Priority: Faith and Democracy
HB 6200/SB 2532, Campaign Finance Reform—Closes the loophole on campaign finance reform bill passed in the 2009 Session of the General Assembly (SB1644) by ensuring there are limits on all transfers from political parties and caucuses to candidates in the general election cycle.
Sponsors: Rep. May, Franks, Mathias, Coulson; Sen. Steans, Frerichs, Delgado, Noland, Garrett
HB 6502, Reproductive Health and Access Act —Protects the right of a woman to choose to use birth control, choose not to use birth control, carry a pregnancy to term, or terminate a pregnancy prior to viability. Requires all Illinois schools to teach age-appropriate, comprehensive sexual health education (with a parental opt-out policy); and ensures that government-run health programs cover basic reproductive health care services like other health care services do.
Sponsor: Rep. Currie
Priority: Faith and Economic Justice
HB 174, Education and Fiscal Responsibility Act —Raises approximately $7 billion in new revenues by increasing personal income tax and extending sales tax to non-essential services, while ensuring property tax relief and tax credits for low-income families. Bill passed the Senate at the end of the 2009 Session and provides a framework for comprehensive tax reform being called for by the Responsible Budget Coalition, a state-wide coalition of over 200 organizations, including human service, education, labor, faith-based, and civic groups.
Sponsors: Rep. Miller, Colvin, W. Davis, Riley, Golar; Sen. Cullerton, Meeks, Collins, Raoul, Lightford
SB 655, Consumer Installment Loan Reform Act —Sets interest rates from 36% to 99% for small dollar, longer-term consumer installment loans by proposing to cap interest rates on loans of up to $4,000 at 99%, limit payments to 22.5% of a borrower’s monthly income, require lenders to verify borrowers’ ability to pay, and ban huge “balloon” payments at the end of the loan term. Effectively closes the loophole in the 2005 Payday Loan Reform Act. Also establishes the use of a consumer database for purposes of determining borrower eligibility and ensuring compliance with the Act.
Sponsors: Sen. Lightford, Collins, Crotty, Schoenberg, Noland
HB 5950, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Increase —Increases the TANF cash assistance grant by 15% ($64 more per month for a family of 3) annually until the grants reach 50% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and then maintains them at that level.
Sponsors: Rep. Burns, Currie, Graham, Acevedo, Bradley
Priority: Faith and Public Education
No current activity.
Priority: Faith and Health Care
No current activity.
Priority: Faith and Criminal Justice
HB 1381/SB 2514, Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act —Creates a pilot program that allows a person, once diagnosed by a physician as having a debilitating medical condition, may be issued a registry identification card by the Department of Public Health that permits the person or the person’s primary caregiver to legally possess no more than 7 dried cannabis plants and 2 ounces of dried usable cannabis. Passed the Senate during 2009 Session; now awaits action in the House.
Sponsors: Sen. Haine, Martinez, Schoenberg, Trotter, Raoul; Rep. Lang, Saviano, Fritchey, Yarbrough, Dunkin
HB 5394, Sealing to Eliminate the Unintended Consequences of a Criminal Record —Expands current sealing statue to assist those with conviction records, who are later, wrongfully accused of committing a crime, and then exonerated through either a dismissal or acquittal to have those records sealed.
Sponsor: Rep. Howard
HB 6195, Soliciting Prostitution Act —Amends the Illinois Criminal Code by increasing by one class the penalties for solicitation of a sexual act, soliciting for a prostitute, soliciting for a juvenile prostitute, patronizing a prostitute, patronizing a juvenile prostitute, and pimping.
Sponsor: Rep. Charles Jefferson
HB6462, The Illinois Safe Children Act —Amends provisions of the Illinois criminal code to help safeguard children involved in prostitution and sex trafficking by providing that any minor (under the age of 18) arrested for prostitution will be transferred from the criminal system to the child protection system and removing references to “juvenile prostitution” from criminal code.
Sponsor: Rep. Will Burns
Priority: Faith and Environment
HB 6088/SB 3750, BPA-Free Kids Act —Protects Illinois children’s health from toxic bisphenol-A by eliminating the chemical from 1) infant formula and baby food containers and 2) reusable plastic food containers such as baby bottles, water bottles, and sippy cups. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an estrogen-mimicking chemical which leaches from polycarbonate containers.
Sponsors: Rep. Nekritz, Davis, Farnham, Burns, Jakobsson; Sen. Kotowski, Collins, Hunter, Harmon, Schoenberg
RENEW Illinois —In collaboration with other environmental organizations, PCG is working on a four-part legislative package on a range of environmental issues:
HB 6206/SB3426 —Raises the cap on the net metering program in Illinois to allow more people to access the benefits of renewable energy generation.
Sponsors: Rep. Burns; Sen. Bond
HB 6013/SB3686 —Provides interim benchmarks for solar production in Illinois so the targets for the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard will be met by 2015.
Sponsors: Rep. Graham; Sen. Harmon
SB 2505 —Allows homeowners to access low interest loans through a voluntary tax assessment to finance the initial cost of installing renewable energy systems (like solar panels).
Sponsor: Frerichs
HB 5429 —Ensures a property owner’s right to install renewable energy systems, such as solar panels and wind turbines, on their home or condo.
Sponsors: Feigenholtz
Priority: Global Issues
No current activity.
