McHenry County Blog

This article started with a press release from the Illinois Church Action Council on Alcohol and Addiction. There are so many bills expanding gambling (despite the loss of the one to give Chicago, Danville, Rockford and the Waukegan-area casinos) that I am adding the roll calls. In order not to make an article too long, I shall run one a day.

Gambling Bills Passed by the Legislature – Part 7

Senate Bill 1884 legalizes Advance Deposit Wagering (Internet gambling on horse racing) until January 31, 2014. Advance Deposit Wagering became illegal on January 1, 2013 when the 3-year pilot program ended. SB 1884 grants sanctions to two companies that continued to take bets illegally.

FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

The ICACAA recommends contacting Governor Quinn and ask him to VETO the gambling expansion bills: House Bills 996, 1140, 1570, 2520 and Senate Bills 70, 1738, 1884, 2234, 2371.  Phone:  800-642-3112, 312-814-2121 or 217-782-6830 or Click here to send the Governor an e-mail.

Share this Alert with your faith community and ask them to CALL and PRAY for the Governor.

 

This article started with a press release from the Illinois Church Action Council on Alcohol and Addiction. There are so many bills expanding gambling (despite the loss of the one to give Chicago, Danville, Rockford and the Waukegan-area casinos) that I am adding the roll calls. In order not to make an article too long, I shall run one a day.

Gambling Bills Passed by the Legislature – Part 6

Senate Bill 1738 is an expansion of video gambling.  More specifically,

• defines “electronic card” (and removes a cross-reference to the Illinois Administrative Code);
• provides that the central communications system vendor may be licensed as a video gaming terminal manufacturer or a video gaming terminal distributor, or both, but in no event shall the central communications system vendor be licensed as a video gaming terminal operator; [emphasis added]
• provides that the Board shall not permit the development of information or the use by any licensee of gaming device or individual game performance data;
• provides that nothing in the Act shall inhibit or prohibit the Board from the use of gaming device or individual game performance data in its regulatory duties;
• requires the Board to adopt rules to ensure that all licensees are treated and all licensees act in a non-discriminatory manner and develop processes and penalties to enforce those rules;
• adds language authorizing the Illinois Gaming Board to adopt rules establishing standards for advertising video gaming; removes language prohibiting the Board from disseminating information that is specific to individual licensed locations (and removes corresponding changes to the Freedom of Information Act); and,
• in provisions amending the Criminal Code of 2012, provides that video gaming terminals for sale to a licensed distributor or operator (rather than a licensed establishment, licensed fraternal establishment, licensed veterans establishment, or licensed truck stop establishment) under the Video Gaming Act are exempt from seizure.

FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

The ICACAA recommends contacting Governor Quinn and ask him to VETO the gambling expansion bills: House Bills 996, 1140, 1570, 2520 and Senate Bills 70, 1738, 1884, 2234, 2371.  Phone:  800-642-3112, 312-814-2121 or 217-782-6830 or Click here to send the Governor an e-mail.

Share this Alert with your faith community and ask them to CALL and PRAY for the Governor.

This article started with a press release from the Illinois Church Action Council on Alcohol and Addiction. There are so many bills expanding gambling (despite the loss of the one to give Chicago, Danville, Rockford and the Waukegan-area casinos) that I am adding the roll calls. In order not to make an article too long, I shall run one a day.

Gambling Bills Passed by the Legislature – Part 5

Senate Bill 70 is an exemption to allow video gambling in retail liquor establishments, fraternal or veteran’s organizations closer than 100 feet from a church or school.

FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

The ICACAA recommends contacting Governor Quinn and ask him to VETO the gambling expansion bills: House Bills 996, 1140, 1570, 2520 and Senate Bills 70, 1738, 1884, 2234, 2371.  Phone:  800-642-3112, 312-814-2121 or 217-782-6830 or Click here to send the Governor an e-mail.

Share this Alert with your faith community and ask them to CALL and PRAY for the Governor.

This article started with a press release from the Illinois Church Action Council on Alcohol and Addiction. There are so many bills expanding gambling (despite the loss of the one to give Chicago, Danville, Rockford and the Waukegan-area casinos) that I am adding the roll calls. In order not to make an article too long, I shall run one a day.

