May 8, 2009

Springfield, Ill. – This week in the Illinois Senate, lawmakers spent much of their time in committees considering and advancing House legislation in order to meet the Friday deadline to move House bills. However, in addition to their legislative duties, Senator Dillard said the Senate Republican Caucus took time to host its second Veterans Legislative Day.

The event had a great turnout, with more than 200 Illinois veterans traveling to Springfield to participate. Opening remarks were delivered by Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont), who was joined by Governor Pat Quinn.

Dillard said that he was glad the event was once again a success, noting that, "My mother was the chief surgical nurse at Hines Veterans' Hospital, so I've always had a soft spot for veterans since I was a young boy."

The day was filled with a variety of speakers, including Senate Republican members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee; Dan Grant, Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs; and representatives from Congressmen Peter Roskam’s, Aaron Schock’s and John Shimkus’ offices. The speakers fielded veterans’ questions, helped them better understand what benefits are currently available to veterans, and told them how to go about obtaining those benefits.

At the Statehouse, legislators were busy moving legislation out of committee, including one measure that seeks to prohibit elected officials who are convicted of violating the official misconduct law, or who have been removed from office due to conviction or impeachment, from financially benefiting from their misdeeds.

House Bill 4078 presumably targets former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose impeachment and removal from office sparked worldwide interest and has led to a lucrative book deal. Some lawmakers believe that the former governor, who was recently slapped with a 19-count indictment on corruption charges, should not be able to benefit financially by telling his story.

The provisions of House Bill 4078 would allow the Attorney General to file a forfeiture action against the elected official to recover all proceeds traceable to the official’s offense that harmed the citizens of Illinois. Though there is support for the legislation’s intent, similar attempts to prohibit criminals from receiving compensation for books detailing their criminal activities have been declared unconstitutional as an infringement of the individual’s First Amendment rights.

Also this week, the Joint Committee on Ethics met on Tuesday, and testimony this week centered on the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board.

The most anticipated witness testimony came from Pamela Davis, who is president and CEO of Edward Hospital in Naperville. Davis was the whistleblower who worked in conjunction with the FBI to help uncover the pay-to-play schemes and corruption at the Health Facilities Planning Board. She testified in favor of legislation that would remove two administrators who served on the Board during the time the corruption schemes took place.

The legislation would prohibit David Carvalho, Deputy Director at the Department of Public Health, from continuing to serve as an ex-officio member of the Health Facilities Planning Board. The measure would also terminate Jeffrey Mark, Executive Secretary of the Health Facilities Planning Board. The legislation goes on to prohibit Mark from holding a position at any agency authorized to provide an ex-officio member to the Board.

The measure is sponsored by House Republican Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego), who contends the legislation is needed to “continue to fumigate state government.” He says that both Carvalho and Mark should be removed because the events at the Board took place “on their watch.” Both men targeted by the legislation defended themselves and said they acted accordingly, maintaining they notified proper officials when they noticed suspicious activity.

However, on Thursday afternoon, House Speaker Michael Madigan went one step further in the effort to eliminate the taint of corruption from state boards and commissions, introducing legislation that would remove anyone appointed by Governors Rod Blagojevich or George Ryan to one of the estimated 90 state boards and commissions. It is projected that the measure could impact 3,000 people.

The goal of House Bill 4450 is to restore public confidence in Illinois government. A clause in the bill gives Gov. Pat Quinn the ability to issue a 60-day stay and reappoint sitting board members.

Senator Dillard said that most lawmakers are cautiously optimistic about the measure, but cautioned this measure is not a substitute for structural reforms that will rid state government of corruption. The Senator, who has long been a proponent for ethical and fiscal reform in Illinois, has plans to work with the Illinois Reform Commission, which recently unveiled a comprehensive package of reforms designed to put Illinois government back in the hands of its citizens. Among other recommendations, the Reform Commission wants to restructure the redistricting process in Illinois, taking the task away from politicians and instead allowing independent, non-political experts to draw Illinois' legislative districts. The redistricting process determines the legislative boundaries every ten years.

Legislation approved by Senate Committees this week:

Abuse (HB 3649):  Requires the Department of Public Health to investigate every allegation of abuse, and requires hospital employees to report any suspected abuse.

