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* Sun-Times…
House members voted in favor of legislation that would amend the state’s insurance code to provide coverage for the “diagnosis and treatment of infertility … without discrimination on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, domestic partner status, gender, gender expression, gender identity,” according to the language of the bill.
State Rep. Margaret Croke, D-Chicago, the lead sponsor of the bill, said it’s “about equal access to coverage and will make Illinois insurance far more inclusive. […]
But state Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, urged his colleagues to vote no on the bill, saying he thinks it covers “situations that I wouldn’t consider a medical condition. […]
The House also passed a bill Wednesday that would require Illinois schools to teach students about Asian American history following a spike in violence against Asian Americans and the killing of six Asian American women in Atlanta.
State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz said she introduced the bill because Asian Americans “are part of the American fabric, but we are often invisible.”
* Capitol News Illinois…
The Illinois House Judiciary Criminal Committee advanced two bills Tuesday with unanimous support, one to decriminalize transmission of HIV and another to expand protections for survivors of sexual assault.
An amendment to House Bill 1063, introduced by Democratic state Rep. Carol Ammons, of Urbana, changes several Illinois statutes related to persons living with HIV/AIDS and its transmission. On Wednesday, the House approved the bill 90-9, sending it to the Senate for consideration.
Under current Illinois law, a person who transmits HIV to another person can be charged with “criminal transmission of HIV.”
The AIDS Confidentiality Act, meant to protect Illinoisans from having an HIV-positive status disclosed or used against them, contains exceptions allowing law enforcement officials to subpoena or petition for the HIV status of criminal defendants in order to determine whether they should be charged for potential criminal transmission.
A bill which would implement term limits on leadership roles in the Illinois General Assembly advanced out of committee Wednesday.
House Bill 642, introduced by Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, would bar any individual from serving more than 10 consecutive years in a leadership position in the General Assembly, including speaker of the House, president of the Senate and minority leader positions in each chamber.
The bill, if signed into law, would take effect for all legislators taking office on or after the second Wednesday in January 2023.
While the Illinois House and Senate both passed term limits on party leadership in their respective chamber rules in January, DeLuca said his bill would be important to enforce the new rules via state law.
* Center Square…
The Illinois Legislative Inspector General asked lawmakers Tuesday for more independence to investigate claims of wrongdoing by legislators.
Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope told a committee Tuesday her office is supposed to be an independent body. But, she said she has to get permission from the Legislative Ethics Commission to investigate and even issue subpoenas. In one instance, she acknowledged former state Sen. Terry Link was on the commission while he was under investigation and even later charged with tax fraud. Pope didn’t mention Link by name.
“The problem is that person was getting all of my information and I try to be as vague as I can but they are entitled under the way that this commission operates now to know what the allegations are that I am investigating,” Pope said.
* No relation…
Of course, I won't ever apologize for accurately quoting an elected official in a public forum. He's not offending or punishing me at all, he's just ignoring my audience, which happens to span his entire legislative district.
— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) April 13, 2021
The bill in question is explained here.
* WTAX…
How much is that doggie in the window? It better be from a shelter or similar place, if a bill which has passed the Illinois House becomes law.
State Rep. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) says the “puppy mills,” of which there are perhaps 19 he’s targeting, are inhumane to animals and shady to customers, and he says he speaks from experience, as his wife purchased a “mall dog” some years ago, a dog which is now in terrible shape.
While the bill had a hefty margin to get out of the House, some opponents said the bill is anti-business. Others noted Chesney’s voting record on Legislative Black Caucus matters, with one – State Rep. Curtis Tarver II (D-Chicago) – going so far as to say, “This is proof that, in God’s white America, dogs matter more than people.”
* Other stuff…
* Bill would tie state spending to household income growth
* House eyes ending qualified immunity for ‘bad apples’ in law enforcement
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Apr 15, 21 @ 10:12 am
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=== But state Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, urged his colleagues ===
Not enough time has passed since he completely avoided the topic of his legislative director on his payroll showing up at the insurrection in DC for anyone to listen to him.
Try back in a thousand years.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Thursday, Apr 15, 21 @ 10:26 am
When I want someone’s opinion on what to consider “a medical condition,” I’ll ask a doctor or a nurse, not a commercial real estate broker like Mr. Batinick.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Thursday, Apr 15, 21 @ 10:34 am
Is it a coincidence that IL is putting up big dollars towards infrastructure in its REBUILD program and that the US gov is proposing more big dollars to be put towards infrastructure and now this bill that would eliminate Qualification Based Selection of engineers that would be designing and assisting with the construction management of these infrastructure projects is being brought up? I understand that the QBS process can be cumbersome at times, but why wouldn’t a vetting process of some sort be important when the work being done is crucial to public safety? To know that the job is being done the right way and in accordance with standards and by experienced professionals as opposed to someone who can do it for the cheapest price should hold some value. Then again, Chris Miller backed a former leader of this country that was completely unqualified to do the job, so maybe that is more telling here. Apparently in his world, qualifications don’t matter but in both scenarios, having unqualified people do the work can lead to dangerous outcomes for all.
Comment by SmallTownJill Thursday, Apr 15, 21 @ 11:03 am
Qualification Based Selection has been a Federal requirement since 1972. The state finally solidified it in 1986. Not only does it prevent mayors from giving road design contracts to their electrical engineer cousins, it also prevents perpetual contract amendments that were given to firms who low-balled their original work efforts just to get the project. I contains a broad exemption for retaining firms who have a ’satisfactory relationship for services’ with the local agency so, is not overly burdensome for those agencies. However, I am not shocked that Rep. Miller thinks he knows better than the collective engineering and architecture professions.
Comment by Proud Sucker Thursday, Apr 15, 21 @ 11:12 am
unless every polce person has a financial skin in the game, nothing will ever change with police and the damage they do to people especially non-white americans. eliminate qualified immunity for ALL law enforcement is a beginning point, followed by a licensing requirement and for each person to carry their own liability insurance (malpractice). Doctors have to do it, Architects and engineers have to do it. Police want to demand they are pro0fessionals and MUST BE RESPECT, so lets turn them into professionals for once. The market will then handle the “bad apples” and the good cops no longer have to protect the bad cops. Takes guts to take on the police unions and typically public officials have a total lack of guts with this. Until this happens, people will be killed, taxpayers payout and cops keep doing it
Comment by truthteller Thursday, Apr 15, 21 @ 11:25 am
Rep. Miller gets a lot (pretty much everything) wrong, and his p.r. skills could probably use tweak. But he’s not wrong about the Local Government Professional Services Selection Act. That is a quintessential special-interest boondoggle designed to fleece the taxpayers.
Comment by duck duck goose Thursday, Apr 15, 21 @ 11:45 am
Welch needs to do some caucus management. Tarver’s comment was not helpful.
Comment by Lalaland Thursday, Apr 15, 21 @ 12:29 pm
I like Mark Maxwell’s style…even more.
Comment by Dotnonymous Thursday, Apr 15, 21 @ 12:36 pm