House Committee Deadline Week

After a week off, the Illinois House of Representatives returned to Springfield for their committee deadline week. Many House committees met and passed a total of 194 bills out of committee. A large percentage of bills passed out of committee this week will be sent back to committee in the coming weeks with negotiated amendments. The House committee deadline was scheduled for Friday, April 5, but the House adjourned for the week on Thursday and cancelled Friday session. The Senate was not in session this week, and their committee deadline already passed on March 15. Both chambers will be in session next week, with the Senate returning on Tuesday and the House on Wednesday. Next Friday is the Senate third reading deadline.

Health Data Privacy Act Passes Out of Committee

A bill in the Illinois General Assembly aims to protect people from how companies collect, store, and use their health data. The Health Data Privacy Act, HB 4093, is a product of House Speaker Chris Welch’s (D-Hillside) reproductive health and Dobbs decision working group. Created in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the initial intent behind the bill was to protect individuals receiving reproductive health or gender-affirming care from having that sensitive information shared with outside parties. However, HB 4093 as currently written does not just impact reproductive healthcare information: it broadly requires companies to have a health data privacy policy indicating their method and reasoning for collecting and using all personal health data. Companies would also have to get an individual’s consent to collect private health data.

The bill passed out of the House Judiciary-Civil Committee on Wednesday by a vote of 10-3-0. Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago), the bill’s sponsor, promised to bring an amendment back to committee following negotiations with stakeholders. Opponents of the bill expressed concerns about the bill’s wide scope, which encompasses all health data, and the bill’s inclusion of a private right of action. HB 4093 is currently held on the order of second reading in the House, awaiting a forthcoming amendment.

 

Important Upcoming Dates – Statewide

April 5 – House Committee Deadline

April 12 – Senate Third Reading Deadline

April 19 – House Third Reading Deadline

May 3 – Opposite Chamber Committee Deadline

May 17 – Opposite Chamber Third Reading Deadline

May 24 – Adjournment

May 25-31 – Contingent Session Days for Budget

November 5 – 2024 General Election

In the News

Committee tentatively approves elimination of tipped wage as restaurants warn of price hikes, layoffs – The Daily Line, April 4, 2024

The House Labor and Commerce Committee voted 17-11 on Wednesday to eliminate the state’s subminimum wage, also known as tipped minimum wage, but it faces an uncertain future beyond the committee. The controversial proposal has restaurant leaders, and many employees, worried about increasing prices, layoffs and more businesses closing.

Illinois law allows most workers to earn 40 hours of paid leave. New legislation could expand that – The State Journal-Register, April 5, 2025

Workers in the airline and shipping industries could soon see guaranteed paid leave through legislation advancing in the Illinois House of Representatives. House Bill 4596 passed out of the House Labor and Commerce Committee in a 19-10 partisan vote and now heads to the House for a full chamber vote.

News in briefs: Bills advance regulating isolation in prison, discrimination for job promotions, and providing more information about child abuse – The Daily Line, April 4, 2024

House committees approved legislation this week that puts new regulations on solitary confinement in Illinois prisons, prohibits passing up an employee for a promotion because of their caregiver responsibilities and creates child-appropriate signs promoting resources for victims of child abuse.

Opposition grows over proposal to eliminate tipped wages in Illinois – The Center Square, April 3, 2024

Legislation that would eliminate the tip credit in Illinois is facing opposition from members of the service industry. Under the current system, businesses pay a portion of the tipped employee’s hourly minimum wage, with the rest being made up by tips to equal at least the full state-mandated minimum wage. The base wage for tipped employees in Illinois is currently $8.40 per hour, and minimum wage is $14 per hour. If employees do not make at least $14 per hour with combined base wage and tips, businesses are required by law to pay the difference to ensure that every tipped worker makes at least minimum wage.

Bipartisan effort to support local food initiatives – AgriNews, April 3, 2024

The announcement of the first Local Food Infrastructure Grant recipients on March 20 is part of multiple efforts pushed by local food system proponents and the legislators in their corner. The Local Food Infrastructure Grants was a one-year program, but a push is underway to make it a permanent program.

