Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by Elise Dismer2014-08-06T13:15:30-05:00https://chicago.suntimes.com/authors/elise-dismer/rss2014-08-06T13:15:30-05:002019-04-18T17:39:28-05:00House OKs looking into possible state takeover of IHSA
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<p><a class="Link" href="http://politics.suntimes.com/article/springfield/house-oks-looking-possible-state-takeover-ihsa/mon-04072014-1124pm" target="_blank" >Click here to read the story at the Sun-Times’ Early & Often page</a>.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2014/8/6/18490853/house-oks-looking-into-possible-state-takeover-of-ihsaElise Dismer2014-06-19T16:21:26-05:002019-05-11T11:45:22-05:00Quinn OKs bill granting EPA new oversight over tire storage - Chicago
<p>SPRINGFIELD—On the anniversary of a tire-induced, month-long fire, Gov. Pat Quinn Thursday signed legislation granting state environmental regulators more oversight on tire storage.</p><p> </p><p>The legislation, pushed by state Sen. Michael Frerichs, D-Champaign, was a response to a fire at J&R Used Tire Service in Hoopeston, near the Illinois-Indiana border, which burned for weeks because of the accumulation of tires. The cleanup of debris and demolition of surrounding structures took until November, around five months, to complete.</p><p>“We were able to quickly respond to last year’s tire fire in Hoopeston and institute new guidelines to prevent other communities from experiencing similar accidents,” said Frerichs, the Democratic candidate for state treasurer. “This new law will help save state funds that would otherwise have to be spent on environmental clean-up.”</p><p>Senate Bill 2671, which was signed into law on the anniversary of the Hoopeston fire, requires tire storage locations with more than 10,000 passenger tires, or that process 500 tons of used tires in a calendar year, to get a solid waste permit. This permit lets the IEPA inspect tire facilities, which will need to develop storage plans in order to operate. It also allows the IEPA to explore new markets for used tires.</p><p>“This new law will help safeguard against any disaster of this magnitude and ensure our communities are protected,” Quinn said. “It will protect the environment and homeowners, and help find alternative uses for used and waste tires.” <br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2014/6/19/18614942/quinn-oks-bill-granting-epa-new-oversight-over-tire-storageElise Dismer2014-06-10T10:21:08-05:002019-05-11T10:20:28-05:00Quinn signs cupcake-girl bill into law - Chicago
<p>SPRINGFIELD — It’s a sweet day for “cupcake girl” Chloe Stirling, who can once again sell her home-baked treats thanks to a piece of legislation Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law Tuesday in her hometown of Troy.</p><p>The measure exempts home kitchen organizations from having to adhere to the state’s health regulations, so long as the business brings in fewer than $1,000 a month.</p><p>In January, Stirling’s home-baking operation “Hey Cupcake!” had been shut down by the Madison County Health Department because the pre-teen had not attained a proper business license and had used a non-commercially certified kitchen to bake her goods. Under the new law, Stirling won’t have to worry about meeting those rules.</p><p>Quinn applauded the entrepreneurial spirit and determination of the 12-year-old girl, who lobbied in Springfield for House Bill 5354 to pass.</p><p>“Democracy is for everyone and I salute Chloe Stirling for getting involved and making a difference for a cause she believes in,” Quinn said in a prepared statement. “Thanks to her leadership, Chloe and other small-scale, home-based entrepreneurs are experiencing the sweet smell of success today.”<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2014/6/10/18600157/quinn-signs-cupcake-girl-bill-into-lawElise Dismer2014-05-30T14:19:14-05:002019-05-11T10:24:28-05:00Mayor's phone-tax hike passes House, Senate by big margins - Chicago
<p>SPRINGFIELD—The House and Senate gave quick approval to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s bid to boost the city tax by 56 percent on wirelines, wireless and prepaid cell phones to pay for 911 operations and perhaps even some of the city’s massive pension tab.</p><p> </p><p>The measure passed the Senate 52-4 and the House by an 83-22 vote, with three members voting present. The package now heads to Gov. Pat Quinn, who has not publicly staked out a position on the bill.</p><p>Under the plan, the city tax on monthly phone bills would jump from $2.50 to $3.90, making the tax the highest of its kind among any city in the state.</p><p>“In Chicago, the money is used for the operations of emergency management control center, which is the 911 center,” said Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, the bill’s chief Senate sponsor. “So the money is used to fund that system exclusively.”</p><p>But the legislation contained no stipulation stating how exactly the city would have to spend increased revenues, which could total more than $50 million annually.</p><p>The City Council has been looking for a Plan B to stave off the mayor’s plan to hike property taxes by $250 million over five years to bail out the Municipal Employees and Laborers pension funds. The city also faces a $600 million bill next year because state law requires that payment to shore up police and fire pension funds in even worse shape than the other two.