Illinois House members passed a bill Tuesday asking for a Bison Bridge structure to be included in I-80 bridge replacement plans.
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois — Illinois lawmakers on Tuesday, April 5 passed a bill asking Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Department of Transportation to include a wildlife crossing in Interstate 80 bridge replacement plans.
House Resolution 699, co-sponsored by Reps. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria), Martin Moylan (D-Des Plaines), Tony McCombie (R-Savanna), Daniel Swanson (R-Woodhull) and Norine Hammond (R-Macomb), expressed support for the Bison Bridge project.
The current bridge over the Mississippi River is 56 years old, and the Department of Transportation previously determined a new one was needed due to it being dangerously narrow and too small to support its daily traffic. Typically, the old bridge would be destroyed when a new one is built somewhere along the river.
The proposed project includes repurposing one side of the bridge between LeClaire, Iowa, and Rapids City, Illinois, as a wildlife crossing and the other as a park-like setting for foot traffic. It will be entirely privately funded, with no additional cost to taxpayers, according to the Bison Bridge Foundation.
A petition created by the foundationhas received nearly 40,000 signatures from those in favor of the wildlife crossing. Other supports include the Quad Cities Chamber, Visit Quad Cities and the Quad Cities River Bandits, according to the foundation’s website.
The next step in the I-80 bridge plans is a series of public input meetings hosted by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The meetings could come as early as May, IDOT Region 2 Engineer Masood Ahmad said in a statement.
“These meetings are our best hope of delivering the message that the Quad Cities overwhelmingly supports the Bison Bridge, as do our friends in the Illinois General Assembly,” Illinois transportation consultant and Bison Bridge Foundation member Matt Hughes said in a statement. “We are especially grateful to the members of the Illinois House of Representatives who have supported this once-in-a-lifetime project for the Quad Cities and the surrounding region. We anticipate an equally strong showing of support during IDOT’s public meetings.”
SPRINGFIELD — An Illinois House committee is moving forward a bill that would crack down on insurance companies’ network adequacy requirements, following an emotional plea from state Rep. Sue Scherer during a hearing last week.
House Bill 1463passed out of the House State Government Administration Committee on Monday amid the ongoing dispute involving Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and Springfield Clinic.
The bill was drafted by Scherer, D-Decatur, and state Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, along with the Department of Insurance.
“For my constituents, I have people with cancer who are dying. I have pregnant women who don’t have doctors. And if everything was all OK, as the opposition has said, my patients wouldn’t be without doctors,” Scherer said.
The Department of Insurance last month fined the parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois $339,000, finding that it violated state law when it did not properly file updated network adequacy filings following the termination of its contract with Springfield Clinic.
Although Scherer and other proponents argued the bill isn’t targeted directly at Blue Cross, it does address reported concerns of long wait times and difficulty finding new in-network providers for former Springfield Clinic patients with Blue Cross coverage.
The bill would allow the Department of Insurance to establish provider wait times and, in the case of excessive wait times, require insurers to cover the costs for patients to see out-of-network providers at in-network rate, among other provisions.
Lawmakers have four more days to pass the bill in both chambers before session adjourns Friday.
The bill, as written, would go into effect immediately after being signed into law.
Proponents argued it would mostly codify protocol the Department of Insurance already follows, but opponents said it could introduce sweeping changes to the insurance industry and potentially increase insurance costs for some.
“Bills like this, where we have not had the opportunity to share the impact or negotiate how we could reduce the impact, will only increase the cost to your small businesses and to your families when they’re trying to have insurance coverage,” said Lori Reimers, a lobbyist for America’s Health Insurance Plans.
But Scherer said some local patients need support now.
“I know I sound like a broken record, but things are not working the way they are. People are paying premiums and don’t have doctors. That means the system’s broken and needs to be fixed,” she said.
Following the committee’s vote, the bill will move to the House for second reading on Monday afternoon.
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In a legislative hearing on Wednesday evening, lawmakers met with representatives of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Springfield Clinic and the state Department of Insurance.