Gambling Bills Passed by the Legislature – Part 4

House Bill 2520 expands gambling and increases the danger of drinking and driving by legalizing Poker Runs as charitable gambling. Participants travel-usually on motorcycles–to 5 or locations-usually bars-where they draw a playing card to assemble a poker hand.

This language popped up in the Illinois Senate on May 30th, right at the end of the session.  It cleared the House two days later.

FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

The ICACAA recommends contacting Governor Quinn and ask him to VETO the gambling expansion bills: House Bills 996, 1140, 1570, 2520 and Senate Bills 70, 1738, 1884, 2234, 2371.  Phone:  800-642-3112, 312-814-2121 or 217-782-6830 or Click here to send the Governor an e-mail.

Share this Alert with your faith community and ask them to CALL and PRAY for the Governor.

This article started with a press release from the Illinois Church Action Council on Alcohol and Addiction. There are so many bills expanding gambling (despite the loss of the one to give Chicago, Danville, Rockford and the Waukegan area casinos) that I am adding the roll calls. In order not to make on article too long, I shall run one a day.

Gambling Bills Passed by the Legislature – Part 3

House Bill 1570 expands video gambling in restaurants that have Off Track Betting Parlors.

FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

The ICACAA recommends contacting Governor Quinn and ask him to VETO the gambling expansion bills: House Bills 996, 1140, 1570, 2520 and Senate Bills 70, 1738, 1884, 2234, 2371.  Phone:  800-642-3112, 312-814-2121 or 217-782-6830 or Click here to send the Governor an e-mail.

Share this Alert with your faith community and ask them to CALL and PRAY for the Governor.

This article started with a press release from the Illinois Church Action Council on Alcohol and Addiction. There are so many bills expanding gambling (despite the loss of the one to give Chicago, Danville, Rockford and the Waukegan area casinos) that I am adding the roll calls. In order not to make an article too long, I shall run one a day.

Gambling Bills Passed by the Legislature – Part 2

House Bill 1140 legalizes electronic raffle machines in bars, which would be under local control, not regulated by the Illinois Gaming Board, and could be ripe for corruption.

I assume the raffle machines are the lineal descendent of the jar games that I saw in various bars in 1966 when I was running for the Republican nomination for McHenry County Treasurer. Later I remember seeing one in the Elks Club in Woodstock. There were illegal then.

FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

The ICACAA recommends contacting Governor Quinn and ask him to VETO the gambling expansion bills: House Bills 996, 1140, 1570, 2520 and Senate Bills 70, 1738, 1884, 2234, 2371.  Phone:  800-642-3112, 312-814-2121 or 217-782-6830 or Click here to send the Governor an e-mail.

Share this Alert with your faith community and ask them to CALL and PRAY for the Governor.

This article started with a press release from the Illinois Church Action Council on Alcohol and Addiction.  There are so many bills expanding gambling (despite the loss of the one to give Chicago, Danville, Rockford and the Waukegan area casinos) that I am adding the roll calls.  In order not to make an article too long, I shall run one a day.

Gambling Bills Passed by the Legislature – Part 1

While Legislators and reporters awaited changes to the massive gambling expansion bill, SB 1739, both the House and Senate passed the following bills to expand gambling:

House Bill 996 is an expansion of charitable gambling that also allows video gambling machines in the same facility, turning the events into full casinos. Gambling companies, not charities, will rake in most of the money. The Department of Revenue does not have enough investigators to adequately monitor and enforce this law.

FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

The organization urges people to contact Governor Quinn and ask him to VETO the gambling expansion bills: House Bills 996, 1140, 1570, 2520 and Senate Bills 70, 1738, 1884, 2234, 2371.  Phone:  800-642-3112, 312-814-2121 or 217-782-6830 or Click here to send the Governor an e-mail.

Share this Alert with your faith community and ask them to CALL and PRAY for the Governor.

A press release from Dan Duffy:

General Assembly Adjourns Without Pension Reform

The General Assembly adjourned on May 31 without addressing what all parties agree is the single most important issue facing the state — PENSION REFORM!

Senator Dan Duffy (R-Lake Barrington) expressed frustration with the Democrat leadership in Springfield and sympathized with the public in wondering why, with clear super majorities in both the House and Senate as well as control of the governor’s mansion, a compromise couldn’t be reached to address the pension crisis.

