Evening, March 12 Legislative Update

God continues to bless us in many ways as we lobby the Illinois General Assembly. Today is just another example.

This morning, in the House Human Services Committee, Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie did not call HB 5615, the Reproductive Justice and Access Act for a vote in the committee. This does not mean it could not be called up for a vote or kept alive by extraordinary measures, but it does indicate that even the sponsor recognizes that she will have problems with passage of the legislation. Again, this legislation is radical in its approach to codifying ROE v. WADE.

This afternoon, SB 2263, the Same-Sex Domestic Partners Death Benefits legislation was not called for a vote in the Senate Insurance Committee. After working with the committee members, it became clear that the sponsor, Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago), did not have the votes in the Committee. Tomorrow, HB 4731, which is essentially the same legislation, is assigned for a hearing in the House Personnel and Pensions Committee.

SB 2099, which legalizes selling certain lottery tickets on the internet, passed out of the Senate Revenue Committee today, and HB 4128, which authorizes a much wider sale of lottery tickets over the interent by a private vender, also passed out of the House Gaming Committee. Both of these are dangerous pieces of legislation which could increase the incidence of gambling addictions.

Again, if you have not called your legislators regarding HJRCA2, the ERA, please contact them and ask the to vote NO on ERA.

Thanks for your responsiveness to our legislative updates. We are encouraged by the number of telephone calls and emails coming to legislators on the various issues. If you do not know your legislators, or need to get their information, you can find the information at http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/AddressSearch.aspx

If you get any information about how your legislators will vote, especially on the ERA, please send me an email at revbobvb@sbcglobal.net