The hearing was to investigate the relationship between Blue Cross Blue Shield and Springfield Clinic. After the two organizations failed to reach a contract agreement last year, the insurer cut Springfield Clinic from its network in November.
The removal of Springfield Clinic resulted in at least 55,000 Blue Cross customers needing to find new doctors or file continuity of care requests with Blue Cross, according to Krishna Ramachandran, a senior vice president with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.
Springfield Clinic estimates the number of affected patients is closer to 110,000, according to Ken Sagins, the clinic’s chief medical officer.
Lawmakers from both parties on Wednesday said that the situation has resulted in constituents calling them, asking for help or sharing stories of frustration in trying to deal with the situation.
"This is a cancer that’s growing that we’ve got to find solutions to," said Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur.
Scherer does not sit on the State Government Administration Committee, which held Wednesday’s hearing. She joined the committee in questioning because of her personal advocacy for the issue and her championing of HB 5279, a bill which would introduce statutory guidance on enforcing the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act, a state law from 2017.
Blue Cross Blue Shield was fined $339,000 for violating this law last week.
Scherer opened the meeting in an emotional moment in which she said there had been an emergency threatening the life of her son-in-law earlier on Wednesday. Scherer said that she was worried because her son-in-law has Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance.
"It’s very personal to me right now," said Scherer. "It wasn’t when I went to bed last night, but it is today. I need answers."
One of the central themes of Wednesday’s hearing was the negotiations between Blue Cross and Springfield Clinic. The insurer alleges that talks broke down when Springfield Clinic asked for a 75% increase in reimbursement rates, leading to the negotiation breakdown.
Sagins on Wednesday indicated this framing was misleading. In his view, the issue actually centered on how Blue Cross Blue Shield was transitioning thousands of patients to "Blue Choice" plans, an Affordable Care Act plan originally intended for a limited audience. When Springfield Clinic said having a significant increase in the number of Blue Choice patients wasn’t possible, that’s when talks started to break down, according to Sagins.
"It was never intended to be pushed out to the general population," said Sagins.
Wednesday’s hearing also focused on discussing so-called "ghost networks," which is a term to describe insurance companies listing doctors and other medical providers that aren’t accepting patients or that don’t exist in order to comply with state and federal laws.
Cheryl Brown, an OB-GYN at Springfield Clinic and former chair of the obstetrics and gynecology department, also testified to the committee. Brown said that, in trying to help her patients find new doctors, she checked Blue Cross Blue Shield’s list of providers in the Springfield area and found something that troubled her.
"These names are not real," she said. "They do not exist, but they are on the list."
She also said she found names of doctors listed as obstetrician-gynecologists who no longer work in the field or who don’t practice in the specialization.
This inability for patients to find doctors close to them or doctors who have time to see them can be life-threatening.
"I have a patient. She is hemorrhaging," said Brown. "She needs a hysterectomy. It is not feasible for her to wait 3 months, 6 months, 9 months."
Outside of gynecology, Sagins said he was aware of at least two radiation oncologists listed as providers on Blue Cross’ list that were Springfield Clinic doctors and one from Chicago.
"There has to be some sort of consequence," said Rep. Sandy Hamilton, R-Springfield.
Blue Cross Blue Shield is the largest private insurer in Illinois, with 8.1 million members in the state, according to its website. Springfield Clinic’s doctors serve more than 90 locations in 20 counties around central Illinois, with locations in Springfield, Jacksonville, Alton, Lincoln and more, according to Sagins.
Scherer’s bill is set to be heard in the House State Government Administration Committee in the next few days, according to the committee’s chair, Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego. She added that the hearing, originally scheduled to be in the House’s Insurance Committee, was placed in her committee because Scherer’s bill is focused on changing regulations surrounding the Illinois Department of Insurance, a state administrative body.
President Biden’s choice for the Supreme Court makes her case for the job while taking heat from Senate Republicans. Education vouchers in Iowa are still on the table for state lawmakers.
