|
|
May 10, 2019
This Week in Illinois
The House and Senate convened session this Tuesday, May 7 and were in through Thursday, May 9. Both chambers cancelled session on Friday, May 10, and Monday, May 13. They return for session Tuesday, May 12, and are both scheduled to be in through Friday, May 17.
CAPITAL UPDATE
HB 391
(Zalewski), as amended, passed the House Revenue and Finance Committee 9-6-0 and moves to the House floor for a vote.
The legislation is similar to the bill introduced Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee Senator Martin Sandoval, D-Chicago, and backed by Operators Union Local 150 earlier this session but has larger revenue increases in order to get closer to the amount Illinois actually needs to raise.
Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch testified in committee that the Chamber is remaining neutral on the legislation because it does not represent a bipartisan agreement and is moving prematurely with the bipartisan working groups on capital continuing to meet and make progress. You can view his testimony here.
The Chamber has concerns with some non-revenue portions of the bill and would like to see further discussion on ways to reduce the impact of revenue increases on taxpayers and demonstrate to voters that Illinois is spending its transportation revenue wisely. Such initiatives include removing the sales tax on motor fuel, exploring innovative financing for large projects with high traffic volumes, and greater public transparency.
We have not yet heard what capital proposals the governor is willing to support, though his office indicated this week that they plan to weigh in shortly. The Chamber will continue to be active in lobbying for the inclusion of consumer protections in the final package.
RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA
Gov. Pritzker and Democrat lawmakers unveiled a recreational marijuana proposal as an amendment to SB 7 (Steans). Employers will want to review section 10-50 which provides workplace protections. The provision needs strengthening to better protect employees where employers maintain a zero tolerance or drug- free workplace environment.
CHAMBER CONTINUES TO OPPOSE 'WATERS EDGE'
The Illinois Chamber continues to oppose efforts by budget negotiators to change the Illinois Income Tax Act to reinstate a flawed way of apportioning the income of multinational businesses on a "world-wide combination" basis. Previously drafted under defeated measures laid out in
HB 2085 (Harris) and
SB 1115 (Steans), these proposals would impose unnecessary burdens on businesses conducting activity in the State, and would not raise anywhere near the amount of revenue that the proponents hope to raise (and could reduce revenue by decreased investment to Illinois businesses). To learn more on the issue, you can view the Chamber's one pager
here or you can read a recent article penned by the Chamber Tax Institute Executive Director Keith Staats
here.
PAID SICK LEAVE SENT BACK TO RULES
HB 471 (Morgan/Fine) did not move this week and has been sent back to House Rules Committee. The bill
mandates employers of all sizes to provide 40 hours of paid sick leave.
It is unknown at this time if this proposal will be resurrected before May 31 adjournment. However, we welcome this good news as the Chamber is opposed.
HB 3358 (Turner/T. Cullerton) passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee 7-3-0 and has been placed on the calendar for second reading in the Senate. The bill creates the Data Transparency and Privacy Act that would regulate the collection and disclosure of personal information. The sponsor agreed to not run the bill as is and bring the bill back to the committee with an amendment. The Chamber is opposed.
SUBJECT MATTER HEARINGS
The Senate Insurance Committee held a subject matter hearing on
HB 889 (Swanson/Anderson)
. The legislation requires an individual or group policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan to provide coverage for long-term antibiotic therapy for a person with a tick-borne disease. The Chamber testified in opposition.
The Senate Commerce and Economic Development Committee held a subject matter only hearing Thursday on
HB 3394
(Welch/Belt) and no votes were taken. The legislation mandates that publicly traded companies in Illinois have at least one African American, one female, and one Latino member on their board of directors. The Chamber discourages state government insertion into corporate governance and is opposed.
FLOOR ACTION
SB 9
(Bennett), amended, passed out of the Senate Conservation and Environment Committee and later passed the Senate 39-09-07 and heads to the House Rules Committee. This bill would establish the Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act which aims to ban the use of coal ash in transportation related projects in certain industries. While much progress has been made in negotiations, the bill still has many issues to work out. The Illinois Environmental Regulatory Group testified in opposition in Committee. The Chamber is opposed.
COMMITTEE ACTION
SB 24
(Link/Hoffman) passed the House Transportation Committee 9-4-0 and has been placed on the calendar for Second Reading in the House. The legislation mandates train crew sizes. Rep. Margo McDermed, R-Mokena, requested a fiscal note on the legislation that is now sitting on the floor of the House. The Chamber is opposed.
HJR 47
(Marron) passed out of the House Energy and Environment 26-0-0 has been placed on the calendar for order of resolutions in the House. The bill creates a task force on coal ash. The Chamber supports the legislation.
HB 834
(Moeller/Castro) passed out of the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee and has been placed on the calendar for Third Reading in the Senate. This legislation prohibits an employer from: (i) screening job applicants based on their wage or salary history, (ii) requiring that an applicant's prior wages satisfy minimum or maximum criteria, and (iii) requesting or requiring as a condition of being interviewed or as a condition of continuing to be considered for an offer of employment that an applicant disclose prior wages or salary. The Chamber testified in opposition.
SB 1847
(Munoz/Mah) passed out of the House Energy and Environment Committee 26-0-0 and has been placed on the calendar for Second Reading in the House. Rep. Mah offered CA1 to the billthat creates an environmental justice program at the Illinois EPA and sets forth various requirements that must be met before a permit can be issued. The new program would significantly slow down permitting for any facility seeking a permit under the Clean Air Act and the NPDES program. The Chamber opposes the amendment.
Rep. Mah stated in committee she would not call the amendment unless it was an agreed amendment. The Chamber is neutral on the underlying bill and worked with Senator Munoz on the language to get to an agreed bill. If the amendment is adopted the Chamber will oppose the legislation.
SB 1909
(Castro/Greenwood) passed the House Human Services - Appropriations Committee by an 11-4-0 vote and has been placed on the calendar for second reading in the House. The legislation deals with pregnancy postpartum treatment. The Chamber has submitted language to the sponsor to remove our opposition and the sponsor is reviewing that amendment. The Chamber is opposed as is.
HB 2154
(Feigenholtz/Steans) passed out of the Senate Public Health Committee by an 8-2-0 vote and has been placed on the calendar for second reading in the Senate. The legislation is an insurance mandate to cover first episode psychosis treatment. The Chamber testified in opposition.
HB 2491
(Walsh/McGuire) passed the Senate Environment and Conservation Committee by an 8-2-0 vote and has been placed on the calendar for second reading in the Senate. The bill provides a process to recycle plastic materials. The Chamber supports the legislation.
HB 2975
(Evans/Villivalam) passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 7-3-0 and has been placed on the calendar for second reading in the Senate. . This bill provides that an employer may not require as a condition or precondition of employment that an employee or person seeking employment waive, arbitrate, or otherwise diminish any future claim, right, or benefit to which the person would otherwise be entitled under state or federal law. The Chamber testified in opposition.
|
|
