https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q99-Ys7ok-Q
010-Inoreader Saves,01-All No Sub,02-Pol,05-Z,19-Legal,24-ILGA,26-Delivered,25-Working,E Moeller,RK Client
via
March 20, 2019 at 10:09PM
More ideas about how to regulate recreational marijuana could surface this week, but one lawmaker wants to make sure the legislature doesn’t over-regulate the industry or consumers.
Regulation ideas for Illinois have included allowing local control over cannabis sales, allowing adults to grow five plants at home, and even limiting how much one consumer can possess to one ounce.
Chris Stone with medical cannabis dispensary HCI Alternatives in Springfield and Collinsville said if such limits are implemented there are already systems in place to help with compliance.
Click here for summary
“We’re going to have a tracking system that’s going to make sure that whatever the limit is that you can’t go to 18 dispensaries and get the same amount of product, unlike most of the other states that are out there,” Stone said. “So, they’ve created a backend software and computer system that is going to be able to allow for that.”
Stone said couldn’t address the privacy concerns of possibly tracking consumer’s recreational habits, but said right now HIPPA laws protect medical patients’ information.
State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, said whatever ultimately passes should be similar to how tobacco and alcohol are treated.
“And we align those provisions to those current industries that were prohibited at one point but are now legal,” Ammons said. “So I think we are going to do ourselves a disservice by trying to police the cannabis bill in a way that will still create unintended consequences.”
Ammons put forward House Bill 902, which has less stringent government regulation compared with other suggestions that have been floated. Her bill would allow adults to grow up to 24 cannabis plants and to possess up to 224 grams, or nearly 8 ounces, outside of the home.
Ammons said her bill would apply a 10 percent tax on sales and require that at least 51 percent of the licenses for retail stores to be in “communities disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs.” That bill could be heard in committee Tuesday. A Senate bill about cannabis, but without any provisions filed, is slated for a Senate hearing Wednesday.
(Copyright WBGZ Radio / www.AltonDailyNews.com)
010-Inoreader Saves,01-All No Sub,02-Pol,15-Health,16-Econ,17-Energy,19-Legal,24-ILGA,E MCAI,E Stone,25-Working,26-Delivered,HL,HL New,RKPRS HL
via Alton Daily News
March 19, 2019 at 07:01AM
CHICAGO, March 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — To protect consumers from the growing problem of privatization and high water bills, a new proposal in Springfield would require cities across Illinois to hold referendums before a private utility could buy their water/sewer system.
The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) urged Illinoisans concerned about high water bills to visit CUBActionCenter.com to send a message to the General Assembly in support of House Bill 2392, ahead of a Subject Matter hearing held by the House Public Utilities Committee 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 19. The measure is sponsored by state Rep. John Connor of Crest Hill.
"Five years ago, private water companies pushed a bill that let them increase rates on their own customers to buy more public water systems," Rep. Connor said. "Last year, they extended that bill another 10 years. And who’s paying for them to buy these public water systems? You are, if you are on a private water system. I just think that in a democracy they should get permission from most of the people affected first."
HB 2392, which has bipartisan support, would require a referendum of local voters prior to a municipality being allowed to sell its water/sewer system to Illinois American Water or Aqua Illinois, the state’s two largest private water companies. Although about 80 percent of water systems in Illinois are public, Illinois American and Aqua in recent years have been buying more community systems, thanks in part to friendly state legislation.
Last fall, the General Assembly passed the Water Privatization Act, an update to an earlier law. The act, one of the most aggressive privatization laws in the country, allows Illinois American and Aqua to buy any public system in the state, and recover 100 percent of the cost, plus profits, by automatically raising the rates of existing customers. And it eliminates restrictions on the size of the system those companies can target.
Privatization often leads to higher water bills. A Chicago Tribune investigation in 2017 found that Aqua and Illinois American charge 20 percent to 70 percent more than public systems in the Chicago region. The companies raked in total combined profits of more than $750 million in 2018, and their stock prices have been trading near all-time highs.
"Shareholders in corporations are given the opportunity to vote prior to the sale of that corporation," said Bryan McDaniel, CUB’s director of governmental affairs. "The residents of the municipality are the shareholders in their water system and deserve a vote on the future of an asset critical to their lives."
