Springfield, Ill. – Senate lawmakers moved almost 300 bills out of committee this week, including measures to ban texting while driving, allow for medicinal marijuana use and create a “Transparency and Accountability Portal.” Senator Dan Duffy (R-Lake Barrington) said that the Senate also unanimously approved legislation seeking to increase transparency in the gubernatorial appointment process.

Senate Bill 189 was introduced in response to former Governor Rod Blagojevich’s abuse of the executive appointment process, which included leveraging appointments to the state’s pension and investment boards, the Teachers Retirement System Board and the Health Facilities Planning Board in return for campaign cash and favors.

The measure requires the governor’s office to establish and maintain a searchable online database of appointed board and commission members, their powers; qualifications and responsibilities; current board vacancies; information on how to apply for an appointment and a link to the Secretary of State’s Web site where Statements of Economic Interest can be obtained by the public.

Members of the Senate Executive Committee overwhelmingly approved another transparency measure, voting 13 - 0 in favor of a measure to create an Illinois Transparency and Accountability Portal Web site.

House Bill 35 requires Central Management Services (CMS) to establish a Web site that would make available to the public, information including state expenditures, tax credits, state employee salaries and state contract details. A similar measure was introduced last year but despite receiving significant support in the Illinois House, it failed to move forward the Senate. Senator Duffy said that by establishing one location where the public can go to find this information, House Bill 35 advances transparency and accountability in state government.

The Senate Transportation Committee unanimously voted in favor of House Bill 71, which prohibits text messaging while driving. An initiative of the Secretary of State, the measure would ban using any type of device to compose, send or read an electronic message while operating a vehicle.

Law enforcement officials who see a driver who they believe is texting would have the authority to pull the driver over. Motorists who are found guilty of texting behind the wheel would be charged with a moving violation.

Senator Duffy said the bill’s intent is to reduce accidents caused by distracted drivers, noting that a large percentage of car crashes are caused by some form of distraction. Cell phone use led to 1,357 Illinois car crashes in 2007, resulting in 8 fatalities and 351 injuries.

Another hot-button issue was considered by the Senate Public Health Committee, which ultimately approved Senate Bill 1381 creating a three-year Compassionate Use of Cannabis Pilot Program. The program would allow the Department of Public Health to issue identification cards to individuals who have received a doctor’s recommendation for cannabis.

Proponents argue that marijuana use can mitigate nausea, pain and anxiety for patients who are living with HIV, cancer, multiple sclerosis and chronic pain. Opponents say that marijuana possession and consumption is still illegal under federal law, and that permitting cannabis consumption for any reason would encourage recreational use of the drug—perhaps even leading to legalization for non-medical purposes.

The program participant must be at least 18 years of age, and could receive up to six cannabis plants and 2 ounces of dried usable cannabis. Although people who have been convicted of a drug felony would not be allowed to participate, no background check is required. The program would be confidential to protect the identity of participants, and physicians have protection from liability related to the program. Patients would be prohibited from smoking marijuana in a public place.

In other news, earlier this week the Illinois Reform Commission issued its 100-Day Report, which highlighted a variety of ethics reform proposals in six fundamental areas, including government structure; campaign finance; procurement; enforcement; transparency; and inspiring better government.

Though Senate Republican lawmakers were interested in a number of the Commission’s recommendations, Senator Duffy expressed particular interest in the Commission’s suggestions to target legislative gerrymandering. The Illinois Reform Commission had harsh words for Illinois’ system of drawing legislative districts, declaring that it “deprives Illinois voters of fair representative,” places Illinois voters in direct conflict with legislators and “regardless of which party wins, the people of Illinois are the losers.…”

Currently, Illinois’ legislative and congressional districts are redrawn every ten years, in what in practice has become a lottery system.  The Secretary of State draws a name out of a hat to determine the “winner”—if the Republican name is chosen, then that party gets to create the map. If the Democrat name is drawn, then that party controls the map drawing process. Illinois is the only state in the nation that utilizes this system, which has been repeatedly criticized as undemocratic and unfair to the people of Illinois.

The Commission’s suggested reforms for the current redistricting process would abolish the current system and appoint a non-partisan outside contractor to draw House, Senate and federal Congressional districts without considering election results, party affiliation of voters or the incumbents’ residences.

