Though the Illinois General Assembly and Gov. Bruce Rauner could not agree on a budget for the state in 2016, Rauner signed nearly 200 pieces of legislation into law, which took effect January 1 including 25 authored by North Shore legislators.
Among the laws written by state senators and house members representing the North Shore include protecting the rights of a student in need of a service animal, requiring a warrant from a judge before tracking a person by their cell phone, and food safety.
Some of the legislation crafted by other legislators included a removal of sales tax on feminine hygiene products, requiring payment of minimum wage to domestic workers and assuring they get a day, and increasing fines for darting across a railroad crossing when a train is approaching, according to the Chicago Tribune.
State Sen. Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield), state Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston), state Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D-Northbrook), state Rep. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) and state Rep. Robyn Gable (D-Evanston) all authored new statewide laws.
State Sen. Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) moderates the panel discussion.
Morrison wrote seven pieces of legislation that became law. One bill requires a school with a child in need of the help of a service animal to put that child’s rights for the animal in writing within 15 days. She also authored a bill requiring the court clerk in a county where a person with a firearm identification card is judged mentally incompetent to inform the Illinois State Police.
Click here for a complete list of Morrison’s legislative record in the last session. She represents all of Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Highwood, Highland Park and Deerfield as well as parts of Glencoe, Northbrook and Glenview.
Biss Authors Six Bills
Biss authored six new laws that took effect January 1. One of those bills will not let a physician refuse care of a person on grounds of conscience if there is no other way for that person to get treatment.
Once an employee has allowed a voluntary assignment wages, that person can revoke the assignment at any time, according to one of Biss’ bills. He also crafted legislation requiring law enforcement to obtain a warrant before tracking a person using information generated from a cellular phone.
Click here for a complete list of Biss’ legislative record in the last session. He represents all of Wilmette, Kenilworth, Northfield and Winnetka as well as parts of Glencoe, Northbrook and Glenview.
Nekritz was active as well, writing six bills that became law. One requires insurers in the state to provide coverage for contraceptive drugs and another prevents the sale of eggs 45 days after they are checked for the growth of a chick through a process called candling.
Click here for a complete list of Nekritz’s legislative record in the past session. She represents parts of Northbrook and Glenview.
Fine was responsible for five new laws that came into being January 1. One of her bills gives adult children of a person under the care of a conservator the right to visitation. Another requires money collected from forfeiture arising from violations of drug laws be used for public education in the community or schools to prevent or detect abuse of drugs or alcohol.
Click here for a complete list of Fine’s legislative record in the last session. She represents parts of Glenview, Wilmette and Northbrook.
Gabel Writes One Bill
Gabel wrote one bill in the past session. It requires schools have an action plan for any students with asthma who are enrolled and have the disease. Her office did not respond to a request from DailyNorthShore.com for a list of bills she wrote that became law.
Click here for a complete list of her record in the last session. She represents all of Kenilworth, Winnetka and Northfield as well as parts of Northbrook, Wilmette and Glencoe.
None of the legislation written by state Rep. Scott Drury (D-Highwood) ever got a vote. A statement from Drury’s office said he elected to vote against overriding a veto by Rauner on a labor relations bill that he felt, if enacted, would “be harmful to labor’s right to strike.”
After Drury’s refusal to overturn the veto—he was one of only two Democrats to do so— his “legislative agenda failed to advance,” according to the statement.
Click here for a complete list of Drury’s legislative record in the past session. He represents all of Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Highland Park, Highwood and Deerfield as well as parts of Glencoe and Northbrook.