BY MIKE CETERA
Highlights from the legislative week that was:
* Are higher gas prices on the way in Kendall, DeKalb counties?
* More red-light cameras could be installed.
* Defining "serious mental illness" apparently is controversial.
* Member initiatives get another look.
* See other action here.
Read all about it after the jump.
HB4294: Allows certain counties to tax gasoline
Authorizes the counties of Will, Kendall, Boone, Lake, DeKalb, and Grundy to impose a county motor fuel tax. Requires referendum approval before the tax may be imposed.
House approved: 63-46
Fox Valley yes votes: Cross, Lindner (co-sponsor), Pritchard
Fox Valley no votes: Chapa LaVia, Schmitz
Excused absence: Dunn
HB5288: More counties could get red-light cameras, including DeKalb, LaSalle and Will.
Provides that, in addition to the previously designated counties, 7 specified counties, and the municipalities within those counties, may establish an automated traffic law enforcement system with one or more motor vehicle sensors working in conjunction with a red light signal to produce recorded images of motor vehicles entering an intersection against a red signal indication.
House approved: 65-39-2
Fox Valley yes votes: Chapa LaVia, Pritchard, Schmitz
Fox Valley no votes: Cross, Lindner
Excused absence: Dunn
HB1432: Re-defines mental illness
Changes the definition of "serious mental illness" to include eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS), as recognized by the most current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.
House approved: 66-42
Fox Valley yes votes: Chapa LaVia (co-sponsor)
Fox Valley no votes: Cross, Lindner, Pritchard
Did note vote: Schmitz
Excused absence: Dunn
HB3860: Appropriations bill (At least some of these are the member initiatives the governor cut last year.)
Amends Public Act 95-348, if and only if House Bill 315 and House Bill 473 of the 95th General Assembly become law, by making FY08 appropriations and reappropriations for specified purposes and changing the amount of certain appropriations.
Senate approved: 34-24
Fox Valley yes votes: Holmes
Fox Valley no votes: Burzynski, Lauzen, Millner
Did not vote: Hultgren
HB4278: Allows state to stop payments during a labor dispute
Provides that upon notice to the Illinois Department of Human Services of the existence of a work stoppage arising from a labor dispute with an IDHS contractor or grantee that may affect the provision of services under a State contract or grant, IDHS shall cease payment of State funds to the contractor or grantee pending receipt of evidence sufficient to confirm that the contractor or grantee is performing all services specified in the contract or grant.
House approved: 85-23-1
Fox Valley yes votes: Chapa LaVia
Fox Valley no votes: Cross, Lindner, Pritchard, Schmitz
Excused absence: Dunn
HB5022: Increases pay for graveyard trustees
Provides that the compensation of a public graveyard trustee may not exceed $1,000 (now, $500) per year.
House approved: 67-41
Fox Valley yes votes: Lindner
Fox Valley no votes: Chapa LaVia, Cross, Pritchard, Schmitz
Excused absence: Dunn
HB5242: Changes health reporting requirements for food banks
Amends the Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act. Provides that all food banks that provide food to feeding programs in Illinois shall provide a list of its member food pantries, soup kitchens, hunger relief centers, and other feeding programs to the State-certified local public health department or departments having jurisdiction in its service area...(T)he intent of having food banks provide the specified information annually to the local public health department is solely for the purpose of ensuring that food recall alerts and other pertinent information will be communicated to food pantries, soup kitchens, hunger relief centers, and other feeding programs in a timely fashion.
House approved: 91-19
Fox Valley yes votes: Chapa LaVia, Cross, Lindner, Pritchard
Fox Valley no votes: Schmitz
Excused absence: Dunn
HB315: Makes public aid recipients with breast or cervical cancer eligible for publicly-financed treatment
Provides for medical assistance eligibility for uninsured persons for whom one or more screening or diagnostic services for breast or cervical cancer have been paid in whole or in part by public funds if, during the course of those screening or diagnostic services, cancer was detected; provides that such persons shall be eligible for medical assistance under this provision for so long as they need treatment for the cancer.
Senate approved: 37-21
Fox Valley yes votes: Holmes
Fox Valley no votes: Burzynski, Lauzen, Millner
Did not vote: Hultgren
HB473: Allows under certain conditions funds to be moved into the General Revenue fund from elsewhere
Amends the State Finance Act, if and only if House Bill 3860 and House Bill 315 of the 95th General Assembly become law. Provides that, through June 30, 2008, the Governor may direct the State Comptroller and the State Treasurer to transfer moneys from certain special funds into the General Revenue Fund, subject to certain restrictions.
Senate approved: 37-21
Fox Valley yes votes: Holmes
Fox Valley no votes: Burzynski, Lauzen, Millner
Did not vote: Hultgren
SB2566: Creates a foreclosure prevention counseling program; hikes real estate license residential mortgage license fee by $500.
Provides that the Illinois Housing Development Authority shall establish and administer a foreclosure prevention counseling program and shall use moneys in the Foreclosure Prevention Counseling Fund and funds appropriated for that purpose to make grants to HUD-certified counseling agencies for home-ownership education and foreclosure prevention counseling.
Senate approved: 33-21-1
Fox Valley yes votes: Holmes
Fox Valley no votes: Burzynski, Lauzen, Millner
Did not vote: Hultgren
It looks like SB2566 changes the license fee for a Mortgage License fee, not the Real Estate license fee.
CETERA REPLIES:
Absolutely correct. My bad.
Interesting, would be good to know why Sen. Lauzen opposed HB0315.
Is it the AIDS-HIV Prevention funding or Cervical and Breast Cancer Funding he opposes?
Obviously, only Sen Lauzen can answer this and state the reasons behind this particular vote.
The funding for the AIDS-HIV prevention would come from Specific Lottery funds, which I believe is still voluntary participation.
The targeted groups for the cervical and breast cancer coverage would seem to be qualified and in need of this, given their status and eligibilty qualifications.
I can't speak for Chris but I suspect the fact that the same body approved a fund sweep perhaps he felt telling folks that if you buy x or spend on x it goes to y wasn't fair since it is the state has demonstrated that it can feel free to use that money for whatever it wants.
Remember the pet friendly license plates and how that money was supposed to go to spay and neuter programs? Those funds got swept into general revenue.
So using the states track record over the last 6 years or so, saying anything is being put into a 'special fund' is a bit of bs.
OneMan
Point taken, generally agree, in principal, re: the 'general fund'. If I recall that was also used when the gambling boats were approved to fund education with tax revenues sent to the general fund. Believe most folks know how well that worked out in the long term (/snark off)