Legislators eye Friday’s deadline to move bills out of Illinois House committees – The Center Square Illinois, April 2, 2024

State representatives are debating a plethora of bills this week in committees because there’s a deadline approaching. Some state lawmakers are disappointed their bills may not see the light of day. Friday is the deadline for the Illinois House to move bills out of committees for floor action.

New Illinois state agency on early childhood pitched to House committee – The Center Square Illinois, April 2, 2024

Illinois legislators are getting a better look at a proposed new state agency focused on early childhood, which would include a new taxpayer-funded cabinet position with a six figure salary. The Department of Early Childhood was announced by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in October. Tuesday in Springfield, a House committee heard more details from Ann Whalen, the early childhood transition director, about what the agency aims to do with an initial additional taxpayer cost of $13.1 million.

Lawmakers in Springfield considering phasing out lower minimum wage for tipped workers – ABC7 Chicago, April 2, 2024

Lawmakers in Springfield are discussing pay for tipped workers. One bill on the docket would raise wages for those workers. It’s a plan that is drawing criticism from restaurant owners.

Opinion: Jim Dey | Feds lay out details of case Madigan hopes will go away – The News-Gazette, April 3, 2024

While former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is fixated on April 15, federal prosecutors are, by instinct and court schedule, playing the long game. Madigan, who faces a variety of corruption charges, is looking to tax deadline day because that’s when the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in an Indiana case that will determine the length and breadth of the federal bribery statute. Depending on how the court rules, the case against Madigan could dissipate.

House speaker’s top lawyer leaves post after being behind ban on lawmakers answering Tribune questions – Chicago Tribune, April 2, 2024

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s chief legal counsel has abruptly left his job after recently released emails showed he was behind legally dubious “ethical guidance” issued to House Democrats last month that sought to block them from speaking to a Tribune reporter about “political matters” on or off state grounds.

Jim Durkin lands at Chicago law firm – Crain’s Chicago Business, April 2, 2024

Jim Durkin, former minority leader in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2013 to 2023, will join Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres as a partner in the law firm’s public finance and government affairs and regulatory practice. The position will allow Durkin to draw on his years of experience in the state Legislature, where he served from 1995 to 2003, to advise local governments on economic development and finances, the firm said.

Defamation case linked to former Madigan aide sent back to Illinois – Capitol News Illinois, April 1, 2024

A federal judge in Puerto Rico last week told a politically connected former state contractor that if he wants to sue for defamation against the people who’ve accused him of defrauding the state of Illinois, he’ll have to do so in an Illinois courtroom.

Opinion: Illinois could lower unemployment with more apprenticeship programs – Chicago Sun-Times, April 1, 2024

If you’re looking for a job in Illinois, I’m sorry. It’s hard for you because Illinois is failing to do its job. The state hasn’t created enough of the right infrastructure to teach skills for jobs that employers need.

Grocery tax repeal is not a ‘win’ for taxpayers, state Sen. Don DeWitte writes – Shaw Local News Network, March 29, 2024

During his recent combined State of the State and Budget Address, Gov. Pritzker received rousing applause when he announced it was time to permanently eliminate Illinois’ 1% sales tax on groceries. However, as is always the case with policy proposals coming out of Springfield, the devil is in the details.

Pritzker reappoints Tate-Nadeau to handle emergencies, but senators concerned over payroll scandal – Chicago Sun-Times, March 28, 2024

Amid heightened scrutiny over Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s appointments to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, the reappointment of Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau is also raising eyebrows by state senators who say they want more answers from the agency head over a payroll scandal that cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Illinoisans strongly favor tough ethics reforms that are stalled in Springfield, poll shows – Chicago Sun-Times, April 1, 2024

Overwhelming majorities of Illinoisans favor stronger state ethics reforms that lawmakers have sidestepped despite a string of high-profile public-corruption cases, new polling by former Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn shows.