CUB is celebrating its 35th anniversary as Illinois’ leading nonprofit utility watchdog. Created by the Illinois Legislature, CUB opened its doors in 1984 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers. Since then, it has saved consumers more than $20 billion by helping to block rate hikes and secure refunds. For more information, call CUB’s Consumer Hotline, 1-800-669-5556, or visit CitizensUtilityBoard.org.
SOURCE Citizens Utility Board
010-Inoreader Saves,01-All No Sub,02-Pol,15-Health,16-Econ,17-Energy,19-Legal,E Leg,24-ILGA,25-Working,26-Delivered
via PR Newswire: press release distribution, targeting, monitoring and marketing
March 18, 2019 at 10:43AM
CHICAGO, March 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — To protect consumers from the growing problem of privatization and high water bills, a new proposal in Springfield would require cities across Illinois to hold referendums before a private utility could buy their water/sewer system.
The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) urged Illinoisans concerned about high water bills to visit CUBActionCenter.com to send a message to the General Assembly in support of House Bill 2392, ahead of a Subject Matter hearing held by the House Public Utilities Committee 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 19. The measure is sponsored by state Rep. John Connor of Crest Hill.
"Five years ago, private water companies pushed a bill that let them increase rates on their own customers to buy more public water systems," Rep. Connor said. "Last year, they extended that bill another 10 years. And who’s paying for them to buy these public water systems? You are, if you are on a private water system. I just think that in a democracy they should get permission from most of the people affected first."
HB 2392, which has bipartisan support, would require a referendum of local voters prior to a municipality being allowed to sell its water/sewer system to Illinois American Water or Aqua Illinois, the state’s two largest private water companies. Although about 80 percent of water systems in Illinois are public, Illinois American and Aqua in recent years have been buying more community systems, thanks in part to friendly state legislation.
Last fall, the General Assembly passed the Water Privatization Act, an update to an earlier law. The act, one of the most aggressive privatization laws in the country, allows Illinois American and Aqua to buy any public system in the state, and recover 100 percent of the cost, plus profits, by automatically raising the rates of existing customers. And it eliminates restrictions on the size of the system those companies can target.
Privatization often leads to higher water bills. A Chicago Tribune investigation in 2017 found that Aqua and Illinois American charge 20 percent to 70 percent more than public systems in the Chicago region. The companies raked in total combined profits of more than $750 million in 2018, and their stock prices have been trading near all-time highs.
"Shareholders in corporations are given the opportunity to vote prior to the sale of that corporation," said Bryan McDaniel, CUB’s director of governmental affairs. "The residents of the municipality are the shareholders in their water system and deserve a vote on the future of an asset critical to their lives."
CUB is celebrating its 35th anniversary as Illinois’ leading nonprofit utility watchdog. Created by the Illinois Legislature, CUB opened its doors in 1984 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers. Since then, it has saved consumers more than $20 billion by helping to block rate hikes and secure refunds. For more information, call CUB’s Consumer Hotline, 1-800-669-5556, or visit CitizensUtilityBoard.org.
SOURCE Citizens Utility Board
010-Inoreader Saves,01-All No Sub,02-Pol,15-Health,16-Econ,17-Energy,19-Legal,E Leg,24-ILGA,25-Working,26-Delivered
via PR Newswire: press release distribution, targeting, monitoring and marketing
March 18, 2019 at 10:43AM
CHICAGO, March 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — To protect consumers from the growing problem of privatization and high water bills, a new proposal in Springfield would require cities across Illinois to hold referendums before a private utility could buy their water/sewer system.
The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) urged Illinoisans concerned about high water bills to visit CUBActionCenter.com to send a message to the General Assembly in support of House Bill 2392, ahead of a Subject Matter hearing held by the House Public Utilities Committee 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 19. The measure is sponsored by state Rep. John Connor of Crest Hill.
"Five years ago, private water companies pushed a bill that let them increase rates on their own customers to buy more public water systems," Rep. Connor said. "Last year, they extended that bill another 10 years. And who’s paying for them to buy these public water systems? You are, if you are on a private water system. I just think that in a democracy they should get permission from most of the people affected first."
