February 7, 2020 Update

GOVERNOR’S HIGLIGHTS:
Tax Amnesty: The Illinois Department of Revenue announced today it collected nearly $240 million through its tax amnesty program. Over $60 million of the funding collected through the program will go to local governments, with roughly $7.5 million going to the City of Chicago. Gov. JB Pritzker proposed the amnesty program as part of last year’s budget, and the Office of Management and Budget estimated the program would recover $175 million in outstanding tax liabilities.
Broadband Investment: Gov. JB Pritzker announced that the state is releasing $50 million in funding for the first round of matching grants of Connect Illinois, the state’s $420 million statewide broadband expansion. Applicants are required to provide at least 50% of non-state funding. Grant responses for the initial $50 million round of funding can be submitted through Friday, April 3, 2020. Up to $5 million per project will be available during the first round, and subsequent rounds will follow over the course of the next several years. 
Sexual Harassment Training: The Illinois Department of Human Rights launched an information-based webpage concerning the Workplace Transparency Act, a new Illinois law that requires all Illinois employers to provide sexual harassment prevention training to their employees on an annual basis. Fire/Police Pension Boards: Gov. JB Pritzker named 18 members to two interim boards that will manage the new statewide downstate police and fire pension investment funds. The transition board trustees will oversee the consolidation of local funds over the next year, when permanent board trustees will be elected. The funds’ boards consist of five members drawn from employees and retirees, and four members representing employers.

The following members will serve on the Firefighters’ Pension Investment Fund and Police Officers’ Pension Investment Fund:
FIREFIGHTERS’ PENSION INVESTMENT FUND

  • Kevin Bramwell: Bramwell is a 23-year first responder who currently serves as a firefighter in the Village of Bolingbrook and as president of the Bolingbrook Firefighters Pension Fund, the Bolingbrook Firefighters Retiree Healthcare Funding Trust and IAFF Local 3005. 
  • Steve Chirico: Chirico was elected mayor of Naperville in 2015 after serving one term as alderman. 
  • Brad Cole: Cole has served as executive director of the Illinois Municipal League since 2014. 
  • Russ Hunt: Hunt currently serves as Battalion Chief for the Bolingbrook Fire Department. 
  • Matthew Kink: Kink currently works as a firefighter for the Springfield Fire Department, in addition to owning and working as a tax consultant.
  • Patrick Nichting: Nichting has served as City Treasurer for the City of Peoria and tax collector for the Township of the City of Peoria since 2009. 
  • Jeff Rowitz: Rowitz currently serves as Deputy Village Manager and Chief Financial Officer for the Village of Northbrook. 
  • George Schick: Schick currently serves as Lieutenant for the Orland Park Fire Protection District, which he has worked for since 1995.
  • Chuck Sullivan: Sullivan currently serves as Fire Captain at the City of Champaign Fire Department.

POLICE OFFICERS’ PENSION INVESTMENT FUND

  • Brad Cole: Cole has served as executive director of the Illinois Municipal League since 2014. 
  • Shawn Curry: Curry has served as a sergeant at the City of Peoria Police Department since 2004 and also serves as the president of the Peoria Pension Fund.
  • Andrea DiGiacinto: DiGiacinto has served as a law enforcement officer in the Libertyville Police Department since 1998. 
  • Elizabeth Holleb: Holleb is a Certified Public Accountant and has over 20 years of work experience in municipal finance, including the Government Finance Officers Association, the Village of Northbrook, the Village of Oak Park and the City of Highland Park.
  • Dan Hopkins: Hopkins is a retired police officer who previously served the O’Fallon Police Department, Shiloh Police Department and the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department.
  • Michael Inman: Inman has served as Mayor of the City of Macomb since 2011. 
  • Mark Poulos: Poulos currently serves as an alderman in the City of Rock Island and most recently worked as Chief of Police in Coal Valley after 33 years of service as a lieutenant at the Rock Island Police Department. 
  • Brian Prochaska: Prochaska is a 19-year veteran of the Joliet Police Department, currently assigned as a detective in their Investigations Division.
  • Phil Suess: Suess was elected as the Mayor of Wheaton in May 2019 after serving on city council for 14 years. 