Aid (HB 745):  Allows applicants for public aid to apply at any local DHS office, not just the office in the county where the applicant resides.

Animal Shelters (HB 4036):  Provides that animal shelters may not allow animals to be adopted without sterilization or microchipping.

Cell Phones (HB 72):  Prohibits drivers from using cell phones in school or construction zones unless using a hands free device.

Child Abuse (HB 224):  Requires a person convicted of a sexual offense against a child by the use or threat of force to wear a GPS tracking device as a condition of parole.

Conservation Fund (HB 36):  Replaces $16 million in state wildlife and fish funds so Illinois does not lose federal monies, and also prevents future transfers from the fund.

Comprehensive Care (HB 838):  Provides that no person may operate as a participant as part of the Comprehensive Care in Residential Settings Demonstration Project until they obtain a valid license.

Cyberstalking (HB 2542):  Changes stalking/cyberstalking laws to prohibit conduct that could cause a victim to suffer emotional distress.

Dental Services (HB 917):  Authorizes Medicaid reimbursement of preventive dental services.

Dentists (HB 921): Requires every dental office to have an emergency medical plan, and requires all dental offices that administer anesthesia or sedation to have an AED on the premises.

Disabilities (HB 1035):  Mandates ISBE and school districts to provide education about people with disabilities and the history of people with disabilities.

Disease (HB 3922):  Requires DPH to investigate the causes of dangerously contagious or infectious disease and the health effects, health conditions, or health ailments related to biological, chemical, radiological, or nuclear events.  

DNA (HB 935):  Requires every person arrested for committing a felony to submit a DNA sample at the time of booking.

Dog Fight (HB 69):  Raises the penalty for sponsoring or attending an illegal animal or dog fight.

Economic Development (HB 798):  Creates a local economic development grant program to stimulate the economy.

EPA (HB 4021):  Requires the EPA to provide notice to the public whenever there is a risk that dangerous vapors/gases are emitted from the soil.

Firearms (HB 1032):  Increases the penalty for selling or giving a firearm to a convicted felon from Class 4 to Class 3 felony.

FOID Card (HB 3991):  Requires denial or revocation of the FOID card of a person who is the subject of an order of protection.

Foster Care (HB 4054):  Establishes a program of transitional discharge from foster care for teenage foster children, enabling former foster youths younger than 21 who encounter significant hardship upon emancipation to reengage with the Department of Children and Family Services.

Health Grants (HB 208):  Establishes grants for constructing or renovating health care centers.

Insurance (HB 2325):  Extends insurance coverage from nine months to 12 months for employees who would lose their health insurance because they have lost their job or had their hours cut.

ISAC Grant (HB 168):  Requires ISAC to award grants to students who participate in the Clinical Center Achievement Program at SIUC.

Lobbyists (HB 1060):  Expands the Lobbyist Registration Act to include those who lobby members of state boards and commissions.

Medicaid (HB 1033):  Expands Medicaid eligibility to include coverage to uninsured persons who have been screened and found in need of treatment for prostate or testicular cancer.

NPDES (HB 170): Provides that no private sewage disposal system that discharges into public waters can be built without a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, unless the system is built in a jurisdiction in which the local public health department has a general NPDES.

Obesity (HB 3767):  Organizes at least six hearings on the health effects and costs of obesity and the need to address the obesity epidemic.

Opioid Antidotes (HB 497):  Authorizes medical providers to prescribe opioid antidotes to patients who will administer these drugs to someone other than themselves.

Pedestrians (HB 43):  Requires vehicles to stop and yield to pedestrians at intersections without traffic signals.

Robbery (HB 10):  Increases the penalty for individuals convicted of robbing or burglarizing a day care center.

RSDS (HB 9):  Requires DPH to establish a Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSDS) Education Program to promote public awareness of the syndrome and the importance of early detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

Sexual Harassment (HB 2573):  Mandates that every institution of higher education must post sexual harassment laws and policies.

Stroke Victims (HB 2244):  Provides for the establishment of an EMS regional plan concerning the triage, treatment, and transport of possible acute stroke patients.

Threats (HB 1105):  Increases penalties for disorderly conduct that involves threatening to destroy a school, school event or people at a school.