Issues/Advocacy Reports
Please scroll down to find the following Summary Reports:
Consolidation of Government
Criminal Justice
Electoral College
Gun Violence Prevention
Healthcare
Education Funding
Immigration
Consolidation of Government - Jane Ballangee
Transform IL has two projects that are charged with providing better information for use by the State, Counties, Towns and villages to improve their planning process and to promote consolidation where possible. They are the Transform Illinois Research Committee charged with updating the data reported by local governments through Annual Financial Reports (AFR) and LEAP, Local Efficiency Assessment Planning Project, which is designed to be an online resource for forecasting demographics, economics, and service needs. The AFR project is in the beginning process and LEAP will have its first demo the beginning of October.
Criminal Justice - Janet Kittlaus
Bills signed by the Governor
:
SB3023 (PA100-1025) and SB3388 (PA100-0999)
Bill amended by the Governor and returned to the General Assembly: HB4208 and HB 5104
TFAs will in all likelihood be sent in response to the Governor's amendatory vetoes.
LWVIL signed on to a fact sheet in support of a proposal pending before the Cook County Board to end detention of children under the age of 13.
Electoral College - Rosemary Heilemann
The LWVIL Electoral College Committee is working to abolish the electoral college system for electing the President and Vice-President of the United States and replace it with a one-person, one-vote system of direct election. This can only be accomplished permanently by a constitutional amendment. This is supported by the LWVUS position on"The Selection of the President," first adopted in 1970, and updated since.With support from LWVIL affirmed at our last state convention, we were able to get a resolution passed at the LWVUS national convention in June to "urgently reaffirm our long-held position that the electoral college should
be abolished." Our committee has been making presentations in many communities.
You can view a presentation given at the Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy here.
We have several future presentations scheduled. For more information, to find out more about our committee, to join us, or to schedule a presentation, contact us at [email protected].
Gun Violence Prevention - Mary Klonowski and Holly Fingerle
TFA:
In conjunction with the Education Issues Specialists - Call the Education Department to
object to using Federal education funding to purchase firearms for teachers and for teaching training in firearm use.
Attorney Generals of nineteen states, including IL, have filed a lawsuit for a temporary
restraining order to prevent sharing downloadable files with plans for producing 3-D and ghost guns. Initially, the Trump Administration ruled that downloadable instructions violate gun export laws but have since reversed that ruling.
Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation that gives gun owners a 60-day grace period to keep their Firearms Owners Identification Card active while their renewal application is being processed, even if the processing period extends beyond the card's expiration date. Previously, FOID cards were deemed invalid if they expired during the renewal process.
House Bill 4855 gives Illinois State Police 60 business days, instead of 30 calendar days, to review and approve renewal applications that are received in a timely manner.
"HB 4855 clarifies the reporting standards for hospitals and requires they report all mental health admissions to the state's Department of Human Services. Tightening the reporting standards allows the state police to intervene more quickly and suspend a person's FOID card
Health Care - Janet S. Craft, Margaret O'Hara
LWVIL supported bill:
Passed into law
SB 3015 SA 2 & 3
Stock Asthma Rescue Medication in Schools 8/03 PA 100-026 passed both Houses unanimously.
Amends school code to stock medication for trained staff to administer when an individual experiences respiratory distress.
LWVIL Supported 3 Bills:
Passed both Houses, vetoed by Governor
SB2332, HB4297 No Tobacco Products
under 21
; Governor statement,
"...would push residents to buy products from non-licensed vendors or in neighboring states." The American Lung Association, supporter of the bill, in reply, "...failed the children of Illinois."
LWVIL will advocate with Coalition in veto session
for these two bills:
HB 2624 SA3 Short Term Limited Duration Health Insurance Act
protects consumers by establishing maximum coverage of 181 days/year; clear disclosures on all sales/marketing materials.
HB4165 HA1 Do No Harm Healthcare Act
requires General Assembly to ensure proposed federal waiver or attempt to restrict access to care be open to public debate and scrutiny.
Education Funding - Nancy Brandt, Ann Courter, Jean Pierce
The Education Funding Specialists are creating a Google Group of local League representatives who are particularly interested in Schools and Education Funding.
Initially, we would like for local League members to ask their school Superintendents
- how the Evidence Based Funding Model is affecting their districts.
- how local districts are working to help parents and children from birth through age 5 foster development so that all children will have the language, math, and social-emotional skills to succeed in school.
Two Ed Funding Time for Action alerts were issued in August:
- Contact the Department of Education requesting that Federal funds for education not be used to put guns in schools. NOTE: When people could not get through the phone lines, they were advised to email the Federal Commission on School Safety at [email protected]
- HB5175: Ask the Governor to sign this bill, which would prevent the Charter School Commission from overriding decisions of local districts. The Governor vetoed the bill. This will be revisited in the Veto Session.
Immigration - Kim Reed
National Front:
Family Separation:
In a status update Thursday, the government said of the 2,654 separated migrant children, 2,181 have been "discharged," meaning they were either reunified with their parents or placed with a sponsor within the U.S., among other circumstances, such as the child turning 18 years old. As of Sept. 4, 2018, 416 children remain separated from their parents. This is about 80 children fewer than last week's update. Of those 416 children, 14 are under age 5. The parents of 304 children are located outside the U.S. - either because they were deported or because they sent their children to the U.S. with other family members.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/more-than-400-migrant-children-remain-separated-from-their-parents-heres-what-we-know
LWVIL:
Governor Rauner vetoed:
SB35 Immigration Safe Zones Act
SB34 VOICES Act (Supports Domestic Violence and Trafficking Survivors)
SB 3103, the Immigration Tenant Protection Act
Governor Rauner signed into law:
SB3488 Anti-Registry Act
(Resist Registry Programs Targeting Ethnic and Religious Groups)
SB 3109,
which removes eligibility requirements related to immigration status from many professional licenses.
Public Charge
Legislative Briefing held in IL: On August 23, 2018, ICIRR held a legislative briefing on the public charge at the Shriver Center.
Local Leagues continue to hold meetings and public forums to education their communities about immigration.