Legislation approved by Senate Committees this week:

Alternative Fuels (BH 4245):  Creates an Alternative Fuels Commission to better coordinate and promote the use of alternative fuels by state government.

Bidding (HB 613):  Allows for the acceptance of sealed electronic competitive bids for school districts, similar to the state’s contracting process.

Biodiesel (HB 4030):  Requires all biodiesel sold in Illinois to conform to B100 standards.

Campus Security (HB 336):  Requires that campus security plans must include communication with governmental agencies and elementary and secondary school districts next to the higher education institution’s boundaries.

Chicago Police (HB 2582):  Authorizes Chicago Police officers to establish service credit in 6-month increments if they have been employed as a law enforcement officer with any federal agency.

Childhood Obesity (HB 78):  Requires that the Department of Agriculture work with the Board of Education and the Department of Public Health to create a farm-fresh food program to help reduce childhood obesity.

Delinquent Minor (HB 2678):  Provides that a delinquent minor may be placed in a juvenile electronic home monitoring program.

Disabled Workers (HB 655):  Creates a task force to review the opportunities for work for people with disabilities.

Discrimination (HB 721):  Prevents discrimination against a person because of his/her “order of protection” status.

DUI (HB 881):  Requires that a person convicted or receiving supervision for a DUI violation must pay an additional fee of $50 for deposit into the Roadside Memorial Fund.

Election ID (HB 4077):  Permits new forms of ID that are acceptable in certain election proceedings.

Employee Records (HB 3634):  Extends the current three-year requirement for an employer to keep employee records to 5 years and extends the statute of limitations to bring civil action to 5 years from the date of the underpayment.

Excessive Idling (HB 2664):  Changes the fines for an excessive idling violation to $90 for a first offense and $150 for a second conviction.

False Threats (HB 4049):  Requires offenders to pay for the reimbursement of emergency responders who respond to a school for false bomb or similar threat made by the offender.

Firefighters (HB 77):  Requires the governor to issue an order for U.S National and Illinois flags to be flown at half-staff any time a firefighter dies in the line of duty.

First Amendment (HB 898):  Allows for faculty and staff members at all public universities and community colleges to exercise their First Amendment rights without violating ethics laws, provided they don’t claim to represent or speak on behalf of the university or college.

First Grade (HB 806):  Allows children who are six years old on or before December 31, who have attended a state-certified, private preschool through kindergarten, based upon a child’s readiness, to attend public school first grade upon the beginning of that school year.

FOID Card (HB 4198):  Exempts active military personnel from payment of the Firearm Owner Identification Card fee.

Food Allergies (HB 281):  Requires the development of clear and consistent safety guidelines and policies for life-threatening food allergies to be provided to each school board to be implemented.

Forgery (HB 184):  Allows two or more acts of forgery to be joined and charged as a single offense.

Fund Sweeps (HB 2871):  Protects the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund from potential funds sweeps and administrative charge backs.

Grace Period (HB 267):  Extends grace period voting to up to seven days prior to Election Day.

“Green” Programs (HB 740):  Requires the State Board of Education to establish a state grant program that develops 2-year pilot programs to assist in the creation and promotion of green career and technical education programs in public secondary schools. (HB 2437):  Requires every state-owned building to establish a green cleaning policy whereby the building buys and uses only environmentally-sensitive cleaning products.

Grow Your Own Teachers (HB 392):  Provides that the State Board of Education award grants to the Grow Your Own Teachers Initiative, for the development of community leaders and paraeducators to become certified teachers in hard-to-staff and low income schools.

Historical Sites (HB 1002):  Prohibits the Governor from sweeping funds from historical sites.

HIV/AIDS (HB 3974):  Creates an advisory council to advise DPH on effective prevention messages to deter youth from engaging in risky behavior that could lead to HIV/AIDS.

Homeless Identification Card (HB 897):  Creates identification cards to be given without cost to homeless persons, who often find it difficult to document their date of birth or address.

Identity Protection (HB 547):  Creates an Identity Protection Act to address how state and local governments use Social Security numbers and limit the chance of identity theft.

Internet Regulation (HB 2537):  Creates a criminal offense for placing a nude image of person on the Internet without consent of the person.

