost a CAT relocation would offer.

A number of Republican and Democrat lawmakers responded March 31 by sending a letter to Quinn expressing their willingness to work in tandem to establish a more business-friendly environment in Illinois. 

Redistricting

Public hearings on the state’s redistricting process also received significant attention during the week when dozens of citizens, special-interest groups and media representatives crowded into the Michael A. Bilandic Building in downtown Chicago on March 28. Witnesses offered testimony, insight and suggestions intended to help lawmakers create state legislative and congressional district maps. 

Testimony from ethnic and racial minority groups dominated the hearing, with representatives repeatedly stressing the importance of keeping minority communities together. The scheduling of additional hearings was also a prominent theme through the day, as a majority of witnesses urged the Committee to schedule more hearings throughout the state. Many witnesses also asked lawmakers to make available to the public a draft map for consideration prior to a legislative vote.

At the urging of witnesses, Senate Redistricting Committee Chairman Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) indicated that additional hearings would be scheduled. Currently only five have been announced, including the March 28 meeting, but none have been scheduled in southern Illinois, in the metropolitan area near St. Louis or in any of the suburban collar counties around Chicago. 

The Chairman also expressed intentions to make public a draft map for review prior to a legislative vote, which was heavily pushed by hearing witnesses. 

This year, the public has been invited to submit potential maps to lawmakers for consideration, and many organizations at the March 28 hearing confirmed they would be submitting their own maps for legislator review.

The House and Senate Republican Caucuses announced they will make the map drawing room in the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago open to the public, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until noon, or by appointment by calling 312-814-2053.

Staff, computers and software will be available for community activists, organizations and people interested in drawing legislative district boundaries. The census data that is used to draw the maps will also be available, and members of the public will be able to save their maps and take them home with them. The next public hearing will be in Springfield on April 6.

McPier Labor reforms

On March 31, the U.S. District Court overturned Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), or “McPier,” labor reforms that were enacted by the General Assembly last May. The reforms were advanced after several lucrative trade shows left Illinois for more desirable locations. Additional shows threatened to leave Chicago if steps weren’t taken to address exhibitor complaints relating to the high cost of doing business at McPier.

After months of public hearings and discussions with stakeholders, the General Assembly passed the reform package to ease stringent labor rules and costs associated with exhibiting at McPier.

A statement from the MPEA confirmed that implementation of the reforms had a tremendously positive impact on the appeal of the convention and trade show facility, with both new and existing companies seeking to hold their events at McCormick Place. 

In the statement, MPEA trustee Jim Reilly noted that the MPEA believes that the ruling is “faulty in several ways and are very hopeful that it will be overturned on appeal.” The MPEA has asked the District Court to stay the order pending appeal.

Workers' Comp Probe 

Also on March 31, the Senate adopted a resolution asking for a federal probe into the state workers’ compensationsystem. That same day it was reported federal prosecutors have issued subpoenas to several state agencies seeking workers’ compensation information and documentation. Senate Resolution 63 urges an outside, independent legal review of the state’s workers’ comp system by the U.S. Attorney or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or both. 

Both the legislation and federal review come in response to news reports that surfaced late last year which raised serious allegations of criminal behavior within Illinois’ workers’ compensation system. The Belleville News-Democrat reported a payout of $10 million in taxpayer dollars for workers’ compensation injuries for more than 380 Menard Correctional Center employees; more than 230 claims were filed by guards for repetitive trauma damage to their wrists and elbows allegedly caused by the locking and unlocking of cell doors.

Merger of Treasurer, comptroller offices could save millions

The Senate also advanced legislation that would merge the state offices of the Treasurer and the Comptroller into one office. Having advanced unanimously out of the Senate, the constitutional amendment, SJRCA 13, now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. If signed into law, the question would be put on a ballot to be decided by Illinois voters. 

It’s estimated that combining the offices into the “Comptroller of the Treasury” position could yield savings of $10 to $12 million annually. If approved by lawmakers and voters, the new Comptroller of the Treasury would be elected in 2014.

Unemployment benefits extended

Finally, the Governor signed legislation enabling the state to pay an $80 million unemployment insurance interest payment due to the federal government, and extending unemployment assistance for tens of thousands of Illinois residents. 