And Illinois lawmakers want to make their state a player in the microchip industry. We talk about that with Rock Island County Republican Party Chair Drue Mielke and former Scott County Democratic Party Chair Karl Rhomberg.
The microchip initiative is "what we need to do to attract jobs to Illinois," Mielke said. "We come out of the pandemic and we realize how vulnerable we are … some of the things are offshore. And I also see this as a national security issue."
Rhomberg agreed. "It’s a very good thing for Illinois," he said. "Good jobs at good wages. Who could ever be against it?"
We want to hear from you, too, with our question of the week: What do you think about the proposal in Iowa to take $55 million from the General Fund to pay for 10,000 scholarships for kids to go to private school? Let us know your thoughts at 4therecord@whbf.com
Local 4 News, your local election headquarters, is proud to present 4 The Record, a weekly news and public affairs program focused on the issues important to you. It’s a program unlike any other here in the Quad Cities. Tune in each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as Jim Niedelman brings you up to speed on what’s happening in the political arena, from Springfield, Des Moines, Washington, D.C. and right here at home.
A bipartisan House Resolution urges the Illinois Governor and the Secretary of the Department of Transportation to develop plans for the new I-80 bridge that includes incorporation of the Bison Bridge project.
House Resolution 0699 is sponsored by state Reps. Mike Halpin (D-Rock Island), Tony McCombie (R-Savanna), Ryan Spain (R-Peoria), Dan Swanson (R-Woodhull), Norrine Hammond (R-Macomb) and House Transportation Committee Chairperson Martin J. Moylan (D-Des Plaines).
The resolution is scheduled for a hearing before the Illinois House Transportation Committee on Tuesday March 22nd at 3 p.m.
As plans proceed to replace the I-80 bridge, supporters of Bison Bridge want to recycle and redevelop the old bridge between LeClaire and Rapids City.
Since March 2021, when the Bison Bridge Foundation announced their proposal, the organization has gained support for the project from stakeholders around the region, including lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, according to a Monday release.
Matthew Hughes, a transportation consultant in the State of Illinois who is part of the Bison Bridge Foundation, said: “The Bison Bridge Foundation would like to thank this bipartisan group of sponsors for their continued support of what is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to remake the identity of the Quad Cities region.”
The Bison Bridge Foundation has always maintained that all of the funding to develop their proposal will be privately financed. While demolishing the current structure would come at great cost to local taxpayers, the Bison Bridge project will be developed without the requirement of taxpayer funds, the release says.
The organization hopes the project will provide an opportunity for investment. As Illinois, and the Midwest in general, continues to battle population loss and struggles to retain young professional talent, investments in placemaking and quality of life are a priority for regional leaders.
The benefits of the Bison Bridge proposal go far beyond placemaking and quality of life, the release says. The team has stressed that the economic development potential is unlimited on both sides of the Mississippi River.
The pedestrian side of the Bison Bridge will provide unique access to the river as well as the mixed-use paths on the Iowa and Illinois sides for cyclists, walkers, runners, and visitors to the QC. Environmental benefits include avoiding the demolition and disposal of the existing structure and providing a wildlife crossing corridor planted with native vegetation.
A home for the bison to roam
The team’s incorporation of bison will provide the chance to understand the history and Native culture of the region, the importance of the river, and the legacy of the prairie. The bridge park will provide opportunities for families, groups, and businesses to meet, learn, and discover more about the QC. Finally, proponents of the project envision a future influx of tourists and visitors to the region.
Some 38,000 people in the community have signed the Bison Bridge Foundation’s petition to support the project. Lawmakers from both Illinois and Iowa have voiced their support and local stakeholder groups continue to promote the proposal.
Hughes and the Bison Bridge Foundation team are hopeful that the Bison Bridge will become part of the region’s recovery from COVID.
“As we look to the state of Illinois to change its way of doing business in so many ways, our proposal represents an opportunity for Illinois to do so. The old way of doing things, i.e. tearing out and disposing of the existing I-80 bridge structure, simply doesn’t make sense from an economic, cultural, environmental and even a practical standpoint,” Hughes said Monday.
