End of Session Odds and Ends
Governor JB Pritzker is flanked by Senate President Don Harmon, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, House Speaker Chris Welch and other legislative leaders about six hours after the end of the spring legislative session June 1. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
While we spent the final hours of the legislative session focused on the Bears and the budget, we missed some of the things that moved through the House and Senate in the final hours before the General Assembly adjourned around 4:30a.m. on June 1.
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES- An effort to legalize driverless ride-hail cars in Illinois, like Waymo, will have to wait until at least veto session, said Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Frankfort, who said the bill needs additional negotiation before it is ready for a vote.
DATA CENTERS- The so-called “POWER Act,” which would have required new data center projects to run on renewable energy that is produced on-site. It did not get a committee vote in the House before adjournment. Without action, Governor Pritzker paused all data center incentives last week.
DOWNTOWN SPRINGFIELD- A bill to create a new STAR bond district in downtown Springfield to expand and renovate the BOS Center and build a new hotel across the street passed the Senate, but failed to be called in the House. The bill would also allow Sangamon County to increase the hotel tax to pay for the project.
E-BIKE AND SCOOTER REGULATION- Lawmakers advanced a bill to Governor Pritzker to regulate electric bicycles and scooters, an emerging mode of transportation in all corners of the state. Aiming to avoid a patchwork of laws in each municipality around Illinois, the bill creates age requirements, speed limits and rules on where they can be used.
GLOCK BAN- A bill that would have essentially banned the sale of Glock handguns in the state, did not get called in the House before adjournment May 31. A House committee advanced the controversial measure earlier in May, which would have banned the sale of pistols with cruciform trigger bars.
HIGH SCHOOL VOTER REGISTRATION- A bill requiring high schools to offer voter registration for students who turn 18 passed both Houses. There’s no penalty for schools who don’t begin offering the practice, though.
HUMAN COMPOSTING- The controversial proposal is buried again, at least for now. The bill failed to be called for a vote in the House or Senate amid opposition from the Catholic Church and funeral homes.
ICE DETENTION CENTERS- Legislation significantly limiting the opening of new Immigration & Customs Enforcement detention centers heads to Governor Pritzker for his signature. It was in response to the ICE detention center in Broadview, which was a focal point of protects and ICE actions last year. It would not impact the Broadview facility, though.
INSURANCE REGULATION- Gov. Pritzker says he will sign a pair of bills giving the state more say on the rates charged by homeowners and auto insurance companies. The legislation allows the Illinois Department of Insurance review and approve rate increases. Opponents say fewer insurance companies will do business in the state as a result of the legislation.
PRESCRIPTION BOARD- A bill that would have required a new layer of bureaucracy aimed at limiting the pricing of some prescription drugs passed the House, but did not get called for a vote in the Senate. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Nabeela Syed (D-Palatine) and Sen. Graciela Guzman (D-Chicago), was criticized by opponents who claimed the board would discourage new drugs coming to market and wouldn’t actually save consumers money.
RESTITUTION FOR EXONEREES- A bill increasing the amount of restitution paid to people exonerated of crimes in Illinois passed unanimously in the House and Senate in the final hours of the legislative session. It would pay a person wrongfully convicted and imprisoned $50,000 for each year they spent in prison.
RIDESHARE UNION- Legislation to allow rideshare drivers, like for Uber and Lyft, to create a statewide union, is headed to the Governor. Under federal law, they’re considered independent contractors, which advocates say required state legislation to create unionization rules.
SCHOOL CELL PHONE BAN- A Pritzker initiative was passed by both chambers and would require schools to ban cell phones in classrooms, with a few exceptions. Advocates, including the governor, have been attempting to pass the bill for two years.
SCHOOL SEXUAL ASSAULT- A bill sponsored by Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield) would require schools to expel students who commit sexual assault for at least a year. The Senate passed the bill, but it wasn’t called in the House before adjournment.
SOCIAL MEDIA SAFETY- Legislation to regulate the way kids use social media is headed to Governor JB Pritzker’s desk. It requires social media companies to verify a users age if consuming “harmful” content and utilizing other algorithm-focused features that can be addictive. The bill passed both chambers unanimously.
STATE SANDWICH- A bill to establish the Italian Beef as the official state sandwich, which even drew the attention of one of the cast members of the FX show “The Bear” advanced through the House, but wasn’t called in the Senate. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Rick Ryan (D-Evergreen Park), also would have named Springfield’s Horseshoe as the state’s official “open faced sandwich.”