Jake Break (HB 3721):  Allows IDOT to put up signs on interstates about excessive noise from breaking being prohibited.

Local Goods (HB 3990):  Requires that state agencies or facilities must purchase 20 percent of their goods from local producers.

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (HB 1099): Makes changes in provisions concerning the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and reversionary annuities, child annuities, duty disability benefits, and refunds.

Military Deployment (HB 2283):  States that the court cannot consider the military deployment of a present or proposed custodian and that the court cannot permanently modify a prior custody judgment while an active duty military member is deployed.

Military Voting (HB 1131):  Allows spouses and dependents of military members to request an absentee ballot by fax machine or electronic transmission, and permits family members of military members to hand deliver an absentee ballot for that military member to the election authority.

Police Pension (HB 3656):  Allows a police officer who is transferring creditable service from one downstate police pension fund to another to elect to have his/her creditable service reduced rather than paying the difference between the amount transferred and the true cost of allowing that creditable service to be established.

Police Prosecution (HB 675):  Provides that a work-related complaint and sworn affidavit filed against a State Police officer that is found to contain false information will be referred to the State’s Attorney for determination of prosecution.

Political Calls (HB 268):  States that political phone calls generated by an automatic dialing device must include who is paying for the call.

Political Freedom (HB 899):  Bars any public universities or community colleges from prohibiting faculty or staff from certain political activities.

Prevailing Wage (HB 163):  Requires a public body to supply a contractor with written notice on the purchasing order or on a separate document establishing that prevailing wage must be paid.

Primary Election (HB 726):  Establishes that candidates nominated to the ballot after the primary election must gather signatures equal to the number required for independent candidates.

Renewable Fuels (HB 680):  Authorizes DCEO to award up to $4 million per grant for the renewable fuels development act for advanced technologies in water conservation.

School Buses (SB 932):  Requires that school buses be equipped with a global positioning system, and that school bus drivers be equipped with cell phones. 

School Emergency (HB 1107):  Provides that in certain emergency situations school districts can proceed with making repairs to a school building without Superintendent of Education approval.

School Safety (HB 3982):  Requires students to be transported in a school bus, or a multifunction school-activity bus for interscholastic athletic or other interscholastic or school-sponsored activity, instead of vans.

School Salary (HB 2235):  Requires elementary and secondary school boards to issue annual reports to ISBE that include the base salary and benefits of the district superintendent and all administrators and teachers employed by the school district. Public universities and communications are to provide similar information to the IBHE as pertains to the institution’s president, administrators and faculty members.

Sex Offenses (HB 224):  Lengthens the statute of limitations for prosecuting sexual relations between family members and broadens the definition of “family members” with respect to the major sex offenses. (HB 1110):  Allows an unlimited statute of limitation on bringing a prosecution of a sex offense committed against a minor.

Stimulus Tracking (HB 571):  Requires the governor’s office or designated state agency to track and report the funding received and spent under the current and proposed federal stimulus packages.

Student Loan (HB 364):  Creates the Veterinary Student Loan Repayment Program through the University of Illinois.

Texting (HB 71):  Bans text messaging while driving.

Textbook Bundling (HB 461):  Places restrictions on college textbook publishers to prevent “bundling” of textbooks.

Tobacco Possession (HB 799):  Creates a petty offense for possession of tobacco by a person younger than 18, which could result in a fine, community service or participation in a smoker education/youth diversion program.

Transparency Portal (HB 35):  Requires CMS to establish a searchable database with access to information concerning state employees and information concerning State expenditures, State tax credits, State contracts, and revocations and suspension of occupation and use tax certificates of registration and professional licenses.

Trucking (HB 3956):  Increases speed limit to 65 mph for big trucks traveling on interstates outside Chicagoland.

Trusts (HB 2643):  Allows a beneficiary of a pensioner to receive their rightful pension if they are in a special needs trust, and allows a special needs trust to be a beneficiary in lieu of a disabled adult child.

TRS (HB 1148): Allows a TRS member to establish optional credit for up to 2 years of service as a teacher or administrator employed by a private school that’s recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education, provided that the teacher meets specific requirements.

Uninsured Drivers (HB 370):  Increases penalties for an uninsured driver who operates a motor vehicle, and who causes an accident resulting in bodily harm to another person.

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