1991 LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS By SECRETARY OF STATE GEORGE H. RYAN

In the recently concluded legislative session, the general assembly approved my proposals to extend state hiring privileges to Desert Storm veterans, crack down on investment scams and protect the privacy of Illinois drivers and vehicle owners.

These measures, as well as bills to crack down on child support defaulters, expedite corporate filings and provide a stiffer penalty for repeat drug-using drivers passed with bipartisan support and little opposition. On the Aug. 23 deadline for this article, they were awaiting the governor's decision.

The legislature did not act on my proposal to lower the legal limit for drunk driving from an alcohol concentration (BAC) of .10 to .08. However, I will continue to press for the change, which has been adopted by several other states and endorsed by many organizations, including the American Medical Association.

I commend the legislature for taking action on the following issues:

Veterans Hiring Preference

During my campaign last fall, I proposed giving hiring preference to all veterans who apply for state jobs and meet the qualifications.

Currently, no veteran who served after 1976 is eligible for the preference provision, which guarantees job interviews to qualified applicants and gives veterans an edge in meeting the qualifications.

The contributions of our military men and women did not come to a sudden halt in 1976. The veterans who served in Desert Storm, Panama, Libya, Beirut, Grenada and in peacetime deserve just as much recognition from their home state as those who served in prior years.

Investment Scams

I proposed a package of initiatives called "Operation Investment Watch" to close loopholes in the state securities law and sharpen regulatory oversight.

A contributing factor in our nation's savings and loan crisis was the fact that there simply were not enough people watching for fraud. In Illinois, we are dealing with that same lack of regulatory oversight.

Our Securities Department currently has three investigators working on fraud complaints. Their oversight includes nearly 1,700 dealers, 1,000 investment advisory firms, and 70,000 registered sales representatives.

With creation of a new Securities Audit and Enforcement Fund, the department will triple its enforcement effort by establishing an investigative team of six auditors, two attorneys and two clerical staff. The new fund, to be financed entirely by new fees on the securities industry, is expected to collect $550,000 annually.

The proposal, backed by the investment community, also would give me oversight of investment advisers calling themselves "financial planners." Insurance brokers and certified public accountants, who are regulated by other bodies, would be exempt.

In addition, the measure would crack down on schemes involving the sale of worthless mineral rights.

Privacy

Honoring a campaign pledge to review policy on privacy issues, I proposed reforms aimed at safeguarding personal information about licensed drivers and vehicle owners.

September 1991 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 13

If signed into law, the measure would place Illinois with several states that revised their policies following the 1989 murder of actress Rebecca Schaeffer. She was killed by a man who obtained her address through California motor vehicle records.

Currently, the Illinois Vehicle Code allows the release of several types of personal information upon request, including home addresses and birth dates.

I proposed that requests for information in our driver and vehicle records be held for 10 days. This would give individuals notified of the requests a chance to take whatever steps they may deem appropriate. The measure exempts law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, insurance companies and vehicle dealers.

"Deadbeat Dads"

I supported legislation allowing the Secretary of State's office to release Social Security numbers to the Illinois Department of Public Aid for use in tracking down parents who do not pay child support. The measure is expected to let Public Aid officials divert at least $1.6 million in tax refunds from "non-paying parents."

Officials believe the legislation will convince more parents to make their payments because it exposure, but parents' rights to privacy should not be balanced on the backs of their children.

House Bill 1186 tapped the Secretary of State's license data base because it had one of the largest listings of Social Security numbers statewide.

Expedited Filings

While campaigning, I proposed offering an expedited process for corporate filings required by the Secretary of State's office. My proposal would let businesses pay approximately double the usual fees for a filing to be either accepted or rejected within 24 hours.

Filings that could be affected include articles of incorporation, corporate annual reports, certificates of good standing and the reservation or transfer of a corporate name. Normally, it takes from five to nine days to process such paperwork.

The experience of other states that offer expedited filing services shows that the additional workload would be supported entirely by the extra fees.

Projections are that Illinois can expect about a fourth of new corporate filings, or more than 100,000 filings a year, to be made on an expedited basis.

Multiple Drug Offenders

I proposed closing a loophole in state law that treated drug-using drivers more leniently than drunk drivers. Under Senate Bill 1272, anyone convicted of using drugs while driving would face an automatic 12-month suspension of driving privileges — rather than the current three months — upon any subsequent arrest on similar charges.

If these measures are signed into law, Illinois citizens will be further served and protected in a variety of ways. We in the Secretary of State's office will continue to look for ways to improve our services to the public.

Page 14 / Illinois Municipal Review / September 1991