103 rd ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The Illinois General Assembly remains adjourned until the November Veto Session.
The House Mental Health and Addiction Committee will hold a joint subject matter hearing with the Senate Behavioral and Mental Health Committee on October 28 at 10 am in the Bilandic Building in Chicago to discuss special funding for behavioral health and cannabis revenue and opioid settlement funds.
Additional hearings are scheduled for November 7 at 10 am to discuss the administrative and funding barriers to substance use disorder treatment, recovery, and harm reduction and December 10 at 1pm to discuss psychedelics as behavioral health treatment – HB 1 and beyond. Both hearings will take place in the Bilandic building in Chicago.
There continues to be rumors that some of Veto Session will be cancelled and that most issues will be resolved in a lame duck session next year. To date, we do not have any solid information to pass on. We will continue to monitor the situation.
GOVERNOR’S HIGHLIGHTS:
New ISP Cadets: The Illinois State Police welcomed 35 new troopers from Cadet Class 148. The new troopers reported to seven different Troops throughout the state. Since 2019, 565 troopers have joined ISP.
IFTA and MFUT Temporarily Suspended: Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) have temporarily waived the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) registration and motor fuel use tax (MFUT) single trip permitting for qualified motor vehicles engaged in interstate disaster relief efforts as a result of Hurricanes Milton & Helene. The suspension, pursuant to 35 ILCS 505/13a.4 and 13a.5, is effective from October 11, 2024, through November 09, 2024.
Operators of qualified motor vehicles traveling into or through Illinois responding specifically to power, communications, utilities, and infrastructure restoration to areas that fall under the declaration of emergency will not be ticketed or otherwise penalized for non-registration for IFTA/MFUT, provided they can provide adequate proof of the destination or the vehicle’s last destination within the declared area. Illinois will also waive IFTA-required credentials and MFUT single trip permits to qualified motor vehicles specifically delivering goods, services or foods necessary for sustaining life and livestock in the area covered in the declaration.
OTHER NEWS:
SOS Pilots Driver’s Kiosks in Supermarkets: The Illinois Secretary of State is implementing a pilot program to install 15 kiosks in supermarkets to give residents an opportunity to renew their driver’s licenses or other state IDs and obtain vehicle stickers while grocery shopping or running errands. The kiosks will be primarily located in the Chicago area. Read more here.
Civic Federation Report: The Civic Federation of Chicago issued a new report that outlines major fiscal challenges facing the City of Chicago as it prepares its FY2025 budget and beyond. Key issues include the city’s structural deficit, pension obligations, long-term debt, public safety funding, financial ties to the Chicago Public Schools system, plans for addressing migrant-related funding needs and new economic development/housing bond financing.
The report presents these issues as a framework to guide city leaders in developing both short-term solutions to close the budget deficit, as well as long-term strategies to address Chicago’s significant liabilities and persistent structural deficits. The report also includes fiscally responsible options for addressing each challenge. It is our hope that this work will elevate the discourse around the city’s finances and provide a roadmap for a more sustainable future. Read more here.