Legislators were in Springfield for the final week of the Fall Veto Session, taking action on measures vetoed or amendatorily vetoed by the Governor.
Legislation sponsored by Senator Dale Fowler to allow Hardin County to purchase the old Hardin County Work Camp also came before the Senate.
House Bill 130, which is identical to House Bill 3274, authorizes a property transfer to take place for $1, enabling Hardin County and surrounding communities to utilize the currently closed facility. Efforts are currently underway to fund the reopening of the facility, creating jobs and bringing economic opportunity to the region. The measure received unanimous support, passing out of the Senate on November 28.
In other news, the City of Cairo received some exciting economic development news this week, with plans being unveiled for several new businesses throughout the community.
On November 26, Senator Fowler joined the Horizon Developer Group to announce plans to open a number of news businesses in Cairo, including plans to develop a Mexican restaurant, coffee shop, laundry mat, dry cleaners, and children’s indoor play center.
Plans have also been discussed to open a Family First Resource Center housed in Cairo’s old Bennett Elementary School building, the development of group home housed in the old Garrison building, and the creation of new housing units in the future.
To hear more of Senator Fowler’s thoughts on these business developments, listen to his most recent podcast available on his website senatorfowler.com.
Veto Session Recap
Illinois now has several new laws following the conclusion of the Fall Veto Session, where the General Assembly overrode measures vetoed by Gov. Bruce Rauner. Other measures fell short of the 3/5 majority needed in both the Senate and House of Representatives to override the Governor’s vetoes.
Below is a summary of some of the legislation that was taken up this Fall Veto Session:
Tobacco 21 (Senate Bill 2332): Increases the age to purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products from 18 to 21.
The motion to override the Governor’s veto passed the Senate 36-19, but failed in the House 62-45.
Regulation of Ride-sharing Companies (Senate Bill 2641): Places more regulations for car and ride-sharing companies and puts them more in line with car rental companies.
The motion to override the Governor’s amendatory veto passed the Senate 39-12-3, but was not voted on in the House.
School Counselor Requirements (House Bill 4514): Allows only licensed school counselors to provide school counseling services to students. Someone hired as a school counselor must be certified and endorsed as a school counselor—with a Master’s degree in school counseling, 600 hours of teaching experience, appropriate casework and service experience and passed the required school counseling examinations.
The motion to override the Governor’s amendatory veto passed the Senate 52-0-1 and the House 107-0.
Lyme Disease Prevention and Protection Act (House Bill 4515): Grants medical providers immunity from disciplinary action by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation for the experimental treatment of Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases.
The motion to override the Governor’s amendatory veto passed the Senate 48-0 and the House 110-0.
Long-term Care Medicaid Eligibility (House Bill 4771): Authorizes the state to pay long-term care benefits for Medicaid applicants if their applications are not processed in a timely manner.
The motion to override the Governor’s amendatory veto passed the Senate 54-0 and the House 110-0.
Finally, Senator Fowler is encouraging safe shopping this holiday season by sharing the Illinois Attorney General annual Safe Shopping Guide, which highlights hazardous toys, children’s products and household items that have been recalled over the past year. The guide includes descriptions and photographs of each item.
This year’s recalled products include baby rattles and bath toys that break apart and pose a choking hazard, toy planes and cars that children can choke on, crayon boxes that contain pieces of glass, toys and water bottles that contain unsafe levels of lead paint, and many other items.
The Attorney General notes that while these products may be recalled, families should keep an eye out for them on store shelves, at yard and garage sales, and on secondhand websites such as Craigslist and eBay.
If you have any questions about products included in the guide, please call the Attorney General’s Product Recall Hotline at 1-888-414-7678 (TTY: 1-800-964-3013). Current and previous editions of the Safe Shopping Guide can be found here.