League Action in March & April
5/1/24
Representing 3700 members across the state, the League teams up with other organizations so that all of our voices are amplified. Here’s what we spoke out on in March and April:
We submitted Witness Slips in support of the following bills:
HB4591 - The Lobbyist Registration Act: Strengthens enforcement and requires more transparency and disclosure for the financial dealings of lobbyists
HB4469 - Karina’s Bill: Protects victims of domestic abuse by removing guns from abusers once an order of protection is ordered
SB3669/HB5386 - The Wetlands and Small Stream Protection Act: Promotes development of a comprehensive land use policy for Illinois that provides for orderly growth while preserving the environment
HB4835 - Safety Moratorium on Carbon Dioxide Pipelines Act: Creates a moratorium on implementing new CO2 pipelines until the issue is further studied
HB4917: Creates a state Child Tax Credit along with all of the stipulations for that credit
SB3462 - Illinois Guaranteed Income Law: Requires the Department of Human Services to establish and administer a “Guaranteed Income for Illinois Program” that provides a monthly cash benefit of $1,000 to Illinois residents
HB4475/SB2896 - Strengthening Mental Health & Substance Use Parity Act: Provides for payment parity to incentivize providers to join insurance networks and grow access
HB4665 - Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Professional Support Grant Program Act: Creates funding to support community behavioral health providers to hire and retain professional staff
HB4922: Requests that the State Board of Education, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, release a strategy that includes a tool for measuring capacity and readiness to implement universal mental health screening of students
The Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG): Financially supports early childhood programs in Illinois. The funds are versatile, allowing for the development and enhancement of early childhood education, improving staff training and qualifications, and building the necessary infrastructure for quality education
HB5432/SB3680 - The Community Safety through Stable Homes Act: Protects civil rights, demands due process and prevents homelessness by prohibiting local governments and public housing authorities from nuisance law evictions
HB5346 - Truth in Statements: States that when deciding a confession statement's reliability, a court should consider whether or not the statement is voluntary
We signed onto letters in support of the following bills:
SB85/HB4205 - Beverage Container Recycling Refunds Act: Creates a beverage container recycling refund program
SB2337 - Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act: Stops the dumping of plastic nurdles into our waterways
SB2385/HB5013 - Environmental Protection Act: Provides that the EPA shall cite specified federal resources, informed by satellite and community data when available, when determining the placement of air monitoring devices at truck-attracting facilities. Requires truck-attracting facilities to continuously monitor onsite emissions for diesel particulate matter and nitrogen oxides
HB4197 - Environmental Justice Air Permitting: Defines environmental justice areas, requires a cumulative impact analysis that can lead to the denial of a permit, and fixes injustices in the law related to prior polluter compliance history and standing at the Illinois Pollution Control Board
Education: We held a webinar on “The Importance of Wetlands: Environment and Public Health,” to inform members and the public about ways to support the Wetlands Protection Act (SB0771).
Representing League members across the country, LWVUS also signs onto letters and legal cases supporting League positions: