21st District Senator Gives Us a Look at Last Week's Activities in Springfield

A decision by the Illinois attorney general that would make public Firearm Owner’s Identification information incited a firestorm of controversy at the Illinois Statehouse this week, according to State Sen. Ron Sandack (R-21, Downers Grove).

State law enforcement officials and lawmakers alike are opposing a decision released Feb. 28 by Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office that the names of FOID card holders are public information. The ruling came in response to an Associated Press Freedom of Information Act request for information on Illinois’ FOID card holders, which Illinois State Police had refused to release, citing public safety and privacy concerns.

To date, the Illinois State Police has not released the FOID information and reportedly plans to challenge the AG’s opinion in court. Many Senate Republican lawmakers are pushing for passage of Senate Bill 27, which would restrict public disclosure of the names and information of people who currently possess or who have applied for a FOID card.  Sen. Sandack joined a growing number of Senate colleagues as a co-sponsor of the legislation. 

While Sen. Sandack has been an advocate of transparency in government and providing information to the public, he said that there is too much at risk by making the FOID card list public. 

“I like the idea of making information public, but I think this is a case of FOIA going amuck,” he said.  “If the list is released to the public, it would be an infringement on privacy rights that I think no one intended with enacting FOIA.” 

Lawmakers and law enforcement officials cite safety concerns stemming from the release of information which they say could be used by criminals looking to burglarize homes in search of firearms or, conversely, criminals seeking to target homes without firearms. Others said that the decision, if upheld, could lead to more straw purchases of guns or total non-compliance with firearm registration requirements. Concerns that the information would be used by commercial solicitors were also raised.

New Positions

On March 1, Darin LaHood was sworn in to represent the 37th Senate District, replacing retiring State Sen. Dale Risinger of Peoria. The ceremony was held at the Peoria County courthouse at 8:15 a.m. and by 10:00 a.m. LaHood was in Springfield, where he got right to work attending committees and preparing to vote on legislation.

Senate lawmakers spent much of the week in committee hearings, considering testimony and voting on proposed legislation. The Illinois Senate also acted on pending gubernatorial appointee, Jonathon Monken, and on March 1 approved his appointment to be the director of IEMA. The appointment confirmation comes two years after Monken’s initial appointment to head the Illinois State Police.

Senate lawmakers balked at the ISP appointment, citing Monken’s lack of law enforcement experience, and Monken’s appointment at ISP was never confirmed. Until his March 1 appointment to IEMA, he had served at ISP in the capacity of acting director. Lawmakers approved the IEMA appointment, agreeing that his background as a war veteran better suits him to head the state’s disaster response and preparation agency.

Money on their Minds

According to the attorney general, of 170,000 consumer complaints received by the Consumer Protection Division in 2010, more than 7,000 were related to debt and struggling to stay afloat in the down economy. The Attorney General reported that complaints relating to residential mortgages were the most common consumer debt concern, though credit card debt and abusive collection practices were also reported by many consumers.

Identity theft was the second most common consumer complaint, which commonly involved fraudulent activity relating to the illegal opening of credit card accounts and fraudulent credit card charges, fraudulent utility accounts and bank fraud complaints.

The remaining top 10 complaints filed with the attorney general’s office include construction/home improvement, telecommunications, motor vehicles/used auto sales, promotions and schemes, mail order, fraud against business, motor vehicle repair and travel.

State Financial Reporting System 'Antiquated'

An audit of the state’s financial reporting system continues to generate attention. In late February, the auditor general’s office released a report revealing that the state’s extensive and unwieldy system of reporting fiscal information is both “antiquated” and “costly to operate.”

According to the report, Illinois has more than 260 individual financial reporting systems for tracking state dollars. Half of the systems are more than 10 years old, and only 16 percent of the systems are compliant with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Additionally, because more than 50 percent of the money tracking systems are not interrelated, employees are forced to manually enter financial information when data is transferred—a time-consuming process with a higher rate of human error. Though the total cost of maintaining the systems could not be determined, estimates for only 56 percent of the state’s systems cost about $24 million.

The report concluded that the lack of a centralized financial reporting system negatively affects Illinois’ ability to access timely and accurate reports on the state’s financial position. This information void makes it difficult for legislators and other oversight bodies to effectively oversee the state’s finances, has a negative affect on the state’s bond raiding and places federal funding opportunities in jeopardy.

Legislation approved by Senate Committees this week includes:

Abuse Hearing (SB 106): Mandates those professionals who are listed as mandated reporters of abuse or neglect, but who are not the actual reporter, to be required to share information in abuse or neglect investigations.

Defendants (SB 73): Mandates that a hearing for defendants who are unfit to stand trial or be sentenced must be held within 14 days of the court’s receipt of the defendant’s treatment report unless good reason is given for the hearing to not take place.

Drivers Education (SB 1643): Allows school districts to increase their driver’s education fee up to $250 by school board resolution following a public hearing on the increase, though the increased fee must be waived for students who can’t afford the course.

Hate Crimes (SB 1708): Requires that any individual convicted of a hate crime must attend an educational program discouraging hate crimes as a term of probation or conditional discharge.

Health Care Worker Sex Crime (SB 1762): Immediately and permanently revokes a health care worker’s medical license if he/she is convicted of a sex crime.

HFS Efficiencies (SB 1784): Promotes efficiencies within the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and medical assistance programs by eliminating duplicative services, streamlining healthcare payment processes, ensuring federal law compliance and promoting administrative efficiencies through technical and other changes.

Homestead Exemption Cook County (SB 19): Removes the requirement that Cook County homeowners need to apply every year for the senior homestead exemption.

Homestead Exemption Expansion (SB 1648): Expands the senior assessment freeze on homestead exemptions to include disabled persons.

Mandatory Prison (SB 1589): Mandates prison time for a convicted felon, Department of Corrections’ inmate, parolee or person on mandatory supervised release who is found to have unlawfully used or possessed a weapon.

Property Tax Petition (SB 1386): Increases the number of years taxpayers have to petition for a refund of overpaid property taxes from five years to 20 years.

Quarterly Taxpayer Refunds (SB 1741): Allows quarterly taxpayers entitled to a refund after the payment of the fourth installment to apply the refund to the first installment due in the next taxable year.

Quincy Veterans’ Home (SB 1640): Allows a veteran who is a resident of a state bordering Illinois to be admitted to the Quincy Veterans’ Home.

Sex Education (SB 1619): Makes changes to sex education curriculum, including eliminating language in the School Code and the Critical Health Problems and Comprehensive Health Education Act that states pupils should abstain from sexual intercourse until they are ready for marriage, and instead promotes abstinence as an assured method of avoiding unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. 

Senior Insurance Sale (SB 1607): Requires individuals who want to sell insurance policies to have special certification or training in advising or serving seniors in the sale or purchase of a life insurance or annuity product.