Dangling masks, rosaries, even disabled parking placards – anything dangling from your rearview mirror while driving can get you pulled over by police. “They’re pulling them over, not because they’re concerned the dangling air freshener is going to cause an accident. They’re pulling them over because they believe they’re going to find guns or drugs in their car,” the bill’s sponsor LaShawn For said.

“On April 20, 2023 two bills passed out of committee in the Illinois House of Representatives that would increase pension benefits for Chicago firefighters hired after 2010…The Civic Federation is concerned about these and other proposals that would enhance benefits for Tier 2 government employees (those hired since January 1, 2011) without any analysis completed first to understand the extent to which of these proposals are necessary and how much they would cost the responsible governments and taxpayers.”

State Rep. Mark Walker said House Bill 3479 creates the Uniform Money Transmission Modernization Act, which requires exchanges and crypto businesses to obtain a license from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. If businesses are approved for a digital asset license in Illinois, the bill allows the state to access their books and pass along relevant information to enforcement agencies.

Senate Bill 1251 would require motor vehicle laws and regulations to be met when the ambulance or rescue vehicle speed exceeds 25 miles per hour. The current law sets that speed at 40 miles per hour. The bill also calls for the siren to be on when any pedestrian is present.

Our Wirepoints column republished.

“Over the decades, (Michael) Madigan built a giant ‘farm system’ that became the backbone of his political and Statehouse organization. Young people either started out on campaigns before they were put on Madigan’s Issues Staff or were subsequently sent out to work on campaigns after joining the staff…Every other legislative leader had a similar operation, although none were nearly as extensive as Madigan’s far-flung operation.”

The Helping to Encourage Real Opportunity (HERO) for Youth Act and the Assisting in Developing (AID) Youth Employment Act will increase federal resources for communities seeking to create or grow employment programs and provide tax incentives to businesses and employers to hire and retain youth from economically distressed areas.

Nearly four months since Gov. JB Pritzker signed the gun ban into law, U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn wrote, “In no way does this Court minimize the damage caused when a firearm is used for an unlawful purpose; however, this Court must be mindful of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution.”

The main focus of these pieces of legislation is to protect victims of crime, looking over parts of the Pre-trial Fairness Act, and the focus on the recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers.

Few in New York are likely to know, and even fewer to remember, “Squeezy the Pension Python,” the main character in a viral video seeking to win public support for pension reform in Illinois a decade ago. But they might want to give it a look.

Carbon capture and storage has been around since the 1920s, but became commercialized in the 1970s. It wasn’t until the past two decades that it is now seen as a way to address the climate crisis. But, environmental groups like the Sierra Club Illinois are skeptical if this process can actually deliver on its promises.

Comment: Wisconsin is also asking for $75 million for the Republican convention to be held in Milwaukee.

“The taxpayers of Illinois continue to pay a high price for the last-minute sleight of hand that distinguishes our state’s budget practice from so many other more responsible ones across the country. The latest example is a supposed $2 million addition to the 2020-’21 state budget to cover the costs of providing Medicaid health coverage to senior citizens who are living illegally in Illinois.”

“…80% of parents report their children get mostly B’s or above and rank report card grades as the top measure to know if their child is on grade level. Given this, it’s no surprise that as recently as this March, 90% of parents, regardless of race, income or education level, report their children are performing at grade level in math and reading. Yet consider the following: The 2022 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation’s Report Card) exams showed that nationally, only a quarter of eighth-graders reached proficiency in math — and just 12% in Chicago

Characterization of this being a tax on the wealthy is not one that Illinois Farm Bureau Director of State Legislation Kevin Semlow agreed with. Increasing farmland value and agriculture equipment costs in recent years have made more middle-class family farms meet the Exclusion Limit, he said. “We are one of the last few midwestern states that have it (state estate tax) and it really hampers agricultural interests, especially farmers.”