Bill Summaries
Criminal procedures
HB 3864, Van Duyne, D., Joliet. Prohibits
indigent defendants from asking counsel other
than a public defender at state expense.
Education
H.B. 3804, Committee on Higher Education.
Revises definition of territory which can be
annexed to a community college district.
H.B. 3848, Committee on Elementary Education.
Eliminates roll back provisions and permits
school districts, after referendum, to levy
maximum tax rate without state aid penalty.
H.B. 3904, Committee on Elementary Education.
Allows a district to include transportation
tax in determining its operating rate.
Elections
H.B. 3844, Committee on Elections. Provides
for political party central committees to nominate
candidates to fill vacancies in certain county
offices.
Environment
S.B. 193, Sommer, R., Morton. Provides that
the Pollution Control Board cannot regulate noise
at sporting events.
Health
H.B. 3860, Jacobs, D,, East Moline. Creates a
Division of Services to the Blind and Visually
Impaired under the Board of Vocational Education and Rehabilitation.
H.B. 3853, Committee on Human Resources.
Permits a pharmacist to substitute a drug which is
of the same generic name as the prescription
requires unless a doctor directs otherwise.
Ethics
H.B. 3842, Epton, R., Chicago. Prohibits a
legislator from voting in committee or on the floor
on a bill in which there is a personal interest unless
the interest is first disclosed.
Insurance
H.B. 3897, Mulcahey. D., Durand. Permits
county and township mutual fire and lightning
insurance companies to write policies for wind-
storm and hail damage.
Juveniles
The Committee on Judiciary II sponsored the
following:
H.B. 3869. Makes adjustments in the handling
of Juvenile records to protect their privacy.
H.B. 3870. Creates a Youthful Offender Division
in the Department of Corrections.
H.B. 3872. Changes definition of a neglected
minor to include a child whose parents, guardian
or custodian is not available to assume his or
her responsibilities.
H.B. 3875. Removes a child from the custody
"'parents, guardians or custodians because of
unfit conduct that endangers physical or mental
health.
H.B. 3877. Limits the consent powers of court
appointed guardians for major medical, psychiatric
and surgical treatment to emergency
situations or with court consent.
H.B. 3882. Provides that a minor ward of the
court is eligible for services from the Department
of Children and Family Services after adoption.
Public Aid
S.B. 1923, Mohr, R., Forest Park. Requires
recipients of general assistance to perform public
service work for local government.
State Fair
H.B. 3858, Committee on Agriculture. Repeals
1965 act creating the State Fair agency. Provides
for an interim 15-member board to administer
the fair and sets provisions for establishing a
permanent board.
Transportation
S.B. 1784, Glass, R., Northfield. Provides a
grant program of S30 million per year to counties
and road districts for bridge construction.
Unemployment Insurance
H.B. 3905, Giorgi, D., Rockford. Requires that
eligibility for unemployment insurance and
records of claim status be handled locally.
Workmen's Compensation
S.B. 1663, Roe, R. Rochelle. Excludes cover-
age of farm workers.
S.B. 1749, Bell, R., Joliet. Establishes a
Residual Market Plan to provide coverage to all
workmen's compensation applicants meeting legal
and regulatory requirements including those
rejected for insurance in the voluntary market.
S.B. 1775, McCarthy, D., Decatur. Clarifies
agricultural employment and limits widow
benefits under the Workmen's Compensation and
Occupational Diseases Act.
S.B. 1814, Graham, R., Barrington. Provides
for partial payment of public pension benefits
when eligibility under the Occupational Disease
Act is determined.
Other
H.B. 3862, Skinner, R., Crystal Lake. Authorizes
$2,000,000 of bonds for state grants to
construct public libraries.
H.B. 3923, Younge, D., East St. Louis. Provides
for summons of jurors by mail.
S.B. 1590, Vadalabene, D., Edwardsville.
Creates Madison County Metropolitan Exposition
Auditorium Authority and authorizes sale
of general obligation and revenue bonds without
referendum if the general obligation bonds do not
exceed 1½ per cent of the county's assessed
evaluation.
S.B. 1591, Vadalabene, D., Edwardsville.
Amends Horse Racing Act of 1975 and the Fair
and Exposition Authority Reconstruction Act to
provide that horse racing privilege taxes be paid
into the Metropolitan Exposition Auditorium and
Office Building Fund when all bonds issued under
the Reconstruction Act are paid. It also limits the
total amount of outstanding bonds to $75,000,000
and provides for the transfer of excess funds to the
General Revenue Fund. ž
A question of ethics for the legislature
THE THREE so-called "Political Honesty"
amendments proposed for the legislative
article of the Illinois Constitution will
apparently be on the November 2 ballot.
They were filed on April 30 with a reported
630,000 signatures (approximately 375,000
were required), and it seemed unlikely that
anyone could discredit enough signatures to
lead the State Board of Elections to
invalidate the gargantuan petition.
If adopted, the amendments would forbid legislators to (1) accept compensation from any other governmental entity; (2) vote on a bill on which they have a conflict of interest resulting from a personal, family or financial interest; and (3) receive prepayment of their salaries in advance of performance of duties. The legislators moved during May to pass a bill which would provide for future payment of their salaries on a monthly or semimonthly basis, thus seeking to eliminate the need for the last of the three amendments.
But a taxpayer's suit was filed May 28 to get the amendments off the ballot. Six delegates and one staff member of the Constitutional Convention filed the suit in Cook County Circuit Court asking for a court order to restrain the State Board of Elections and other election officials from spending any funds to place the "Political Honesty" initiative on the November ballot. Their contention is that Article IV, section 3 of the 1970 Constitution is limited to initiative action changing only legislative structural and procedural subjects, and that the proposed amendments do not fall into the limited category.
The plaintiffs in the case are former Constitutional Convention delegates Elmer Gertz of Chicago, Thomas McCracken and Lucy Reum of suburban Cook County, Louis Perona of Spring Valley, Maurice Scott of Springfield, Elbert Smith of Decatur, and Con Con research assistant Ann Lousin of Chicago.
The proposal with respect to legislators drawing compensation from different governments was analyzed in the May issue of this magazine ("Double-Dipping: Should lawmakers have to give up their second public jobs?" p. 3). So far, there have been no mass resignations of legislators who are also officers or employees of local governments. ž
July 1976/ Illinois Issues/ 27