House Bill 1030 directs all unemployment insurance payments received from employers to be siphoned into a dedicated fund that will be used to pay federal interest obligations due in September. The legislation also amends statute to ensure Illinois will continue to receive extended benefit assistance from the federal government. If the measure had not been signed into law, more than 40,000 people would have lost benefits by mid-May. 

New legislation:

Airplane Safety (SB 1709): Prohibits discharging a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft that is taking off, landing, or in flight.

Alcoholic Energy Drink Ban (SB 50): Prohibits the production, distribution or sale of alcohol that is combined with caffeine, guarana or similar substances. 

Defendant Hearings (SB 74): Reduces the time period in which a court must conduct the first hearing to determine a defendant’s fitness from 21 days, to within 14 days of receipt of the defendant’s treatment report.

Discrimination (SB 1122): Establishes that it is a civil rights violation for any employer to discriminate on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions when hiring or making personnel decisions. 

Disease Prevention (SB 145): Requires a skilled nursing facility to designate an infection prevention and control professional to develop and implement policies governing the control of infections and communicable diseases.

Driver’s Education Fee (SB 1643): Allows school districts to increase their driver’s education fee up to $250 by school board resolution following a public hearing on the increase. The increased fee must be waived for students who can’t afford the course.

Dry Cleaners (SB 1617): Prohibits the installation or operation of dry-cleaning machines that use perchloroethylene, and makes other major regulatory changes on current drycleaners, including prohibiting a person from operating a dry-cleaning machine unless a person with specified training is present at the facility during the machine's operation and certain secondary containment measures are in place.

IDOT Vehicle Purchase (SB 1336): Establishes that when the Department of Transportation replaces any used vehicle, it must first give the Department of Central Management Services the opportunity to claim it through an inter-agency transfer, followed by the Department of Natural Resources and finally units of local governments. 

Information Safeguards (SB 151): Prohibits the use of a radio frequency identification device to steal personal identifying information from a radio frequency identification chip – now found in some credit cards – to commit a felony. 

Insurance Reporting (SB 1553): Changes the insurance company administrative expense reporting requirement to the Illinois Department of Insurance from every six months to annually. 

Mental Health (SB 1584): Requires county boards, in a county that has established a county health department (except Cook), to appoint a volunteer seven-member mental health advisory committee to assess current mental health services, monitor the growth or decline of services, and provide a report to the county board with recommendations for additional services, should it be necessary.  

Pressurized Oxygen (SB 1321): Requires suppliers of pressurized oxygen cylinders to report the delivery of those cylinders to local law enforcement and local fire department within two days of delivery. 

Property Tax Assessment (SB 1386): Allows taxpayers up to 20 years (now, five) to petition for refunds of erroneous assessments or overpaid property taxes.

Property Tax Appeal (SB 1335): States that a taxpayer may work with boards of review to reach a settlement on a property tax appeal, even if a petition has already been filed with the Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB). If they are successful, then PTAB must issue a decision in accordance with that agreement within 120 days, unless PTAB finds that it lacks jurisdiction or the agreement is against the manifest weight of the evidence. 

Real Estate Discipline (SB 1830): Strengthens the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s ability to suspend or revoke a real estate license, including allow the department to revoke or suspend a license based on the conviction of a felony, or a misdemeanor that was directly related to the real estate profession or crime in which an essential element was dishonesty. The legislation also permits the department to disclose exam results or the investigation of a licensee to law enforcement, regulatory agencies, or a lawful subpoena to the department. 

Student Transportation (SB 1669): Establishes a number of requirements for school buses and cabs that are used to transport students, including establishing that anyone applying for a school bus driver permit must not have been under court supervision or convicted of two or more serious traffic offenses within a year of application; requires school bus driver permit holders to notify their employer and the Secretary of State if they are issued an order of court supervision or convicted in another state of an offense that makes them ineligible for a permit; increases amount of required liability insurance; requires vehicles used to transport students submit to a safety test. 

Voter Registration (SB 90): Establishes that applications for voter registration will be accepted at driver service facilities, which will then forward the application to local election authorities for registration.