Other Pritzker appointments this week include:

  • Michael Carrigan will serve on the Illinois Commerce Commission
  • Mike Macellaio will serve on the Workers’ Compensation Medical Fee Advisory Board

101st GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The General Assembly was in session Tuesday and Wednesday of this week; both chambers canceled session for Thursday. Legislators primarily spent the week filing new legislation and considering bills at the committee level.
The Illinois General Assembly overrode the Governor’s total veto of HB3902 (Bristow/Crowe) which reinstates a sales tax exemption on aircraft parts which had previously expired. The bill impacts 14 aviation facilities in Illinois. The bill now becomes law.
The House Transportation: Vehicles and Safety Committee unanimously approved HB322 (McSweeney) which would prevent non-home rule communities from installing red light cameras in the future, and also require towns currently using the devices to remove them by the start of next year. The bill is now on 2nd Reading in the House.
A bill requiring that a charter school operating within the City of Chicago be administered by a local school council, SB188 (Villivalam), was reassigned to the Senate Education Committee this week. A hearing has not been scheduled.
Legislation to create the Electronic Cigarettes Youth Access Prevention Act,HB3960 (Willis), was assigned to the House Human Services Committee this week. A hearing on the legislation has not been scheduled.
HB3493 (Guzzardi), which creates the Prescription Drug Affordability Act, was re-assigned this week to the House Prescription Drug Affordability and Accessibility Committee.
A hearing has not been scheduled at this time.
Noteworthy bill filings from this week include:

  • HB4471 (Carroll) States that a drug is considered misbranded if it contains gluten but does not provide a warning on its label stating that it contains gluten. Assigned to House Rules.
  • SB2888 (Barickman) Provides that provisions prohibiting advertisement of cannabis or cannabis-infused products do not apply to newspapers. Assigned to Senate Assignments.
  • SB2902 (Hunter) bans the use of red-light cameras. Assigned to Senate Assignments.
  • SB2920 (Jones) Creates the Plastic Straw Ban Act. Prohibits a bar, restaurant, or any business that sells food to the public from giving a customer a single-use plastic straw unless the customer requests one. Assigned to Senate Assignments.
  • SB2746 (Morrison) Prohibits mandatory arbitration clauses in fully insured life, health, or disability insurance policies. Assigned to Senate Assignments.
  • HB4416 (DeLuca) Prohibits a county from authorizing a permit for the sale of adult use cannabis sales within 1.5 miles of municipalities that have banned cannabis sales. Assigned to House Rules.
  • HB4496 (Ugaste) Extends the provisions of the Dissolution of Townships in McHenry County Article of the Township Code to all counties. Assigned to House Rules.
  • HB4514 (Andrade) Prohibits a public employee or officer from influencing the use of specific vendors in the placement of video gaming terminals. Assigned to House Rules.
  • HB4522 (Flowers) Requires cannabis or cannabis-infused products to be tested for vitamin E acetate. If any sample fails the test, the entire batch must be recalled. Prohibits cannabis and cannabis-infused products from containing vitamin E acetate. Assigned to House Rules.
  • HB4540 (Welch) Creates the Illinois Athlete Agents Act of 2021. Requires licensure of agents for student-athletes with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and establishes qualifications for licensure and requirements for athlete agents. Assigned to House Rules.

COMING UP:
The Illinois General Assembly adjourned until Tuesday, Feb. 18th at noon. Friday, Feb. 14th is the deadline to file substantive legislation in both chambers. Gov. JB Pritzker will deliver his FY 2021 budget to a joint session of the General Assembly on Wednesday, Feb. 19th. Committee hearings are expected to intensify in the coming weeks. The Senate Criminal Law Committee will hold joint subject matter hearing with the Senate Special Committee on Public Safety and House Judiciary-Criminal Committee on Feb. 13th at 10am in in the Bilandic Building in Chicago to discuss the state of criminal justice in Illinois.