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Hoping for another productive legislative session, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday vowed to tackle pensions, early child education, criminal justice reform and health care next year — as well as the elusive Chicago casino.
“I’m very hopeful that in the session of the Legislature that is coming up starting in January that we’ll begin to put together a bill, and get it passed,” the rookie governor said when asked about a Chicago casino. […]
“Criminal justice reform is an area that I’ve already done a lot on in the spring session last year, but now I think we’ll be revisiting some of the issues that came up over the last few years that never got passed,” Pritzker said. “I’m also very focused on making sure that we’re expanding opportunities for working families to get ahead of — you know, I‘ve talked a lot about lowering the cost of healthcare, lowing the cost of childcare, lowering the cost of education, so that we can raise the standard of living and people who are working in our state.”
And the billionaire Chicagoan remains bullish about finally winning the casino Chicago has been pursuing off and on for more than a quarter of a century.
* McGuireWoods Consulting published its own 2020 session preview. Here’s part of it…
Vaping
2019 saw a breakout of respiratory illness among vape users. With 5 deaths this year, Illinois leads the nation in vaping-related deaths. In response, law makers in Springfield have sought to enact various new regulations on vaping and vaping products. House Bill 3887, which would create the Flavored Tobacco Ban Act, prohibiting the sale of flavored e-cigarette and tobacco products was filed in September. Although a hearing was held, the legislation failed to move forward, but will likely come up again next year. Governor JB Pritzker has stated his support for a ban on flavored vaping products.
Ethylene Oxide
Ethylene oxide, a chemical used by medical device cleaning facilities and various manufacturers was thrown into the political spotlight in this year. One facility, Sterigenics, was shut down in February 2019 following an EPA report showing higher cancer rates in the areas surrounding the facility. The first ethylene oxide related bills to come through the legislature were passed in the spring. SB 1852 and SB 1854 were passed with broad bi-partisan support and have been touted as the most stringent ethylene oxide regulations in the country. Despite this, some members of the public and of the legislature believe the new laws do not go far enough. During veto session, two additional pieces of legislation were introduced including HB 3888, a bill to completely phase out the use of ethylene oxide in the state. While HB 3888 passed the Senate, both bills have been postponed and will be taken up again once the legislature comes back into session in January. The Governor has vowed to sign the legislation if it passes.
Gig Economy Taxation
A bill presented by State Representative Will Guzzardi aims to require online based companies, like Uber, to treat staffers as employees and not as independent contractors. This would require the companies to comply with minimum wage and other employee protections and would require their incomes to be taxed at a normal rate. This bill is based off of a similar one that California passed in September and is expected to come up in the 2020 session.
Your thoughts?
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 12:12 pm
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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I think McGuireWoods missed some of its clients.
Comment by Ok Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 12:17 pm
Surely ethics reforms. Perhaps energy in the unlikely event Exelon/ComEd issues are resolved by May.
Comment by Moe Berg Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 12:22 pm
When you have a first session like this Governor, that same Governor can look ahead and move forward an agenda, and then run on the mere fact… things are getting done.
It’s quite refreshing to the act of governing.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 12:24 pm
…”tackling pensions”,….
What’s that mean?
Comment by Moby Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 12:38 pm
I would love to see him prioritize the Department of Children and Family Services.
Comment by James McIntyre Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 12:38 pm
When you have a first session like this governor. You are now the owner. Should have answers by 2022.
Comment by Blue Dog Dem Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 12:47 pm
- Moby - Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 12:38 pm:
You asked my question. That is a very disconcerting comment. Are we going to have to fight this forever?
Comment by Old Man Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 12:49 pm
=== When you have a first session like this governor. You are now the owner.===
(Sigh)
You *know*… governors own has a good connotation too… right?
Pritzker *wants* to own the session. He ran on it passing.
So, there’s that. Not much more, actually that’s the ball game.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 12:50 pm
I’m disappointed that property tax reform didn’t make the list.
I guess that elephant is going to continue to trample real estate values and nest eggs in Illinois.
Comment by cdog Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 12:56 pm
I think he read Patti’s birthday list of Rod’s claimed accomplishments and realized he needs to step up his game.
Comment by Ok Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 12:56 pm
Would love to see the Chicago casino happen this coming spring session.
The biggest element of pension reform now is voters enacting the graduated income tax CA and using revenue to pay pension debt. After previous pension cuts (Tier 2) and unconstitutional reform that was struck down (Tier 1), more revenue is fair and right.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 12:59 pm
Eliminate forced arbitration and exclusion from class action lawsuits required by a company in order to obtain a job or to do business with that company. Goes along with the independent contractor stuff.
Comment by JIbba Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 1:06 pm
- Moby - Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 12:38 pm:
…”tackling pensions”,….
What’s that mean?
it means we cant do a thing but ill will throw it out there without any intention whatsoever but it makes the voters happy to think im going to address it…. ask rnug, he will agree.
Comment by arron rodgers maybe Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 1:20 pm
California has has some problems with their gig economy law impacting freelance professionals. Illinois should avoid forcing companies from making freelance professionals such as journalists, computer programmers, and architects into employees.
Comment by A Jack Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 1:28 pm
I can totally see healthcare, but what aspects? The environmental lobby was connected to energy (ComEd) so in lieu of that, what will they want or will ComEd get what they wanted anyway to appease the environmental groups.
Comment by levivotedforjudy Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 1:29 pm
The governor is governing again. Almost a year in, this still takes some getting used to. But it’s so very refreshing.
Comment by Nick Name Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 1:40 pm
===Eliminate forced arbitration===
Yes please, 1000 times yes. The biggest scam ever perpetrated.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 1:42 pm
===I think he read Patti’s birthday list===
lol
That list was first published as Rod was heading out the door.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 1:48 pm
== prohibiting the sale of flavored e-cigarette==
Statehouse dems obviously not done trying to force 7,000 (mostly young) Illinoisans out of work. I wonder if they’ll do that effective immediately so that unemployment claims spike in March, or if they wait until late May so claims spike in the summer? I’d normally guess early because their nanny-state ideology usually gets the better of them, but summer is closer to the election and the warm weather leaves fewer people to get between them and the nearest TV cameras
==treat staffers as employees and not as independent contractors==
Guzzardi should expand this to cover satellite/cable/internet companies like Comcast and Dish Network. Those guys and gals get a raw deal from very profitable companies classifying them as Indy contractors. He won’t because it’s an election year and those companies throw around a lot of campaign money to both sides of the aisle, but he should
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 2:10 pm
Sounds very ambitious particularly in light of Deputy Gov. Dan Hynes and Budget Director Alexis Sturm’s memo of 6.5% agency cuts .
Comment by Donnie Elgin Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 3:08 pm
Thanks Ducky. I brought this issue up with my state rep, and she said emphatically that she had no interest in the issue. Not sure why preserving our constitutional rights is uninteresting, but whatever.
Comment by Jibba Wednesday, Dec 11, 19 @ 4:43 pm