* 12:13 pm - My buddy Ryan Hermes has been back in Springfield and blogging for WLS Radio the past couple of days. His latest update…
A proposal to crack down on predatory lending just passed out of the Illinois House.
Up next, the Senate.
The bill, SB 1167, can be found here.
* 12:41 pm - As if it didn’t have enough trouble, AFSCME is now lobbying against Senate President Emil Jones’ budget bill.
* 12:47 pm - Another update from Ryan Hermes…
It looks like a vote on the electric rate relief package will be coming this afternoon. […]
A source tells me that [problems] should be ironed out soon and the relief plan should pass both the House AND Senate today.
*** 2:11 pm *** It looks like the Senate has a new amendment that increases the proposed cigarette tax increase from 75 cents a pack to 90 cents a pack. The old amendment imposed a 37.5 mills per cigarette tax increase, while the new amendment proposes a 45 mills increase. It also has this language…
The county board of any county may, by ordinance or resolution, impose a county cigarette tax upon any person engaged in business as a retailer of cigarettes in a county located in this State. If imposed, the tax may not exceed the rate of 100 mills per cigarette sold or otherwise disposed of in the course of such business in this State.
[Adding… 100 mills would be $2 a pack.]
Meanwhile, Health care providers have been asking for an increase in their reimbursement rates as part of any agreement to support the governor’s health insurance plan. (The Illinois State Medical Society filed in opposition to the insurance bill this week, however.) That same Senate amendment would create a new “Healthcare Provider Relief Fund.” According to the amendment, 17 percent of the cigarette tax money raised will go into that fund.
* 2:27 pm - An amendment to be taken up in Senate Executive Committee at 3 pm will raise the state’s borrowing authority to $34,348,149,369 from $27,658,149,369 - if you’re having trouble reading those big numbers, the increase is about $6.7 billion.
* 2:29 pm - The Illinois House is debating the electric relief bill. Listen here.
* 2:37 pm - The Senate plans to runs its budget proposal through the Approriations 2 Committee today at 3:30 pm. Download the proposal here and here.
*** 3:11 pm *** Bringing out the big guns. The governor’s office confirms that Cardinal Francis George is telephoning some Senate Democrats (Catholics, of course) to urge them to change their minds and vote for the governor’s health insurance bill. He appears to be making progress.
The governor asked the Cardinal earlier today to make the calls.
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5:18 pm UPDATE: The governor’s office has insisted, and did so yet again a few minutes ago, that the Cardinal made the calls, and other good sources backed that up. But I got through to the Catholic Conference a bit ago and was given this statement by one of their lobbyists:
“To my knowledge, he has had no direct communication on this issue at this time.”
The lobbyist added that it was “Undetermined” whether the Cardinal will make calls on this bill.
Contacts were apparently made by the Cardinal’s staff, however. Sorry about that.
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* 3:49 pm - The president of Dominick’s Finer Foods has released a letter praising the governor’s health insurance plan, but offering some additional suggestions. It’s not the Cardinal, but it’s something.
* 4:01 pm - The Daily Herald has a story up about the new cigarette tax hike…
Told Thursday that their 75-cent cigarette tax increase likely won’t bring in as many millions as first predicted, Senate Democrats responded by adding another 15 cents to make it a 90-cent per pack hike. […]
As proposed, all other counties in the state would gain the same authority to impose up to a $2 per pack tax as well. DuPage County has been lobbying lawmakers for this in an effort to try to fill its budget shortfalls. […]
Raising the tax another 15 cents would bring in nearly $50 million more.
*** 4:48 pm *** Rumors have been circulating in Washington, DC that Congressman Ray LaHood will announce his retirement tomorrow. A very top source with close access to LaHood says that will, indeed, happen. More later, perhaps.
*** 4:49 pm *** The House has approved the electri rate relief bill 80-33.
Adding… The roll call can be found here.
* 4:59 pm - The House has adjourned until tomorrow morning.