HB 2392, which has bipartisan support, would require a referendum of local voters prior to a municipality being allowed to sell its water/sewer system to Illinois American Water or Aqua Illinois, the state’s two largest private water companies. Although about 80 percent of water systems in Illinois are public, Illinois American and Aqua in recent years have been buying more community systems, thanks in part to friendly state legislation.
Last fall, the General Assembly passed the Water Privatization Act, an update to an earlier law. The act, one of the most aggressive privatization laws in the country, allows Illinois American and Aqua to buy any public system in the state, and recover 100 percent of the cost, plus profits, by automatically raising the rates of existing customers. And it eliminates restrictions on the size of the system those companies can target.
Privatization often leads to higher water bills. A Chicago Tribune investigation in 2017 found that Aqua and Illinois American charge 20 percent to 70 percent more than public systems in the Chicago region. The companies raked in total combined profits of more than $750 million in 2018, and their stock prices have been trading near all-time highs.
"Shareholders in corporations are given the opportunity to vote prior to the sale of that corporation," said Bryan McDaniel, CUB’s director of governmental affairs. "The residents of the municipality are the shareholders in their water system and deserve a vote on the future of an asset critical to their lives."
CUB is celebrating its 35th anniversary as Illinois’ leading nonprofit utility watchdog. Created by the Illinois Legislature, CUB opened its doors in 1984 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers. Since then, it has saved consumers more than $20 billion by helping to block rate hikes and secure refunds. For more information, call CUB’s Consumer Hotline, 1-800-669-5556, or visit CitizensUtilityBoard.org.
SOURCE Citizens Utility Board
010-Inoreader Saves,01-All No Sub,02-Pol,15-Health,16-Econ,17-Energy,19-Legal,E Leg,24-ILGA,25-Working,26-Delivered
via PR Newswire: press release distribution, targeting, monitoring and marketing
March 18, 2019 at 10:43AM
State Rep. Lance Yednock, D-Ottawa, is sponsoring legislation protecting first responders from interference from unmanned drone pilots.
Drones can be used by pilots to get an aerial view of what they normally would not be able to see; however, their use can get in the way of police, firemen or paramedics.
“We have seen increased activity from civilians using state-of-the-art drones to interfere with first responders when they are carrying out their duties, like in police chases or rescue missions,” said Yednock in a press statement. “I want to send a clear signal that it is unacceptable for anyone to interfere with the job of a first responder when they are protecting our safety or on the scene of an emergency.”
Yednock’s House Bill 3452 aims to prevent interference with first responders from members of the general public using drones, which have been subject to criticism from fire departments across the country, Yednock said.
Drones have interrupted 11 firefighting efforts, according to the U.S. Forest Service. They can delay and postpone public safety missions even though their flight might not be intended to cause issues.
“Drones are best used when they’re helping our first responders accomplish their search and rescue missions, not when these devices are used to purposely obstruct a life-saving rescue attempt or police pursuit, like we have seen,” said Yednock. “First responders deserve to be able to do their jobs in keeping us all safe without interference by anyone or anything and making an already difficult job much harder.”
010-Inoreader Saves,01-All No Sub,02-Pol,15-Health,16-Econ,17-Energy,19-Legal,24-ILGA,25-Working,26-Delivered,E-AFFI,HL,HL New,RKPRS HL
via | The Times
March 15, 2019 at 04:01PM
State Rep. Lance Yednock, D-Ottawa, is sponsoring legislation protecting first responders from interference from unmanned drone pilots.
Drones can be used by pilots to get an aerial view of what they normally would not be able to see; however, their use can get in the way of police, firemen or paramedics.
“We have seen increased activity from civilians using state-of-the-art drones to interfere with first responders when they are carrying out their duties, like in police chases or rescue missions,” said Yednock in a press statement. “I want to send a clear signal that it is unacceptable for anyone to interfere with the job of a first responder when they are protecting our safety or on the scene of an emergency.”
Yednock’s House Bill 3452 aims to prevent interference with first responders from members of the general public using drones, which have been subject to criticism from fire departments across the country, Yednock said.
Drones have interrupted 11 firefighting efforts, according to the U.S. Forest Service. They can delay and postpone public safety missions even though their flight might not be intended to cause issues.
