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The Legislative Scene
By Peter M. Murphy, Director, The Illinois House of Representatives has surprised legislative pundits who predicted that bill introductions and legislative work loads would decrease due to the cutback in the membership of the House from 177 to 118, a one-third reduction in size. In fact, the opposite has occurred with a total of 2,277 House bills introduced by the April 15th bill deadline. For an accurate perspective of this figure consider that 177 Representatives introduced 2,711 House bills by the April 6th deadline in 1979, an all-time high for legislative activity. This computes out to be an average of 19 bills for each individual representative in 1983 compared to 15 in 1979.
The large number of substantive bills introduced during 1983 is the result of many factors, including the large crop of new legislators who came to Springfield with an agenda, a slow and uncertain 82nd General Assembly, as well as many new and mounting fiscal problems facing State and local governments. The Senate, not to be outdone by its counterpart, introduced 1,354 bills by the April 15th deadline compared to 1,433 in 1979 during the Eight-First General Assembly. On another front, public utilities are facing a myriad of legislative action with over 51 bills introduced to curtail or oversee their activities. The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) also has received the brunt of over 23 proposals calling for a change in the numbers of its members and the manner in which they are selected as well as for reductions in salaries. The legislation listed below has been selected due to its potential impact on park, forest preserve, and conservation districts. Last Action on each bill listed will be updated in the "Communicator" newsletter by bill number and short title only, so please retain these descriptions. Senate bills will be reported in their entirety in the Communicator. A copy of any of the following legislation is available through the IAPD offices. HOUSE BILLS
H.B. 13—CAPPARELLI, LAURINO —
Amends the "Revenue Act of 1939 "to provide
that, beginning with the 1983 assessment year,
the Department of Revenue reduce any county
equalization factor that exceeds 1.5 to a level
of 1.5. Effective immediately.
H.B. 17—TERZICH, CAPPARELLI, YOURELL — Amends the Revenue Act of 1939 to increase the maximum annual homestead exemption to $3,500 for 1983 and subsequent years. Effective immediately.
H.B. 182—HENRY — Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a public utility rate hike in excess of 2 1/2% per year shall not go into effect until approved by the General Assembly. Requires submission of the utility's new rate schedule to the General Assembly after approval by the Commerce Commission, and requires the legislature to approve or disapprove the rate increase within 90 days.
H.B. 202—WOLF, REILLY, SLAPE, McPIKE AND KLEMM — Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that a meeting in which the acquisition or sale of real estate is being considered, except the portion of such meeting in which final action is taken, may be closed to the public.
H.B. 234—CURRIE, MADIGAN, LEVIN, ZWICK — Creates the Freedom of Information Act which defines public records and bodies, specifies the records to be disclosed or exempted from disclosure, sets out the procedure tor appealing the denial of access to records and makes it a Class C misdemeanor for a public official or employee to wilfully or recklessly disregard the requirements of this Act.
H.B. 273—MATIJEVICH. CHURCHILL, FREDERICK, VF, PETERSON, W AND PIERCE—Amends the Revenue Act of 1939 in relation to taxing bodies which owe refunds of taxes illegally collected due to incorrect assessment of property. Permits such taxing bodies owing a specified minimum amount to issue bonds for the purpose of reducing the debt;
provides for issuance without a referendum;
specifics that bonds shall not count as indebtedness. Also permits such taxing bodies to levy a tax not exceeding a specified amount. Effective immediately.
H.B. 311—DAVIS AND VANDUYNE — Amends the Liquor Control Act of 1934. Permits sale of beer on the premises of the Joliet Motor Speedway owned by the Joliet Park District when written consent to the issuance of a license to sell beer in such premises is filed with the Liquor Control Commission by the Joliet Park District. Effective immediately.
H.B. 314-TAYLOR — Appropriates $1,800,000 to the Department of Commerce & Community Affairs for a grant to the Chicago Park District for a fieldhouse in Lindblom Park. Effective July 1, 1983.
H.B. 315—YOURELL AND DAV1S — Amends Civil Administrative Code to replace current administrative structure of the Department of Conservation with a 5 member Conservation Commission appointed by the Governor. Effective July 1. 1985.
H.B. 341—GIGLIO, PANAYOTOV1CH, O'CONNELL, DOYLE — Provides that all contracts made by State and local public agencies for construction, repair or maintenance of any public works contain a provision requiring the use of metal products and other building materials manufactured or constructed in the United States.
H.B. 452—JOHNSON, GREIMAN, REILLY, JAFFEE — Premises Liability Law establishes a single duty of reasonable care owed by an owner or occupier of premises to entrants.
Illinois Parks and Recreation 42 May/June 1983
H.B. 468—STECZO, McMASTER — Amends the Revenue Act. Requires petitions to change tax rates to be signed by not fewer than 10% (now 5% or 1,000 voters, whichever is less) of the legal voters in the taxing district.
H.B. 509—STECZO, McMASTER — Amends the Revenue Code. Provides that no taxpayer initiated proposition to reduce a tax rate limit may be submitted to the voters more often than every 4 years.
H.B. 639—RONAN, McAULIFFE, — Amends the Chicago Park Employees Article of the Pension Code to provide that the balance of the annuity reserve established pursuant to that Article shall, at the beginning of each fiscal year, be credited with "regular interest" (now credited at 4% per annum) as defined by Section 12-114 of the Pension Code. Effective immediately.