Mayor Brandon Johnson, 1 Year After Election: ‘Name One Thing … I Haven’t Done’ – Block Club Chicago, April 4, 2024

On April 4, 2023, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson became Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson, pledging in his election night victory speech to enact a sweeping progressive agenda and unify a segregated, polarized Chicago.

Downtown office vacancy tops 25% with new supply, weak demand – Crain’s Chicago Business, April 4, 2024

Downtown office landlords went into 2024 looking for good news from expected interest rate cuts and companies getting far more employees back to in-person work. So far, they’ve been disappointed.

Why private-equity investors see a target-rich environment in Chicago’s accounting biz – Crain’s Chicago Business, April 4, 2024

Private-equity investors are circling accounting firms as the industry, long tied to a partnership business model, braces for an uncertain future. In 2021, private equity made a notable push into the accounting industry, buying national firms like EisnerAmper and Schellman & Co., among others. The trend continued this year with Chicago-based players Grant Thornton and Baker Tilly opening their doors to private equity.

Chicago area one of the biggest employment losers since the pandemic – Crain’s Chicago Business, April 3, 2024

Metropolitan areas in the Sun Belt, notably Texas, have experienced robust job growth at the expense of the East and West Coasts, along with Chicago, over the last four years — highlighting a massive transformation in the US labor market since the pandemic.

In Chicago visit, Attorney General Garland announces $78M anti-violence initiative – WGLT, April 4, 2024

In a visit to Chicago on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced $78 million in federal grant funding for community-based anti-violence programs. Garland, a Chicago area native, made the announcement while speaking at the second annual Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative Conference featuring community violence intervention on-the-ground workers from across the country.

NASCAR Chicago Street Race to close downtown roads again this summer – Chicago Tribune, April 3, 2024

The NASCAR Chicago Street Race is returning in July, and that means major roads in and around Grant Park will once again be closed for weeks during the busy summer months. A plan made public Wednesday by the city shows streets will begin closing June 10, nearly a month before the race the weekend of July 6 and 7, to allow for setup. The closures will eventually include major roads like DuSable Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue, before all roads fully reopen by July 18.

Johnson’s failed Bring Chicago Home referendum gets boost from unlikely source – Chicago Sun-Times, April 3, 2024

Chicago voters rejected Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to raise the real estate transfer tax to combat homelessness, but the failed binding referendum got a surprise boost Wednesday. Developer Quintin Primo III sounded almost like a cheerleader for the $100 million-a-year tax increase during a news conference called to announce $151.2 million in tax increment financing subsidies to help adapt four Loop office buildings for residential and commercial use.

Democratic National Committee hires local sustainability firms for Chicago convention – WBEZ, April 4, 2024

When Chicago hosts the Democratic National Convention this summer, 50,000 people are expected in town. Planners want the event to be mindful of how trash is discarded and the environmental footprint. The Democratic National Convention Committee and Chicago 2024 Host Committee selected two Chicago-based firms, Bright Beat and Purpose, to help implement sustainability practices during the four-day, multimillion-dollar convention.

Mayor Brandon Johnson promotes Cristina Pacione-Zayas to chief of staff – CBS News, April 2, 2024

Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday promoted first deputy chief of staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas to be his new chief of staff, replacing Rich Guidice, who retired at the end of March. Pacione-Zayas, a former Illinois state senator, becomes the city’s first Latina chief of staff, according to Johnson’s office.

Johnson to greenlight four Loop office-to-residential conversions – Crain’s Chicago Business, April 2, 2024

Four projects that would use massive taxpayer subsidies to help turn outmoded office buildings on and near LaSalle Street into nearly 1,100 apartments are poised to move a key step closer to reality.

Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough hospitalized – Chicago Tribune, April 2, 2024

Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough has been hospitalized with an undisclosed illness, her government spokesperson said Tuesday. Yarbrough, 73, has a “serious medical condition and is currently undergoing medical treatment,” her deputy clerk of communications Sally Daly, said. “Her family is requesting privacy, and we ask for prayers for the Clerk and her family at this difficult time.”

