Don’t pass law creating more predatory lending in Illinois

If you think the ever-present attorney advertisements that you see in Illinois are an eyesore, get ready to see more of them if a bill passes the Illinois General Assembly and is signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

As someone who watches the cost of insurance and is concerned about the factors that drive costs up, I’m worried that a piece of legislation zooming through the House and Senate is not being vetted appropriately and has the potential to increase insurance costs for everyone.

Senate Bill 1099 is being pushed by influential trial lawyers who benefit from big-ticket lawsuit settlements. The bill would allow third-party investors to “loan” money to people who have been hurt while they wait for their court cases to move through the legal system. The “lenders” would be allowed to charge interest rates to the injured of 18% every six months for nearly four years.

That’s predatory. It should not be allowed to become law. The end result would be more abuse of personal injury litigation, which would drive up the costs of insurance for all of us.

James Coston, CEO, Corridor Rail Development Corp.

Transgender issues

Mona Charen’s column of Mar. 25, about the issues involved in treating transgender young people, s is the first thing I’ve read on the issue that makes sense.

A child’s health shouldn’t be used as a “social justice” matter for either side. There shouldn’t even be sides. I appreciate her thoughtful comments. It makes my head clearer.

Julia Smith, Chicago

Pay for striking

Thanks so much for your editorial about CPS teachers not being paid for the five days of the Chicago Teachers Union’s illegal strike in January. “Illegal strike” says it all.

Beth Najberg, Chicago

Protecting reproductive choice

This Women’s History Month, I am reminded of the challenges women continue to face and overcome. In 2021, the U.S. saw the highest number of abortion restrictions made into law in a single year, and still, legislators and governors across the country continue to enact bans on women’s bodies.

As a result, millions of women and girls will be at risk, without access to critical reproductive health services that save lives. As those politicians fail to do their job to protect their residents, our governor in Illinois continues to fight for our rights and freedoms.

Thankfully, in 2019, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Reproductive Health Act, making safe and legal abortion a constitutional right in Illinois and entrusting women to make our own health decisions. This couldn’t be more important with Roe v. Wade on the line.

Thank goodness our governor trusts women and has ensured our reproductive rights are protected, no matter what.

Laura Welch, President, Illinois NOW