</p><p>Last year, the city collected $90 million from the surcharge on all three types of phones. At that rate, a 56-percent increase would generate an additional $50.4 million.</p><p>The legislation that passed Friday also allowed downstate and suburban communities to devote a larger share of phone tax revenues to their 911 operations, drawing significant support from lawmakers outside Chicago.</p><p>Sen. Tim Bivins, R-Dixon, a former chairman of the emergency telephone system board in his county, said the value of this is “worth every penny.”</p><p>“As we all know, 911 is an important aspect of our lives; It’s something that probably many in this room has used,” Bivins said. “It is up to the city of Chicago whether or not they want to raise the level or not, so that’s something they’ll have to do, but it is very beneficial to the downstate.”</p><p>But state Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove and the GOP candidate for U.S. Senate, said the vote sounded like another tax increase. He was one of four no votes in the Senate.</p><p>“This state has been absolutely runaway crazy expensive for taxpayers,” Oberweis told the Chicago Sun-Times Early & Often politics portal. “I just felt we don’t need one more cost increase.” <br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2014/5/30/18600988/mayor-s-phone-tax-hike-passes-house-senate-by-big-marginsElise Dismer2014-05-29T18:12:52-05:002019-05-09T11:02:27-05:00Senate votes to impose new ESL, disabled rules on charter schools - Chicago
<p>SPRINGFIELD–The Senate voted Thursday to have charter schools accommodate disabled children and those who speak English as a second language, a plan that several lawmakers worried would choke charter schools’ “flexibility.”</p><p>The measure, sponsored by Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Maywood, passed in the Senate 34-15 and goes to Gov. Pat Quinn.</p><p>“These are unique children: These are children who have disabilities and children who have an English language barrier,” Lightford said. “This is an absolute necessary to effectuate the guarantee that students with disabilities be afforded the same rights and safeguards in all of our public schools regardless of school type.” </p><p>Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon, who voted against the plan, said he was worried House Bill 4527 would jeopardize the autonomy of charter schools.</p><p>“What you’re doing with this bill is you’re taking away the flexibility and innovation that has characterized charters and made them a success,” McCarter said. “If you want to make charter schools like regular public schools, this bill’s for you.”</p><p>Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove and the GOP candidate for U.S. Senate, added that parents might have less “educational opportunity” as a result of the bill. </p><p> “It seems like it’s going to make it more difficult for the charter schools, and end up in the long run, providing less choice,” Oberweis said. “Am I incorrect?”</p><p>Lightford said he was wrong about the nature of her bill.</p><p>“It actually opens the door for more children,” Lightford said. “These are critical areas. It’s not some general, vague program. We’re talking about kids who have special needs and they should be addressed an able to attend that local charter school as well.”</p><p>Lightford said charter schools, like every other school, are subject to federal law and that her bill helps “ensure that federal and state anti-discrimination laws are enforced consistenly in every public school in Illinois.”</p><p>But Sen. Martin Sandoval, D-Chicago, who didn’t support the bill, said he and his wife, who comes from Mexico, raised their children speaking Spanish. </p><p>“There are two tools that are important to succeed in America and those are being a citizen and speaking English, not Spanish,” said Sandoval, D-Chicago. “It was important for us that our children learn English and be educated in English and be proficient in English… If the Illinois State Board of Education wants to implement federal mandates on bilingual education well they should have done it when they authorized the charter.”</p><p>Sen. William Delgado, D-Chicago, said it’s all about complying with federal laws and thinking about the “next generation” instead of the “next campaign.”</p><p>“The intent of this legislation is to clarify that charters schools are required to comply with special education and ESL laws,” Delgado said. “No one seems to be discussing the urgency of the compliance.” <br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2014/5/29/18553961/senate-votes-to-impose-new-esl-disabled-rules-on-charter-schoolsElise Dismer2014-05-29T06:38:50-05:002019-05-11T10:23:54-05:00White set to become longest-serving secretary of state - Chicago
