Legislative Action By GARY ADKINS and JERRY MENNENGA No to ERA — Odds good for off-track betting — undecided on spending THE Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution fell six votes short of a 3/5 majority in the House June 7. The vote on ERA was 101-64, with 12 voting absent. But ERA was still alive; three new resolutions were introduced June 8. Five key past pro-ERA votes were withheld by black city Democrats upset at having allegedly been "counted on [for votes], but not counted in on negotiations," Rep. Jesse D. Madison said. "The reason it was defeated was a fight within the black caucus for leadership," said former Sen. Arthur H. Gottschalk, now a lobbyist for the League of Women Voters. "We know we have the votes," Gottschalk said. House sponsor Alan J. Greiman (D., Skokie) said that if the five black legislators had not "stood mute," atleast two more yes votes "would absolutely have gone on." Off-track betting Legalized off-track betting (OTB), to be run by six regional "core" centers, passed the House May 26 after a guarded statement of support from Gov. James R. Thompson. The OTB bill, H.B. 1238, sponsored by Rep. Eugene M. Barnes(D., Chicago), would bring in over $400 million in tax revenues from horse bets each year, mostly in the Chicago area. The bill passed 90-75 (89 votes needed for approval) after hours of highly political debate. The bill had stalled in the House as a deadline on substantive bills approached, and the governor's last minute plea to "keep the bill alive" apparently convinced wavering representatives to do just that. They had already amended it to divert more than $35 million of the expected revenues to help fund local schools. But Chicagoans do not like the amendment, sponsored by Rep. Douglas N. Kane (D., Springfield), since it would drain off some of the new revenues from Chicago. And it is no secret that Chicago would like to see Kane's amendment dropped in the Senate or in conference committee. It appears that Gov. Thompson is using OTB to trade with Chicago Democrats on holding down state spending. It is clear Chicago expects the big slice of OTB revenues, since that's where most Illinois horse betting goes on. Chicago would like to build a sports stadium and support schools with the money. Some downstate legislators say they are morally opposed to OTB because it would support loansharking and victimize the poor. Property tax cut A property tax proposal to give all citizens a tax break has passed the House. The bill, H.B. 3279, sponsored by Rep. Daniel M. Pierce (D., Highland Park), passed May 26 with a 112-40 vote and is now in the Senate Rules Committee. Persons eligible are those with income earnings under $30,000 who spend more than 3.5 per cent of their wages for housing. Tax breaks under this bill for persons eligible could range from $50 to $650. It was estimated that a 100 per cent participation could cost the state $477 million the first year, but the proposal is estimated to incur a first-year cost of only $80 million. Pothole proposals The political pothole issue is still boiling. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Michael J. Bakalis' $30 million proposal passed the House on a 94-71 vote May 26. Bakalis' proposal is in H.B. 2790, sponsored by Rolland F. Tipsword (D., Taylorville). Gov. Thompson followed Bakalis with a $75.6 million proposal to fund pothole repairs, but it hadn't been amended to any existing bills by June 7. Personnel in the Illinois Department of Transportation (DOT) say Bakalis' $30 million appropriation could cost the state $100 million in federally matched road funds while Thompson's proposal works with reallocated money within the existing budget and does not affect the state's federally matched road fund program. The $30 million Bakalis proposal, would borrow money from the state's general revenue fund and would be paid back with motor fuel tax money in fiscal year 1980. DOT personnel said the $30 million motor fuel tax money is normally used in federally matched road fund programs, which could cause a state loss of $70 million in 1980 road projects. Education Gov. James R. Thompson's proposed budget for general state aid to elementary and secondary schools has been inflated by about $32 million after Senate passage May 26. Democrats passed a $1.384 billion appropriation, S.B. 1456, sponsored by Sen. Kenneth V. Buzbee (D., Carbondale). The bill offers an increase of $142 million over last year's spending, despite Gov. James R. Thompson's insistence that the state can't afford an increase above $110 million. It appears the school aid bill — the major controversial appropriation of this budget session — will go down to the wire. It promises to spark a game of political hardball between the goveror and his Republican backers and majority Democrats and their gubernatorial candidate Michael J. Bakalis. By early June no one could predict what deals might be worked out or what level of school funding would finally be passed. Already defeated was the Illinois Office of Education bill to revise the school aid formula. Backed by Bakalis, the bill (S.B. 1454, sponsored by Sen. Arthur L. Berman (D., Chicago), lost May 18 by a 21-28 Senate vote. Another bill, H.B. 2903, sponsored by Rep. Larry R. Stuffle (D., Charleston), which would have revised the school aid formula to increase appropriations by $86.080 million, was tabled. Only two bills remain alive to revise the formula: S.B. 1780, by Sen. John A. Davidson (R., Springfield), passed the Senate 36-11 May 26, and H.B. 2757, by Rep. Gene L. Hoffman(R., Elmhurst), passed the House 115-27 May 25. 