H.B. 651 EWING, KEANE AND HASTERT Amends Open Meetings Act. Changes the definition of "meeting" to require that a quorum of a public body rather than a majority of a quorum be present before the provisions of the Act apply. Excepts from the definition of "public body" a committee or subcommittee of the governing body of any unit of local government or school district if its membership is less than a quorum of the governing body. Adds meetings where the sale of real property is being considered to the exceptions from public meetings. Effective immediately.
H.B. 698—WOLF — Amends Act relating to the preparation of financial statements by certain public officials. Provides that public officers who are required to prepare a financial statement must file such statement within 90 days (now 30 days) after the expiration of each fiscal year.
H.B. 708—MAUTINO, FARLEY AND GIORGI - Amends the Park District Code. Provides that all park districts, without regard to the date of their organization, can levy a police tax. Changes the referendum provision to require that a petition be filed prior to submitting the question to the electorate.
H.B. 709—MAUTINO, FARLEY AND GIORGI — Amends the Park District Code. Provides that all park districts, without regard to the date of their organization, can levy a paving and lighting tax. Changes the referendum provision to require that a petition be filed prior to submitting the question to the electorate.
H.B. 761—TERZICH AND CAPPARELLI — Amends An Act relating to certain investments of public funds by public agencies to delete requirement that investments of public funds by public agencies in direct obligations of any bank be in interest bearing savings accounts, interest bearing certificates of deposit or interest bearing time deposits in banks which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Effective immediately.
H.B. 780-KLEMM — Amends the Revenue Act of 1939. Provides that the State shall reimburse a county for 50% of the supervisor of assessment's salary only if the Department of Revenue determines that the total assessed value of property in the county, as equalized by the board of review, is between 31 1/3% and 35 1/3% of the total cash value of the property. Effective immediately.
H.B. 827—BRUNSVOLD, PANGLE, MATIJEVICH, GIORGI, HOMER AND DEJAEGHER — Amends An Act concerning public utilities. Prohibits any proposal of an increase in rates or charges by public utilities within 12 months of the last increase.
H.B. 842—HASTERT, KEANE AND TERZICH — Amends the Civil Administrative Code. Requires the Department of Commerce & Community Affairs to annually notify local governments of all State legislation which has taken effect during the preceding 12 months which in the Department's view directly affects or has significant impact upon the functioning of local governments.
H.B. 857—DIDRICKSON AND HARRIS
— Amends the Campaign Disclosure law. Requires all candidates to file campaign disclosure statements; i.e., removes the $1,000 minimum.
H.B. 864-KEANE, CURRAN, KOEHLER, CURRIE, ZWICK — Amends
the Illinois Municipal Code and the public utilities Act to exclude tax added to bills pursuant to the public utilities Act from gross receipts subject to a municipal utilities tax. Effective January 1, 1984. H.B. 932—RONAN AND PARLEY — An Act to encourage maximum use of public buildings and resources by enabling local governmental units and agencies to establish community education programs. Provides minimum program elements. Authorizes State Illinois Parks and Recreation 43 May/June 1983 Board of Education to administer grants for the State's share of funding within certain amount and time limitations. LAST ACTION: House Elementary & Secondary Education Committee, 4/6/83.
H.B. 960—BIRKINBINE — Amends the Governmental Ethics Act. Increases from $25,000 to $35,000 the annual income threshold which triggers the requirement that certain State, local government and school district employees file economic interest statements and indexes that figure to growth in personal
income of Illinois residents.
H.B. 975—STUFFLE, DEUCHLER, KIRKLAND AND HENSEL — Amends the law regarding forest preserve districts in counties with populations less than 3,000,000. Specifies that forest preserve districts may acquire land by lease, or may acquire easements in land, for the same purposes as those for which such districts may acquire land in fee simple. Abolishes the requirement that contracts for leases or purchases provide that installment payments by districts in such transactions may not extend beyond a period of 20 years. Allows each district to incur indebtedness of up to .3% of the assessed taxable property in such district, without a referendum thereon, for the purposes of developing forest land held by such district.
H.B. 994-RONAN — Appropriates $5,000,000 to the Department of Conservation from the Capital Development Bond Fund to make grants to local governments for acquisition and development of open space lands and for water-related recreational development pursuant to the Open Space Lands Acquisition Act. Effective July 1. 1983.
H B. 995—RONAN — Amends the Open Space Lands Acquisition Act. Permits the Department of Conservation to make grants to local governments with monies appropriated from the Capital Development Bond Fund for development of open space lands for park, recreation or conservation purposes. Effective July I, 1983.
H.B. 1023—HANNIG-MULCAHEY — Provides that an elected official of a unit of local government and a school district must be given time off from employment without compensation for the purpose of attending an official meeting of the unit of local government or a school district. The official must notify the employer in advance of his intent to attend the meeting.
H.B. 1050—YOURELL—Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Article of the Pension Code to permit participating municipalities and instrumentalities to increase their annual tax levies beyond the level required for participation in IMRF, in order to fund participation in other retirement systems.
H.B. 1051—YOURELL—Amends the Local Governmental Tort Immunity Act. Authorizes local public entities to levy a tax to pay the cost of risk care management programs.
H.B. 1066—STECZO, BIRKINBINE, PIERCE AND FARLEY — Amends the Park District Code to authorize the refunding of revenue bonds through the issuance of general obligation bonds, subject to approval by referendum.
H.B. 1067—STECZO AND FARLEY —
Amends the Revenue Act. Exempts property
rented to a park district for not more than
$1.00 per year.
H.B. I068—STECZO AND FARLEY — Amends The Park District Code. Provides that park districts shall have the power to grant licenses, easements and rights of ways to municipalities, corporations or persons for the construction, operation and maintenance of utilities.
Illinois Parks and Recreation 44 May/June 1983 |
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