<p>SPRINGFIELD — Secretary of State Jesse White meant what he said 15 years ago when he told voters he wouldn’t use his office as a launching pad to something else.</p><p>On Friday, the Chicago Democrat will become the longest-serving secretary of state in Illinois, surpassing the 15-year record of Pope County Republican James A. Rose, who was inaugurated on Jan. 11, 1897, and served nearly four terms.</p><p>Since then, the role of the secretary of state has changed, taking on additional responsibilities like issuing driver’s licenses and plates, registering businesses and lobbyists, maintaining an organ donor registry and auditing automobile dealerships.</p><p>“I am proud to have had the privilege and honor of serving the people of Illinois for the last 15 years,” White said in a prepared statement. “I pledged I would not use this office as a stepping stone to a higher office, and I have honored that commitment.”</p><p>White, 79, who is on the Nov. 4 ballot, succeeded Republican George Ryan, who went on to become the state’s governor from 1999 to 2003 and later went to prison after being convicted of federal racketeering, bribery, extortion and other related corruption charges.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2014/5/29/18600880/white-set-to-become-longest-serving-secretary-of-stateElise Dismer2014-05-29T02:10:47-05:002019-05-11T10:21:26-05:00House sends bill protecting pregnant employees to governor - Chicago
<p>SPRINGFIELD — The House gave final sign-off Wednesday to legislation that would give pregnant employees new civil rights in the workplace.</p><p>House Bill 8 provides that pregnant women be allowed “reasonable accommodations” on the job such as longer bathroom breaks, seating and time off to recover from childbirth.</p><p>The House passed the tweaks made in the Senate 114-0, which clarified the intent of the bill and changed the date the bill becomes effective to 2015. The measure now goes to Gov. Pat Quinn, who has voiced his support for the bill</p><p>“There is peace in the valley for the ladies,” said the bill’s chief sponsor Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago.</p><p> <br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2014/5/29/18600341/house-sends-bill-protecting-pregnant-employees-to-governorElise Dismer2014-05-29T02:08:57-05:002019-05-09T11:27:38-05:00House votes to expunge minors' arrests if no convictions result - Chicago
<p>SPRINGFIELD — The House passed a bill Wednesday that would strike the arrest records of kids who haven’t been convicted of a crime.</p><p>The measure passed 74-40 in the House and goes to the Senate. </p><p>“Having a single juvenile arrest can impact the ability of youth to successfully compete for education, scholarships, employment and service opportunities later in life,” said the bill’s main sponsor Rep. Arthur Turner, D-Chicago. </p><p>Senate Bill 978 would require the Illinois State Police to wipe clean the arrest record each year for those under the age of 18, so long as they weren’t convicted of a crime. However, this does not apply to youth arrested for serious felonies or for sexual crimes. </p><p>Turner said the current process to expunge a person’s arrest record is “cumbersome” in that it takes time, money and is subject to all sorts of red tape. Turner said the fact that his bill automatically wipes these records for free will give young people a “fresh start” as they apply for a job or for college.</p><p>But Dennis Reboletti, R-Elmhurst, wasn’t comfortable with the automatic nature of cleaning the books. He said the state’s attorney’s office should be allowed to object to the expungement, in case there’s an ongoing investigation, as it can currently.</p><p>“This is a pretty big change in the way that we run juvenile expungement,” Reboletti said. “I generally support your measure but I have some issues leader with the fact that there is no objection process.”</p><p>But Tom Cross, R-Oswego, who said he worked as a prosecutor for nine years, said he couldn’t fault the bill.</p><p>“I’ve been very, very strong on anti-crime legislation, but I don’t see a problem with this bill,” Cross said. “Where there’s an arrest but not a charge, why wouldn’t we allow for an expungement? I think this makes a lot of sense.”</p><p>Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, said it wasn’t fair to keep un-charged arrests on a record because they imply people are criminals. </p><p>“I thought there was due process in the Constitution,” Flowers said. “I thought you were innocent until proven guilty, not guilty until proven innocent. And just because you are arrested, what does that mean? So therefore, an arrest should not be something that was stigmatized of me because anybody could accuse me of anything and I could be arrested for anything.” <br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2014/5/29/18558178/house-votes-to-expunge-minors-arrests-if-no-convictions-resultElise Dismer2014-05-27T16:42:46-05:002019-05-09T11:43:22-05:00Senate approves overhaul of education funding - Chicago
