Why STATE Matters? Countdown of bills we saw this year in Springfield.

At State Matters, our goal is to show you how important state matters really are. While it’s easy to stress over federal laws at the national level (rightfully so), it’s important to remember that state and local laws sometimes have an even greater impact on your life (and are sometimes a direct response to federal laws). In addition, state policies can become national ones down the road. We’re here to help you learn what you need to know about Illinois state politics.

Your elected legislators introduce bills (often with input from nonprofits, lobbyists, think tanks, and citizens like you) into the Illinois General Assembly for consideration and debate. More info on the legislative process here in Illinois.

Here are fifteen bills (in no particular order) that came through Springfield this session and illustrate how many things the state can do! While some of these bills are on their way to the Governor, a lot of them won’t pass. But you can expect to see many of them again next session. Good ideas never go out of style, nor does good advocacy and good action.

15. HB2353: Legalizing Recreational Cannabis

This bill would legalize and tax recreational marijuana use and production in Illinois for all residents over the age of 21. Currently, Illinois only allows medical marijuana in the state.

14. SB2332: Raise the Tobacco Age to 21

Under this bill, the state would raise the legal age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 years old. This includes cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and alternative nicotine products. It would also make it a class A misdemeanor for someone under 21 to make or use a false ID to purchase tobacco products.

13. HJRCA0043: Redistricting Reform

This amendment to the state constitution would create a non-partisan redistricting board to oversee the drawing of electoral maps following the upcoming 2020 census. Currently, the Illinois legislature is in charge of redistricting — a policy that many on the left and right believe has the potential for partisan abuse especially from incumbent politicians looking to secure their seats in perpetuity.

12. HB5531: Small Donor Matching System

This bill would provide some public funding to help political candidates who agree to accept only small campaign donations. Candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, and Treasurer who opt into the program would be eligible to receive $6 from the state for every $1 they raise in small donations during their campaign. Proponents of the bill hope that it can make elections fairer and more accessible by giving a boost to minority and first-time candidates who often lack the money and connections of career politicians.

11. SB3604: Limiting Government Severance Pay

This bill prohibits “golden parachutes” or exorbitant six-figure severance packages for state employees. It would limit severance pay to 20 weeks of an employee’s compensation and prohibit employees found to have engaged in misconduct from being eligible for severance. Currently, there is no limit on state employees’ severance packages and even employees who have engaged in misconduct are still eligible for severance.

10. HB1804: Criminal Resentencing

Under this bill, people convicted for a crime may have their sentences retroactively reduced when the state changes reduces the legal penalty for their conviction. For example, many people are still serving prison sentences for possession of small amounts of marijuana, even though marijuana has since been decriminalized in Illinois.

9. HB4469: Facilitating Prisoners’ Voting Rights

This proposed bill requires county jails to facilitate voting and voter registration for all eligible detainees. This includes providing materials for mail-in voting, allowing inmates to register to vote, and setting up in-person polling places where applicable. Though many detainees are currently eligible to vote, they often find it difficult or even impossible to do so without such assistance.

8. SB2925: Required Training for Police Officers in Schools

This proposal would create a training program for School Resource Officers (uniformed police officers who serve in schools). Currently, School Resource Officers are not required to undergo any specific training to help them safely interact with young people in schools. The only training option available to School Resource Officers right now is offered over the summer in Bloomington Illinois through a sparsely attended program. Some reports suggest that officers in Chicago Public Schools unfairly target and arrest minority students.

7. HB4900: Generic Drug Pricing Fairness

This bill prevents generic drug manufacturers and distributors from “price gouging” — drastically increasing the cost of an essential drug in order to increase profits. On the national level, federal lawmakers and policy experts are debating how to regulate drug pricing in light of recent price gouging episodes, the most famous of which being the case of investor Martin Shkreli who bought the rights to a life-saving drug and immediately raised its price by 5000% in 2015.

6. HB5340: Suspended Driver’s Licence Reform

Under this bill, drivers could only have their licenses suspended for unsafe driving violations. Currently, the state can revoke a driver’s license for simply failure to pay parking tickets and other non-driving violations. This law would allow those with suspended licenses to apply to get their licenses back.

5. HB4163 — Prohibition on Asking for Wage History

This bill would prevent employers from asking job candidates about their salary history. It aims to help break the cycle of wage discrimination against women by not basing each new job’s salary on an employee’s previous salary.

4. HB4095 — No Cost Credit Freeze

Under this bill, consumers could freeze their credit, remove a freeze, or temporarily lift a credit freeze without a fee. Currently, consumer reporting agencies can charge $10 per action. Many consumers are using credit freezes and temporary credit freezes to protect themselves from identity theft in the wake of the recent Equifax data breach.

3. A lot of gun regulations got proposed this year and have been tossed back and forth between the House and Senate:

HB1465 — Raise the Assault Weapons Age to 21

This bill would ban the sale of assault weapons sale to those under 21 in Illinois. The Illinois Senate added an amendment to the bill that provides some exemptions, and the House has to decide whether to accept those changes or not.

HB1467 — Bump Stock Ban

This bill would ban the sale of bump stocks, which allow a semi-automatic firearm to mimic an automatic weapon. The Illinois Senate added an amendment that would allow municipalities to add more restrictions on assault weapons, and the Illinois House has to decide whether to accept that change or not.

HB1657 — Licensing Gun Dealers

This one already got vetoed by the Governor. It would have required all gun sellers to apply for a license from the state. The licensing process would have included background checks for all gun store employees and training on how to spot straw purchasers (someone buying a gun for someone else).

SB0337 — Lincensing Gun Dealers #2

Lawmakers are trying to pass a new gun licensing bill, this time with a more explicit focus on preventing illegal gun trafficking through existing gun shops. It would set up a simpler licensing process than HB1657, and would require that licensed gun sellers have video surveillance in their stores and that all private sale and transfer records be kept for 10 years. Gun trafficking data would be made available for study and state police would also have to collect and publish information about gun related crimes.

2. HB4819 — Net Neutrality for State Contracts and ISP Disclosure to Customers

Under this bill, Internet Service Providers would be required to agree to net neutrality practices (no blocking content, no throttling access speeds, and no paid prioritization of content) in order to be eligible to enter into a contract with the state. It would also require all broadband providers to disclose information to consumers about whether or not they adhere to net neutrality practices.

1. HB4243 — No Public Funds for Hush Money

This bill would prohibit using any public funds to pay off anyone bringing an accusation of sexual harassment against a member of the General Assembly (ie- the IL House and IL Senate).

*BONUS* HR1025 — Support for Progressive Income Tax

This resolution would indicate that the Illinois House of Representatives supports implementing a progressive, or graduated, state income tax. Currently, the IL constitution requires a flat income tax and that would have to be amended before a graduated tax could be implemented. This resolution would not change the state constitution, but could signal that lawmakers might propose that next session.

*BONUS*BONUS* HB4405 — USING DRONES TO MONITOR LARGE PUBLIC EVENTS

Under this bill, local law enforcement could use drones to monitor large crowds, like political protests. Currently, IL prohibits law enforcement from monitoring large crowds without a search warrant except in a few cases like when there is reason to suspect a terrorist attack or other harm to human life. Critics worry that this bill would allow law enforcement to monitor and record people attending political protests, which could effectively suppress First Amendment rights (ie- “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”).