Chicago Tribune Reporter’s New Book Explores Lori Lightfoot’s Tumultuous Tenure Leading the City – WTTW, April 1, 2024

Five years ago, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot became the first Black, gay woman to be elected mayor of Chicago. But, it wasn’t long before a host of challenges emerged during her time in office such as the COVID-19 pandemic, rising crime and the racial justice protests following the murder of George Floyd. A new book by Chicago Tribune reporter Gregory Pratt offers an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look into Lightfoot’s tumultuous time in office that ultimately led to her failed bid for reelection.

City Council rejects disciplining Sigcho-Lopez for connection to flag-burning incident – Crain’s Chicago Business, April 1, 2024

After a fiery debate, the City Council today rejected a call to discipline Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, for speaking at a March protest after a flag was burned.

Johnson unveils Chicago’s first chief homelessness officer, takes more shots at ‘wicked’ adversaries of Bring Chicago Home – Chicago Tribune, April 1, 2024

Mayor Brandon Johnson debuted his pick for Chicago’s first chief homelessness officer during a Monday news conference that also saw him stand firm against the real estate lobby and other political adversaries over his progressive agenda.

State’s attorney primary victor O’Neill Burke says it’s wrong to paint her as the tough-on-crime choice – Chicago Sun-Times, April 1, 2024

Fresh from clinching the Democratic nomination for Cook County state’s attorney, Eileen O’Neill Burke on Monday acknowledged she must improve her messaging in a race in which she says she was unfairly cast as the tough-on-crime candidate.

Order to keep ShotSpotter on a per-ward basis, track success data approved by police and fire committee – The Daily Line, April 2, 2024

Both members and non-members of the City Council Committee on Police and Fire expressed support for the ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology during discussion on a measure that seeks to allow individual wards to keep the technology ahead of an upcoming citywide contract termination.

‘A sea of trucks’ disproportionately pollutes Black and brown neighborhoods in Chicago – WBEZ Chicago, April 1, 2024

Paulina Vaca stands at the corner of Pulaski Road and 41st Street, one of Chicago’s busiest intersections for truck traffic. “I’m seeing a sea of trucks,” said Vaca, the project associate with the nonprofit Center for Neighborhood Technology. “1-2-3-4-5-6-7, just off my field of vision and more coming and going.”

These Chicagoans traded their Ventra cards for car keys – Crain’s Chicago Business, April 2, 2024

It should have taken Fawn Penn about 45 minutes to commute to their pottery studio in West Town. Instead, the 72 and 49 buses would take closer to an hour and a half on most days. Other times, the buses just wouldn’t show up.

City adds $11 million helicopter to CPD fleet with help from DNC grant – Crain’s Chicago Business, April 2, 2024

Chicago has inked a nearly $11 million contract with Bell Textron for a new twin-engine helicopter expected to arrive before the Democratic National Convention.

State spends $73 million to protect Illinois’ only undeveloped Lake Michigan shoreline – Capitol News Illinois, March 29, 2024

A $73 million state-funded project in Lake County aims to stabilize the last undeveloped Lake Michigan shoreline in Illinois and help protect native endangered species.

Former Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke wins Cook County state’s attorney Democratic primary – Daily Herald, March 29, 2024

Eileen O’Neill Burke, a former appellate judge, has won the Democratic primary for Cook County state’s attorney over Clayton Harris III, an attorney with party backing.

Nonprofit looks for solutions to save the manufacturing industry – Crain’s Chicago Business, March 28, 2024

DeJuan Lever grew up in the manufacturing world. He watched his mom as a tool maker and he eventually went on to work at General Motors. After years of building networks and learning the business, Lever acquired Des Plaines-based manufacturer Iverson & Co. last summer. He became the owner through a connection established by Manufacturing Renaissance, a nonprofit focused on addressing the loss of manufacturing companies and jobs.