Despite various uproars, local legislators saw progress

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[It is halfway through summer and the shape of the state's budget is unknown. Income tax increases are possible - or not. State agencies are preparing for mass layoffs - or not. Social service agencies could be crippled by lack of funding - or not.

Though most of the big action was reserved for the overtime sessions of summer, the spring legislative session was not without activity. Local legislators had their share of accomplishments and defeats during the spring session.

State Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, and state Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, all pushed hard for a capital construction bill, which was signed Friday.

"I don't think that there's any doubt the capital bill is the most important piece of legislation that I helped shepherd through the legislature this session," Bradley said.

Phelps

Phelps counts HB 2257, a concealed-carry bill, as one of his highest priorities. The bill did not make it to the House floor for a vote, a situation Phelps blames on bad timing.

"They were going to run it and then they had that big shooting in New York," Phelps said.

Phelps is sure there weren't enough votes to pass the bill this year.

"We're going to try to run it again."

Other bills Phelps carried include HB 4251, a bill requiring development of benchmark staffing levels at utilities.

The bill is a step toward requiring adequate staffing levels at utility companies in case of disasters, Phelps said.

SB 1512, which Phelps carried in the House, would allow the secretary of state to issue license plates and identity cards for undercover police.

Bradley

Bradley included HB 314, the special education "hold harmless" bill, as a big piece of his legislative agenda. The bill, signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn on June 26, appropriates money to the State Board of Education for special education purposes.

A change in the special education line-item meant loss of special education funds if a measure was not introduced, Bradley said.

The hold-harmless bill guaranteed funding remained at last year's levels, at least.

HB 3878 would require hospitals to give 90 days notice to the state before closing. Health care facilities other than hospitals must give 45 days notice.

HB370, the bill known as the Michael Deen bill, was passed in honor of one of Bradley's constituents who was killed in an accident involving an uninsured motorist. It enables authorities to "Charge people who violate the insurance law and also hurt someone in an accident," Bradley said.

In the budget implementation bill, Bradley is pushing for inclusion of a provision stating counties that have a local sales tax in place for school construction may not be penalized for that money when state funding is distributed to school districts. For example, Creal Springs grade school has a sales tax on the books and is looking toward constructing a school, Bradley said.

Forby

Forby was primary sponsor of SB 1350, a bill to extend unemployment benefits by 20 weeks by capturing $200 million in federal funds.

"The unemployment rate is high, and in some parts of the state it continues to rise," Forby said in a recent news release.

"Extending unemployment benefits by 20 weeks will help give the victims of the economic crisis the time they need to find new jobs."

The bill, signed into law on June 30, also extended unemployment benefits to people who are victims of domestic abuse, people who are forced to leave work to care for a sick family member and people who leave work because their spouse was transferred to another location by his employer.

Forby was Senate sponsor of HB 314, the hold-harmless special education bill sponsored by Bradley in the House.