Chad Pregracke, founder of Living Lands & Waters, has led the collection of private funding and 38,000 online petition supporters for Bison Bridge.
Chad Pregracke, a QC native who founded Living Lands & Waters, is spearheading the project and leading the Bison Bridge team.
His home is about a mile from the current I-80 bridge, and he has long hoped to see the area around the bridge on each side of the river become a place for visitors to share his love of the Mississippi.
“Thank you to the Representatives who stepped up to sponsor this resolution as a way of showing support for thinking ‘outside the box’ and doing things differently in Illinois," Pregracke said in the release. "Also, thank you to the tens of thousands of supporters who have signed our petition to support the project, who anxiously await an opportunity to lend their voices to the decision-making process about to get underway."
Lawmakers are working on a bill to close loopholes in Illinois sexual assault laws. One measure is sponsored by State Representative Katie Stuart of Collinsville and is based on a case in another state where a young woman slept with a man pretending to be her boyfriend. The man was charged and later acquitted. Stuart says that shouldn’t happen.
Another legislative piece is sponsored by Arlington Heights representative Mark Walker. One of his constituents was intoxicated and raped. Her attacker was never charged because she ingested the alcohol on her own.
Both bills passed the house and now await a vote in the Senate.
Region: Pana,Feeds,City: Taylorville,Local,Region: Central
Volunteer fire department chiefs have a battle on their hands that doesn’t involve burning homes or car crashes.
They face a shortage of new recruits and trouble retaining experienced volunteers.
In an effort to bolster the ranks of volunteer firefighters and Emergency Medical Service workers, state lawmakers have proposed a bill that would give volunteers a $500 tax credit on their Illinois income tax return.
State Sen. Christopher Belt, D- Swansea, said if the bill is approved, it could cost the state an estimated $20 million to $22 million in lost revenue but he said that sacrifice is worthwhile.
"I will argue that what it costs upfront pales in comparison to the lives that are lost … without volunteer fighters, without EMS," Belt said in a news conference Friday at the Signal Hill Fire Department near the west side of Belleville.
Belt is the sponsor of the bill in the Illinois Senate, which has approved the proposal 51-0.
State Rep. Katie Stuart, D- Edwardsville, is a co-sponsor of the bill in the state House of Representatives, where she is pushing to get a vote on the plan before the General Assembly session is scheduled to end on April 8.
"They’re risking their own safety to keep our communities safe and we all appreciate their work for our families," Stuart said of the volunteers. "Hopefully we can continue to attract more people into fire service on a volunteer basis and recognize the important work that they do."
A volunteer must serve at least nine months a year and cannot earn more than $10,000 a year for their volunteer services during the taxable year.
The credit cannot reduce a taxpayer’s liability to less than zero.
If the tax credit exceeds the tax liability for the year, the excess may be applied within the next five taxable years.
Signal Hill Fire Chief Tom Elliff said he appreciates the work being done by the local lawmakers on this idea to recruit and retain volunteers.
"We’re seeing a shortage of volunteers not only in this fire department but in communities in general," Elliff said.
He noted that a department may have a satisfactory number of volunteers but a neighboring department may not have enough to provide mutual aid or serve as a backup in a community where firefighters are on a call.
Elliff, who is president of the St. Clair/Monroe County Fire Chiefs Association, said the proposed $500 tax break could help departments attract new volunteers but also provide an incentive to retain volunteers who have served for five or so years and have gained valuable experience.
"The thing with volunteer fire service is that you can’t necessarily have too many because you’re depending on their schedules," he said.
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![Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, speaks Wednesday during a legislative hearing on the relationship between Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois and Springfield Clinic. [Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/03/31/NSJR/7593f9f7-cd3f-42a8-acb7-43b17f86cfce-033022Insurance1.jpg?width=660&height=458&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Working for Illinois Caucus 