While lawmakers were able to make progress on a number of important issues, the failure of the General Assembly to address pension reform is likely to overshadow those accomplishments.

With just hours to go until adjournment it all came down to two competing plans introduced by Senate President John Cullerton and House Speaker Michael Madigan. Though Governor Quinn has spent months talking about pension reform, he was notably absent from these discussions.

While a compromise on pension reform failed to be reached, one measure to shift almost $800 million in pension costs to Illinois’ state universities and community colleges was successfully defeated. That cost shift would almost certainly have resulted in significant property tax increases and tuition hikes.

Right-to-Carry Passes General Assembly

Following months of negotiation the Illinois General Assembly advanced HB 183, a measure affirming Illinois citizens’ right to carry a concealed firearm. If signed into law by Governor Quinn this will allow Illinois to join the rest of the nation in allowing some form of Right-to-Carry. Illinois was under a June federal court deadline to adopt a Right-to-Carry law.

The bill contains common sense safeguards that ensure adequate training and background checks for those applying for a concealed carry permit. It also preempts all local ordinances affecting concealed firearms and ammunition, including registration, licensing, possession and transportation, for those with a concealed carry license.

Applicants will not have to demonstrate a need in order to carry, but they will have to undergo 16 hours of training, more than any other state in the nation, and pay a $150 application fee. The concealed carry license will be good for five years.

The legislation also lists specific locations where a firearm cannot be carried.

These locations include

• any school or
• child care facility
• bar
• hospitals
• government buildings
• airport
• sporting events
• and
• several others

The bill also prohibits carrying a firearm while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Strict penalties are laid out for those found to violate this provision. Additionally, applicants cannot have been convicted of a misdemeanor and the bill outlines strong mental health standards and reporting procedures.

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It won’t be Ghostbusters.

The Senate roll call of override of Governor Pat Quinn’s Senate Bill 9. which overrides an Illinois Commerce Commission decision,  is below:

Besides two of three State Senators representing McHenry County–Pam Althoff and Karen McConnaughay–potential candidates for the Republican nomination for Governor–Bill Brady and Kirk Dillard–voted for the electric rate hike.

State Senator Dan Duffy voted to uphold the Governor’s veto.

= = = = =
The House voted Wednesday to override the veto. You can see who voted in favor of raising electric rates in the roll call below:

Voting in favor were all local state reperesentatives:

• Jack Franks
• David McSweeney
• Tim Schmitz
• Mike Tryon
• Barbara Wheeler

A press release from State Senator Dan Duffy:

Duffy Passes Bi-Partisan Pension Reform Measure

SPRINGFIELD – On Wednesday, May 15, the Illinois Senate unanimously passed House Bill 140, a bi-partisan measure sponsored by State Senator Dan Duffy (R-Lake Barrington).

Duffy worked with State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) to pass the legislation, which would eliminate benefits packages currently afforded to part-time members of state-funded transit boards.

“Illinois is notorious for its large number of wasteful boards and commissions,” said Duffy.

“While we’re financing these boards, paying their members often exorbitant salaries as well as benefits, we’re not making payments on pensions for teachers, firefighters, and policemen.

“Benefits for these boards and commissions are low hanging fruit, and are a good place to start in making up for the $100 billion unfunded pension liability in Illinois.”

House Bill 140 stipulates that members of the Regional Transportation Authority Board, Suburban Bus Board, Commuter Rail Board, and Chicago Transit Authority Board are not eligible for pension or insurance benefits if they become a member of these boards on or after the effective date of the legislation.

“For members being reappointed to these boards, previously accrued benefits will remain unchanged, but all benefits will be eliminated for any future terms of service.

Bi-partisan effort is largely to thank for the passage of this legislation.

“I have enjoyed working on this truly bi-partisan piece of legislation with my house colleague Democratic Rep. Jack Franks,” said Duffy.

“Rep. Franks and I agreed fully on this issue and by coming together we were able to pass this legislation unanimously in both houses of the General Assembly.

“Now it’s up to Governor Quinn to sign this bill into law and help us cut some waste out of our overburdened pension system.”