Springfield spectacle

HB5611: Teachers who are employed at "hard-to-staff public schools" shall be given a bonus.

Subject to appropriation, requires the State Board of Education to establish and administer a program that provides stipends to teachers who choose to teach at hard-to-staff public schools in this State. Provides that under the program, if a teacher who has at least 4 years of experience agrees to teach at a hard-to-staff school for 5 years, the teacher is entitled to a $20,000 stipend over those 5 years.

House approved: 74-39-1
Fox Valley yes votes: Chapa LaVia (co-sponsor)
Fox Valley no votes: Cross, Dunn, Lindner, Pritchard, Schmitz

HB4731: Gay domestic partners of deceased Chicago Public School teachers would be allowed to collect death benefits.

Amends the Chicago Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Allows a designated domestic partner to qualify as a surviving spouse for purposes of survivor and death benefits.

House denied: 43-67-1
Fox Valley yes votes: none
Fox Valley no votes: Chapa LaVia, Cross, Dunn, Lindner, Pritchard, Schmitz

HB758: Anyone who sells or gives away a privately owned gun must do so through a federally licensed firearm dealer.

Provides that any person who is not a federally licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer and who desires to sell or transfer a firearm of a size that may be concealed upon the person to another person, who is not a federally licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer, shall do so only at the place of business of a federally licensed firearm dealer. Provides that the federally licensed firearm dealer shall conduct a background check on the prospective recipient of the firearm and follow all other applicable federal, State, and local laws as if he were the seller of the firearm. Provides that the purchaser or transferee may be required by the federally licensed firearm dealer to pay a fee not to exceed $10 per firearm, plus the applicable fees authorized by the Act. Provides that these provisions do not apply to: (1) transfers to the transferor's husband, wife, son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter, father, mother, stepfather, stepmother, brother, sister, nephew, niece, uncle, aunt, grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law or daughter-in-law; (2) transfers by persons acting pursuant to operation of law or a court order; and (3) transfers on the grounds of a gun show.

House denied: 58-58
Fox Valley yes votes: Chapa LaVia, Lindner
Fox Valley no votes: Cross, Dunn, Pritchard, Schmitz

HB5141: Mininum wage should be the same for all ages.

Eliminates provisions that allowed an hourly wage of 50 cents below the regular minimum wage to be paid to an employee under 18 years of age.

House approved: 62-51-1
Fox Valley yes votes: Lindner
Fox Valley no votes: Chapa LaVia, Cross, Dunn, Pritchard, Schmitz

HB5868: Makes an exemption to the Smoke Free Illinois Act

Provides that smoking is allowed in a retail tobacco store that applied for a business or occupancy permit before January 1, 2008

House approved: 62-50
Fox Valley yes votes: Pritchard
Fox Valley no votes: Chapa LaVia, Cross, Dunn, Linnder, Schmitz

SB2707: Makes exemptions to the Smoke Free Illinois Act

Amends the Smoke Free Illinois Act. Provides that a "place of employment" does not include enclosed laboratories, not open to the public, in an accredited university or government facility where the activity of smoking is exclusively conducted for the purpose of medical or scientific health-related research. Adds language to provide that a "retail tobacco store" includes an enclosed workplace that manufactures, imports, or distributes tobacco or tobacco products, when, as a necessary and integral part of the process of making, manufacturing, importing, or distributing a tobacco product for the eventual retail sale of that tobacco or tobacco product, tobacco is heated, burned, or smoked, or a lighted tobacco product is tested...

Senate approved: 35-16
Fox Valley yes votes: Hultgren
Fox Valley no votes: Burzynski, Holmes, Lauzen
Did not vote: Millner

HB4553: State shall create a summer work program for 2,500 youths.

Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall administer a competitive grant program to provide 2,500 youths with stipends and supervision over a 6-week summer work period.

House approved: 76-36
Fox Valley yes votes: Chapa LaVia, Lindner
Fox Valley no votes: Cross, Dunn, Pritchard, Schmitz

SB2275: Anyone under 18 will be prosecuted as a juvenile if accused of a misdemeanor offense.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Defines "delinquent minor" as any minor who prior to his or her 18th birthday has violated or attempted to violate, regardless of where the act occurred, any federal, State, county or municipal law or ordinance classified as a misdemeanor offense (presently persons 17 years of age are prosecuted as adults).

Senate approved: 42-15
Fox Valley yes votes: none
Fox Valley no votes: Burzynski, Holmes, Hultgren, Lauzen, Millner

SB2689: School employees can roll over and accumulate more sick days

In provisions concerning sick leave for certain employees of school districts other than Chicago, provides that if an employee other than a teacher does not use the full amount of annual leave allowed, the unused amount shall be allowed to accumulate to a minimum available leave of 240 (instead of 180) days at full pay, including the leave of the current year.

Senate approved: 37-18
Fox Valley yes votes: Holmes
Fox Valley no votes: Burzynski, Hultgren, Lauzen, Millner

HB4675: Increases fees fire protection districts can charge non residents

Provides that, until January 1, 2009, the fee charged to persons and entities that are not residents of the fire protection district for the cost of providing services shall not exceed $250 per vehicle (now, $125) and shall not exceed $70 per hour per firefighter (now, $35 per hour per firefighter).

House approved: 92-21-1
Fox Valley yes votes: Cross, Dunn, Lindner, Pritchard, Schmitz
Fox Valley no votes: Chapa LaVia