28/July 1978/Illinois Issues Meanwhile the Board of Higher Education's budget bill for grants, S.B. 1522, sponsored by Sen. Hugh Ziomek (D., Chicago) and Sen. Thomas C. Hynes (D., Chicago), passed the Senate May 18 by a 57-0 vote. The Illinois community college appropriation bill, S.B. 1530, sponsored by Sens. Terry L. Bruce (D., Olney) and Davidson (R., Springfield) was passed by a 46-0 vote May 18. This bill faced a tough battle in committee and on the floor to save $1.5 million to give civil service employees pay raises on a par with other higher education employees. A 6 per cent increase was already approved, but the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) felt community college civil service workers should receive the same 10 per cent increase approved for civil service workers at higher education institutions. A committee amendment had cut the appropriation amount, but the $1.5 million was reinstated on the Senate floor when the ICCB provided supportive data. A separate appropriation bill was used to put money into the state university retirement pension fund. S.B. 1594, by Sen. Stanley B. Weaver (R., Urbana), was reduced to the governor's level of funding and passed 55-0 on May 18. Machinery exemption Two bills still alive in the House and Senate to give tax incentive breaks to businesses are S.B. 736, sponsored by Sen. Robert J. Egan (D., Chicago), and H.B. 3168, sponsored by Rep. Robert M. Terzich (R., Chicago). Both aim at providing a sales and use tax exemption for "machinery and equipment, repair parts thereof and replacements thereof . . . ." S.B. 736 passed 52-2 May 18; H.B. 3168 passed 142-29 May 25. The Senate bill features a six-year tax exemption phase-in based on calendar years, while the House bill would provide a four-year phase-in based on fiscal years. Both would aim for a 4 per cent maximum exemption. Unemployment insurance All business-backed unemployment insurance bills have died in the Senate Labor and Commerce or House Rules Committees. Business wanted to ease the level of payments required to support the system and make seasonal employees ineligible for benefits. The only unemployment insurance bill still alive as of early June was H.B. 3177, sponsored by Rep. Richard A. Mautino (D., Spring Valley). It passed the House 103-60 May 26, but the State Chamber of Commerce and Republican leadership are against the bill, saying it is too weak and would put the unemployment trust fund "further in debt." Circuit breaker Gov. Thompson's circuit breaker proposal, S.B. 1617, sponsored by Sen. John A. Davidson (R., [Springfield), would raise the earning limit for eligibility. It sailed through the Senate 55-0 May 26 and has been ruled an emergency bill in the House. Another senior citizens' tax relief "circuit breaker" bill, S.B. 1816, sponsored by Sen. Jerome J. Joyce (D., Reddick), is currently in the House Rules Committee. Gov. Thompson has approved H.B. 2696 (P.A. 80-1188), sponsored by Rep. Calvin L. Skinner (R., Crystal Lake), which became effective immediately to provide an additional $19.7 million to pay for pending grants under the existing circuit breaker program. A bill that would extend the circuit breaker claims deadline for 1976 to December 31, 1978 is now in the Senate Revenue Committee. The bill, H.B. 2685, sponsored by Reps. Penny Pullen (R., Park Ridge) and James P. McCourt (R., Evanston), passed the House May 9 with a 152-1 vote. Nazi menace The proposed march on Skokie by neo-Nazis outraged lawmakers so much that they passed two bills in the Senate aimed at preventing such public demonstrations. Of questionable constitutionality are S.B. 1676. by Sen. John J. Nimrod (R., Skokie), and S.B. 1811, by Sen. Howard W. Carroll (D., Chicago), which passed 40-14 and 44-10, respectively, on May 10. Foreign farm owners The bill to restrict foreign and corporate ownership of Illinois farmland passed the House May 26 by a 106-15 vote. H.B. 1357 is sponsored by Rep. Dave Robinson (D., Springfield) and Rep. Harlan Rigney (R., Freeport). Reimburse localities Rep. Harry "Bus" Yourell (D., Oak Lawn) has pushed two of his bills through the House to require state funding for all new or expanded programs mandated for local government by the state. Such programs would have to rely on state money rather than local property taxes under terms of H.B. 3112, which passed 104-34 May 22, and H.B. 3113, which passed 90-68 May 24. The latter bill would allow local governments to refuse to participate in mandated programs which the state doesn't fully fund. The governor opposes both bills. Abortions A bill to prevent use of state employee insurance benefits to pay for abortions, induced miscarriage or induced premature birth passed the House 125-28 May 10. The legislation, H.B. 2428, had been stalled in the House Executive Committee but was revived by a vote of the full House May 3. It is sponsored by Rep. Anne Wilier (D., Hillside). "Last year this legislature voted to deny the use of public funds for abortion for those under the Medicaid program. I think the principle is the same. Public funds are not to be used for any abortion," said Wilier. Opponents of the bill say it discriminates against women. Mines An administration bill to help the state qualify for up to $10 million in federal money to be used for mine reclamation passed the House 141-2 May 9. H.B. 2912, sponsored by Rep. A. T. McMaster (R., Oneida), would let the Department of Mines and Minerals participate in the federal mined-land reclamation program. It would qualify the state to receive grants from the feds, thus returning coal severance tax money paid out by Illinois coal industries. The Senate has revived H.B. 158, which had passed the House, to require all property insurance companies in the state to offer mine subsidence insurance. Subsidence is the settling or sinking of property because of underground mines. A companion bill, H.B. 157, would require a study of underground mining practices causing subsidence problems. Both measures are sponsored by Rep. Celeste M. Stiehl (R., Belleville), and both passed the House unanimously last year. July 1978/Illinois Issues/29
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