Both chambers of the Illinois legislature adjourned on Saturday, April 16 making this session the shortest in one hundred years. The legislature will return for the fall veto session in November and will meed on November 9, 14, 15, 16, 28, 29, and 30 to consider veto actions taken by the Governor. Action on other pending legislation which did not leave the General Assembly may also be considered at the time.
Although Senate President Pate Philip allowed few labor bills out of the Senate Rules Committee and House members were only allowed to move three of their bills, a number of initiatives vital to AFSCME members moved through the General Assembly.
Corrections-Improved Security AFSCME was successful in passing legislation that included a number of Corrections employees' long-standing priorities. HB 4124, Sponsored by Represenative Dan Reitz, and Senator Dave Luechtefeld, is a bill with four central provisions.
The bill prohibits contact visits for persons who fall in the following categories:
Second, it provides that the Department of Corrections must create a gang intelligence unit. the unit will be specifically designed to gather information regarding the inmate gang population, monitor the activities of gangs, and prevent the furtherance of gang activities.
Third, the bill prohibits inmate possession of immersible heating coils which are often used by prisoners to boil substances which are then thrown on officers.
Last, the bill requires a co-payment for the inmate visits for medical or dental services. This language, originally in HB 3880, was amended onto HB 4124. Understaffing is a problem for both health care staff and security staff in correctional facilities. This language will limit capricious and unnecessary trips for medical service, while setting the co-pay at a rate which still makes the services available when necessary.
HB 4124 passed both chambers of the General Assembly and is now awaiting action by the Governor.
CORRECTIONS MEDICAL CONTRACTORS (support). SB 1061 which was introduced in sesponse to the problemsthat employees of private medical contractors could experience when the state changes vendors, remains in the Senate awaiting concurrence with two House amendments. This legislation, which was introduced by Senator Laura Kent Donahue (R-Quincy), requires Corrections medical contractors who replace an existing vendor to retain the employees of that vendor.
CORRECTIONAL EMPLOYEE MEMORIAL (support). HB 3901, sponsored by Representative Jim Fowler (D-Harrisburg), establishes a Correctional employee Memorial on the State Capitol grounds. This memorial is to be paid for by a special Correctional Employee Memorial license plate. This AFSCME initiative passed the House of Representatives with 112 votes. Senator Larry Bomke (R-Springfield) is carrying this legislation in the Senate where it was never called for a vote.