“Drones are best used when they’re helping our first responders accomplish their search and rescue missions, not when these devices are used to purposely obstruct a life-saving rescue attempt or police pursuit, like we have seen,” said Yednock. “First responders deserve to be able to do their jobs in keeping us all safe without interference by anyone or anything and making an already difficult job much harder.”
010-Inoreader Saves,01-All No Sub,02-Pol,15-Health,16-Econ,17-Energy,19-Legal,24-ILGA,25-Working,26-Delivered,E-AFFI,HL,HL New,RKPRS HL
via | The Times
March 15, 2019 at 04:01PM
State Rep. Lance Yednock, D-Ottawa, is sponsoring legislation protecting first responders from interference from unmanned drone pilots.
Drones can be used by pilots to get an aerial view of what they normally would not be able to see; however, their use can get in the way of police, firemen or paramedics.
“We have seen increased activity from civilians using state-of-the-art drones to interfere with first responders when they are carrying out their duties, like in police chases or rescue missions,” said Yednock in a press statement. “I want to send a clear signal that it is unacceptable for anyone to interfere with the job of a first responder when they are protecting our safety or on the scene of an emergency.”
Yednock’s House Bill 3452 aims to prevent interference with first responders from members of the general public using drones, which have been subject to criticism from fire departments across the country, Yednock said.
Drones have interrupted 11 firefighting efforts, according to the U.S. Forest Service. They can delay and postpone public safety missions even though their flight might not be intended to cause issues.
“Drones are best used when they’re helping our first responders accomplish their search and rescue missions, not when these devices are used to purposely obstruct a life-saving rescue attempt or police pursuit, like we have seen,” said Yednock. “First responders deserve to be able to do their jobs in keeping us all safe without interference by anyone or anything and making an already difficult job much harder.”
010-Inoreader Saves,01-All No Sub,02-Pol,15-Health,16-Econ,17-Energy,19-Legal,24-ILGA,25-Working,26-Delivered,E-AFFI,HL,HL New,RKPRS HL
via | The Times
March 15, 2019 at 04:01PM
Kane County Board member Barbara Hernandez has been sworn in as the new state representative in the 83rd House District.
Hernandez, of Aurora, replaces Linda Chapa LaVia, who left the House seat after 18 years to become director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.
Hernandez, who has been the 8th District representative on the Kane County Board since being elected in 2016, once worked as an intern in Chapa LaVia’s office. At age 26, Hernandez becomes the youngest member of the Illinois General Assembly.
Since Chapa LaVia is a Democrat, her replacement had to be a Democrat.
The appointment was made unanimously by a three-member panel of Kane County Democrats, including Mark Guethle, Kane Democratic chairman; Greg Elsbree, the Aurora Township Democratic chairman; and Casey Cuevas, an Aurora Township Democratic precinct committeeman.
“(Hernandez) had a lot of support in the community,” said Guethle Friday. “She is a shining, rising star in the party. She’s good on all the Democratic core issues.”
Guethle was automatically included in the panel that chose Hernandez because he is the county party chairman. Elsbree and Cuevas were elected by a vote of Aurora Township committee members for the panel.
The panel heard from several people interested in replacing Chapa LaVia before voting for Hernandez. She was immediately sworn in by Kane County Circuit Judge Michael Noland.
Hernandez was not available for comment Friday, but did make a statement on her Facebook page.
“I never imagined a daughter of first generation immigrants could have made it this far,” she said. “ I cannot wait to continue the fight in the 83rd District.”
Hernandez was born and raised in Aurora. She graduated from East Aurora High School in 2010, Waubonsee Community College in 2012 and from Aurora University in 2014.
She has a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in Spanish. She is the first in her family to attend college.
She interned in Chapa LaVia’s office and was first elected a precinct committeeman in the 5th Precinct of the 3rd Ward at the age of 19.
Hernandez will eventually resign from her Kane County Board position, and it will be up to Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen to name a replacement.
That replacement must be a Democrat, because Hernandez is a Democrat.
010-Inoreader Saves,01-All No Sub,02-Pol,19-Legal,24-ILGA,25-Working,26-Delivered,HL,HL New,RKPRS HL
via Aurora Beacon-News
March 9, 2019 at 08:36AM
Working for Illinois Caucus 