An email from State Rep. Mike Tryon explains what’s happening in Springfield:

Friday marked the deadline by which all House Bills had to be voted upon if they were going to be heard in the Senate this year. Legislators are in their home districts this week, and when we return to Springfield on April 29, we will focus our attention onto bills that are coming over from the Senate for our consideration and on the Fiscal Year 2014 budget.

During the last two weeks several hundred bills were considered on the House floor. Legislators worked well into the evening on several occasions and sent several bills on to the Senate for its consideration. A few of the more high-profile bills and initiatives include:

HJRCA 18: If approved in the Senate and signed by the Governor, this resolution places a question before voters on the November 2014 ballot to determine if the statewide office of Lieutenant Governor should be eliminated. If eliminated, the line of succession for the office of Governor would first fall to the Attorney General and then to the Secretary of State. It is estimated that the elimination of the AG office could save $2 million per year. I voted yes on this joint resolution.

Mike Tryon

HB01: Allows for the highly-restrictive medical use of marijuana. The bill is the strictest legislation of its kind in the nation. It provides for a four-year pilot program, through which those who suffer from a defined list of medical conditions may receive a limited amount of cannabis. Those wishing to use medical marijuana would need to have a written recommendation from a physician with whom the patient has an established doctor-patient relationship, and a second approval by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Registry cards would only be issued after a potential recipient passed a background check. The bill allows for 22 growing sites and 60 dispensaries across the state. Growers and dispensers would also have to pass background checks. Strict language is included for medical marijuana users who are pulled over and found to be driving impaired. I surveyed my district on three separate occasions over the last two years on this issue and each time more than 70% of the respondents said I should vote yes.

Because I believe the strict provisions of the bill will keep the medical marijuana only in the hands of those who need it and out of the hands of children, I voted yes.

HB3009: Strengthens gang violence laws by removing the requirement that physical force or coercion must be used in recruiting gang members of any age. I voted yes on this bill.

HB961: Requires the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDR) to make direct deposits of the local share of state income tax revenue into the Local Government Distributive Fund. The bill addresses an issue with many municipalities that are receiving their promised and budgeted payments late. By requiring timely and direct payments from the IDR, local governments will receive their funds faster. I am a co-sponsor of this bill and voted in favor of it.

HB1040: An initiative of the Governor’s office, this bill makes the Illinois Transparency Portal (ITAP) the one location where all State agency and department transparency documents are located. I am the chief sponsor of this bill and led its passage in the House.

HB1555: Transparency legislation that also improves the ITAP by expanding it to include all employee-related expenses, including employee pay and pension costs. I was a chief co-sponsor of this bill and supported it.

HB1814: Addresses instances where a motorist is caught speeding in a construction zone. Whereas today an individual would lose their license for a second offense, HB1814 states that the license will only be suspended on a second offense if workers are present when the second violation occurs. I am the chief sponsor of this bill and led its passage in the House.

HB2404: Allows many 17-year-old felony offenders to be adjudicated in juvenile court rather than in the adult court system. Seventeen-year-olds charged with murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault, armed robbery and certain other felonies would continue to be charged as adults. I voted yes for this bill.

HB2675: Addresses the teaching of sex education in schools where sex education is taught. It includes an instructional mandate for the teaching of both abstinence and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. Parents would have an option of removing their children from the classroom discussions. The measure narrowly passed in the House. I did not support this bill.

The big issues of pension reform and concealed carry were also debated at length in the Illinois House.

Pensions:

Three different pension bills passed in the House this year and are headed to the Senate:

House Bill 1154: Caps the pensionable salary for employees at $113,700. I voted in favor of this bill because it generates significant savings and is constitutionally-sound.

House Bill 1165: Changes the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for employees and retirees. Employee COLAs would be limited to a 3% COLA on the first $25,000 of their pension, and those COLAs would not take effect until the employees turns 67 or have been retired for five years, whichever comes first. I voted against this bill because it contains provisions that have recently been found to be unconstitutional in other states.

House Bill 1166: Increases the retirement age for current employees on the following scale:

• No increase in the retirement age for employees 45 and older
• One year increase in the retirement age for employees 40-44
• Three year increase in the retirement age for employees 35-39
• Five year increase in the retirement age for employees 34 and younger

I also voted against this bill because I believe it, too, includes provisions that have recently been found to be unconstitutional in other states.

Concealed Carry:

In spite of lengthy discussions on many occasions, the House failed to approve a concealed carry bill. Two bills that address concealed carry in Illinois failed to garner enough votes last week to move on to the Senate for consideration.

HB831: This was a highly restrictive, democrat-backed concealed carry bill, and it only received 31 favorable votes. It was a “may issue” rather than a “shall issue” bill that authorized state or local police to deny concealed carry permits to applicants for a variety of reasons, or for no reason at all.

HB997: This bill fell seven votes short of the 71 required votes for passage. It allowed for full Second Amendment protections while still allowing for safety near and in schools, government buildings, college campuses and other locations. The sponsor of the bill relied on a parliamentary procedure after the vote which will allow him to recall the bill for another vote. However, since the House Bill deadline has passed, House Speaker Mike Madigan will have to suspend the rules in order for HB997 to be reconsidered. I am a co-sponsor of this bill.

Lastly, the severe weather last week wreaked havoc on much of Illinois. I know that many of my constituents in McHenry and Kane Counties are dealing with damage that ranges from wet basements to full flooding of their homes. McHenry County is one of 44 counties that were designated as disaster areas in Illinois. The disaster area proclamation by Governor Quinn aids the Illinois Emergency Management Agency in coordinating State resources to support local governments in disaster response and recovery operations. Water levels at the Fox River are expected to crest on Monday, so hopefully the worst of the disaster will soon be behind us.

I urge anyone who has experienced storm and flooding damage in their homes to be cautious during the clean-up phase of this disaster. Con artists posing as legitimate contractors often pray on victims of natural disasters, so please use common sense when seeking a contractor for your renovation/clean-up work. In addition to contacting insurance companies, damages also need to be reported to county Emergency Management agencies. In McHenry County, people can learn about how to report damage at: www.co.mchenry.il.us/departments/emergencymanagement/Pages/index.aspx. In Kane County, residents should visit: www.kcoem.org.

While horrible, catastrophes like this flood bring neighbors together. Today I extend a very special thank you to the people who volunteered their time to fill sandbags for their friends, neighbors, and for people they don’t even know. Their kindness is a great reminder of why McHenry and Kane Counties are wonderful places to live.

Sincerely,

Michael W. Tryon
State Representative