It was signed by Sens. Suzy Glowiak Hilton, Western Springs, and Laura Ellman, Naperville, and Reps. Kathleen Willis, Addison; Deb Conroy, Villa Park; Michelle Mussman, Schaumburg; Stephanie Kifowit, Oswego; Diane Pappas, Itasca; Karina Villa, West Chicago; Anne Stava-Murray, Naperville.
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October 11, 2019 at 08:37PM
The Will County State’s Attorney and a state lawmaker are working to close a gap in Illinois law that does not require people convicted of secretly video recording minors to be on the sex offender registry.
Last year, Ryan M. Thompson, 29, of Joliet, pleaded guilty to taking videos that captured minors changing their clothes for gym class while he worked as a janitor at Chaney-Monge School in Crest Hill.
Even though prosecutors said Thompson took the videos for “sexual gratification” and a psycho-sexual evaluation showed he had an above average risk of committing similar offenses in the future, he was not required to register as a sex offender.
Thompson was convicted of unauthorized video recording of minors, an offense that does not require him to be on the sex offender registry.
Judge Dave Carlson, who sentenced Thompson to probation, was frustrated he would not have to register.
“I think it’s absolutely crazy. … Unless people really, really look for it, they won’t know what you did,” Carlson said at a May 2018 court hearing.
Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow and his staff is drafting legislation that would require people to be placed on the sex offender registry if they are convicted of video recording minors in certain circumstances, state’s attorney spokeswoman Carole Cheney said.
“On the proposed legislation, when the issue regarding sex offender status was brought to the state’s attorney’s attention, he concluded that there is a gap in Illinois law,” Cheney said.
State Rep. John Connor, D-Lockport, a former Will County assistant state’s attorney, said he’s spoken with Glasgow about revising the law so the crime would be added to the list of offenses that require sex offender registration.
Connor said if a someone wanted to find out if a person like Thompson poses a threat to children, they would have to search for news stories about them online when they could find out about them more easily through the sex offender registry.
“Often times, they’re like submarines,” Connor said of child sex offenders. “The biggest danger is you don’t know who they are or where they are until they have a charge that puts them on the registry.”
Another case similar to Thompson occurred this year.
In August, Richard K. Buss, 36, of Channahon, pleaded guilty to video recording a minor while she was in the bathroom of his home.
Buss has yet to be sentenced, but as with Thompson, he would be eligible for probation and would not be required register as a sex offender.
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Feeds,City: Joliet,Region: Joliet,Region: South Suburbs,Opinion
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October 9, 2019 at 05:02PM
To ensure needed local capital infrastructure projects come to fruition, state Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville) was appointed to the Legislative Advisory Committee for the Southwestern Illinois Regional Planning Commission.
“Illinois cannot wait any longer to address crumbling infrastructure throughout the Metro East and across the state,” Stuart said. “Our region has a lot of untapped potential with our close proximity to St. Louis. We have the opportunity to grow our regional economy, create jobs and attract visitors by investing into transportation infrastructure projects.”
Stuart supported the first capital infrastructure plan that Illinois has seen in a decade. Her plan will create 500,000 high-wage jobs while generating over $8 billion in economic activity.
The Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan and Regional Planning Commission provides planning, zoning, project development and technical assistance services for community and economic development, transportation and other areas. As a member of the Legislative Advisory Committee, Stuart will work with local leaders to develop plans to address and implement infrastructure improvement projects.
“Passing an infrastructure investment plan was a step toward making desperately needed improvements and repairs to infrastructure throughout our state, growing our economy and creating new, high-wage jobs,” she said. “I will be a strong voice for the Metro East on the Legislative Advisory Committee and work to ensure that this plan is executed for local projects.”
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October 8, 2019 at 10:06AM
CHICAGO — Illinois companies can no longer ask job applicants or their previous employers about their pay history under a law that took effect Sept. 29. Supporters say the measure will help close the pay gap between women and men.
Sarah Labadie, associate director of policy for Women Employed, a nonprofit advocating for equal pay for women in the workforce, said the main goal of the law is to restructure how companies pay their workers so that pay discrepancies aren’t perpetuated.
Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, who co-sponsored the legislation signed by Gov. JB Pritzker, said she hopes the new law will even the playing field.
“Women tend to make less than their male counterparts. If (a company is) basing it off past wages, it causes them to continue to get paid less. Employers will no longer be able to make wage offers by using previous wage history,” Moeller said.
Here’s what to know about the measure:
What does the new law do?
Employers can’t ask job applicants how much they earned at their current or previous jobs. The law also prohibits previous employers and staffing agencies from disclosing any pay information. Companies can’t prevent workers discussing their pay and benefits with colleagues.
Does the law apply only to salaried workers?
Both salaried and hourly workers are covered by the law, which advocates refer to as the No Salary History law.
What kind of pay history is barred?
Companies cannot ask for any compensation history, including benefits offered by a current or former employer and bonuses received.
Is it illegal for an employer to ask about pay on a job application?
Companies cannot seek pay history through any means during the hiring process, including on job applications and during oral interviews.
What companies are barred from asking about pay?