<p>SPRINGFIELD—Over opposition from suburban and downstate lawmakers, the Senate moved Tuesday to revamp the state’s school funding formula, which hasn’t been touched in 17 years.</p><p>The measure, sponsored by freshman Sen. Andy Manar, passed in the Senate 32-19 with hearty applause from Democrats and now goes to the House. </p><p>“I don’t want anybody to think that the situation we face today is anything but dire; that, in my mind, causes for a systemic change,” said Manar, D-Bunker Hill, during floor debate. “This bill is not done…but what it is is a meaningful step forward, one that we need desperately in the state today.”</p><p> </p><p>Manar’s bill would restructure how the state funds public schools by reducing state aid from wealthier districts and diverting it to “needier” districts, like districts that deal with more low-income students, students who speak limited English or students who must travel farther distances to get to and from school.</p><p>Sen. William Haine, D-Alton, who voted “yes” for Senate Bill 16, agreed that the present system was flawed. </p><p>“We are subsidizing the wealthy, and we are not making sense with school funding,” Haine said. </p><p>But Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, who stood against the measure, said Manar’s bill was not the solution.</p><p> “If this bill becomes law, the one objective measuring stick that we have, to say ‘Are we funding to the degree that we said we would?’ would be changed and would be changed dramatically,” Righter said. “That is the foundation level—the $6,119 per child that this General Assembly and this government have said is the absolute minimum per child you can spend in each school and give them an adequate education. Under Senate Bill 16, that number is no longer locked in statute.”</p><p>Under Manar’s bill, the state would send districts money based primarily on need. </p><p>Many collar counties would take a hit if the bill becomes law. In hopes to lessen the negative impact on districts, Manar has capped the amount of money a school district can “lose” in the matter at $1,000 per pupil.</p><p>Despite this, Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-Hinsdale, said Manar’s formula was not the “prudent” thing to do because it hurts hundreds of school districts. </p><p>“This plan does not improve funding; it disguises it. You’re shuffling the education deck, but you’re adding no new cards,” Dillard said. “I’ve got a plaque in my office of Abraham Lincoln that says, ‘You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong,’ and that’s what this does, particularly with suburban schools.” </p><p>Nevertheless, Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, who represents “losing” districts of his own, said he’d still vote for the bill because it helps the greater good.</p><p>“When core values upon which our society is founded are at stake, they have to trump everything else,” Biss said. “It’s not an easy vote for me. It’s going to make a complicated summer for me. But it is clearly, members, clearly the right thing to do.”<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2014/5/27/18560673/senate-approves-overhaul-of-education-fundingElise Dismer2014-05-27T08:36:50-05:002019-05-11T10:22:33-05:00$600 million soda tax falls flat in House committee - Chicago
<p>SPRINGFIELD — A bid to fight obesity through taxing sweetened drinks lost its fizz Tuesday as a House committee rejected a plan that could have injected $600 million into the state treasury.</p><p>The measure, which failed by a 2-7 vote, would have charged a penny more per ounce on sweetened beverages, making a 2-liter bottle of soda cost about 67 cents more than its artificially sweetened, zero-calorie counterpart.</p><p>“I think the public policy initiative is good; I just think you’re really hitting the consumer with a substantial tax that, to me, is not consistent,” said Rep. David Harris, R-Arlington Heights, who voted against the legislation.</p><p>But state Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, the sponsor of the sugar tax, said the difference in cost was necessary because it incentivized choosing the healthier drink.</p><p>“Obesity is epidemic in Illinois; I think we all know that and it’s actually epidemic in the country on whole,” she said. “This is an act to try to reverse this trend and improve the health in our state.”</p><p>Nearly 28 percent of adults in Illinois are obese, according to 2012 data from the Center for Disease Control. </p><p>Gabel said the easiest way to reduce people’s sugar intake is to target its largest source of sugar—sugar-sweetened beverages like soft drinks, sweet teas, energy drinks and sports drinks—which she said can be linked to diabetes, certain cancers and obesity. Gabel hoped the change in cost would prompt people to choose a healthier option at the supermarket.</p><p>The estimated $600 million raised from the tax would have gone to obesity-prevention initiatives like physical education, healthier food in schools, child care centers or bike and walking paths. </p><p>But Mark Denzler, from the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, said House Bill 397 concerned beverage retailers because the estimated drop in consumption would result in a loss of jobs. He said the tax would furthermore send Illinois residents to a neighboring state for their groceries.</p><p>“Consumers can vote with their feet,” Denzler said. “So if you raise the tax—and this is a tax increase of $ 2.88 on a case of soda—you would see Illinois consumers not necessarily changing their pattern of what they buy but changing where they buy. They’ll go across the border to Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa or Missouri.”<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2014/5/27/18600601/600-million-soda-tax-falls-flat-in-house-committeeElise Dismer