All companies are required to follow the No Salary History law.
Are any organizations exempt?
Employers who have workers moving up within the company are not subject to the salary history ban. Government agencies are also exempt.
What if I disclose my salary to an employer?
Job applicants can tell an employer how much they were paid before, but employers can’t use that information to determine future pay under the new law.
What happens if an employer violates the law?
If an employer violates the law, a person can seek up to $10,000 in damages. If an applicant suspects he or she is being discriminated against, they should document the conversation. Job applicants should write down which interviewer asked the question about salary history, but they should not record an interview because it is illegal, Labadie said.
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Region: Peoria,City: Peoria,Business,Region: Central
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October 6, 2019 at 02:31PM
ROUND LAKE BEACH –�Students and parents will learn more about the college financial aid process by attending the College Affordability and FAFSA Seminar, sponsored by state Rep. Sam Yingling, D-Grayslake, at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at Round Lake High School, 800 High School Drive.
Yingling will welcome experts from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to help high school students and parents understand the basics of the financial aid process, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid application, scholarships and grant information.
Yingling also will welcome a representative from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to talk about the Illinois Commitment Program, which provides scholarships and grants that cover tuition and campus fees for families whose household income is $61,000 or less.
Schneider to host college
financial aid session
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Region: Lake County,Region: Suburbs,Opinion
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October 3, 2019 at 02:07PM
A Bloomington Democrat will challenge Republican state Rep. Keith Sommer for his seat next year.
Karla Bailey-Smith said her decision to run against Sommer “comes from a place of righteous anger.” She said Sommer votes against everything she holds dear.
Bailey-Smith works as a scene supervisor for the School of Theatre Arts at Illinois Wesleyan University. She’s set to make a formal campaign announcement with the McLean County Democrats at 422 N. Main in downtown Bloomington at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Sommer has served in the General Assembly since 1999. The Mortonite previously served as the Tazewell County Recorder of Deeds and on the Tazewell County Board before heading into state politics.
Sommer defeated Jill Blair, a Bloomington Democrat, with 59 percent of the vote in the 2018 elections.
The 88th House District includes Morton, Washington, parts of Bloomington, and much of rural Tazewell and McLean counties.
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News,Region: Peoria,City: Peoria,Region: Central
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October 2, 2019 at 05:20PM
State Reps. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) and Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora) are co-hosting a small business fair tax town hall from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 22 at Two Brothers Roadhouse, 205 N. Broadway, Aurora.
“As the daughter of local small business owners, I understand that small businesses are the backbone of our local economy,” Villa stated in a press release. “I will continue fighting for real tax relief and working to build a high-wage economy because building a stronger Illinois begins with building a stronger middle class.”
Small business owners, and those interested in learning more about the fair tax and the impact it could have on the local economy are invited to join Villa and Hernandez for the town hall. Villa, Hernandez and Ralph Martire, executive director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, will discuss efforts to provide relief for small and medium-sized businesses and strengthen the local economy.
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October 2, 2019 at 03:02PM
GRANITE CITY — Due to her advocacy to increase access to human breast milk for medically fragile infants, state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, received an appreciation award from Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes.
Stuart was the primary House sponsor of House Bill 3509 to ensure that families receive insurance coverage for babies that need donated human breast milk to receive the proper nutrition and recover from medically fragile conditions. The measure is now law.
“This law will positively impact many families across Illinois by removing the financial burden if an infant needs donated human breast milk,” continued Stuart. “I would like to thank the Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes for their work on this legislation and for the award.”
Text Box: Photo: Rep. Katie Stuart (right) receives the Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes Appreciation Award from Margaret Vaughn (left).Stuart’s law requires donated human breast milk to be covered under insurance for infants that are critically ill and the mother cannot produce maternal breast milk to meet the infant’s nutritional needs. This law will help infants that are born with congenital heart disease, those with a weight below 1,500 grams at birth, and many other serious medical conditions. This law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2020.
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Region: Metro East,Feeds,News
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October 1, 2019 at 01:26PM
This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
ELGIN — You have a constitutional right to be protected from discrimination. You’re protected under a new state law to receive an equal wage regardless of your gender.
These and other important issues will be addressed Thursday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m., at the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin through a Human Rights Workshop hosted by state Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin.
Rep. Moeller will be joined by Commissioners Manuel Barbosa and Steve Andersson from the Illinois Human Rights Commission to explain new state law protections and how they affect your rights at home and in the workplace. The presentation will be offered in both English and Spanish. The event is free.
Moeller will discuss her extensive work on the state’s new Equal Pay Act, barring employers from discriminating against lower-paid workers by asking for their salary history in interviews for jobs.
"Fairness and freedom from discrimination are basic, unalienable human rights. Yet many times, we are put in situations in everyday life where we may have been wronged, but simply do not know what to do about it," Moeller said. "This Human Rights Workshop will help all area residents, landlords and business owners understand our new laws and ensure we are treating people equally and without discrimination."
Questions? Contact Rep. Moeller’s district office at 847-841-7130 or staterepmoeller@gmail.com.
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September 26, 2019 at 10:20AM
Working for Illinois Caucus 