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| Lawmakers Again Examine Smoke Free Illinois Exemptions |
(IRN)-State lawmakers who want to prop up the casino industry have not stopped trying to find ways to carve out exemptions from Illinois' non-smoking law. Representatives debated a bill Friday that would allow casinos to build "state of the art" smoking rooms in which people who choose to smoke while they gamble could do so. In the midst of the debate, the sponsor, State Representative Andre Thapedi (D-Chicago), realized many lawmakers were not on the floor, and decided not to call it for a vote after all.
The House did overwhelmingly pass a bill to keep secret the names of people who hold a firearm owners’ ID card. The Illinois attorney general’s office has given the opinion that these names are public record. The bill, sponsored by State Rep. Rich Morthland (R-Cordova), would exempt these names from the Freedom of Information Act.
A bill sponsored by State Representative Keith Farnham (D-Elgin) would freeze district office expenses as $62,460 for House members and $74,700 for senators. Downstate lawmakers, many of whom represent districts that encompass far more square miles than Chicago-area lawmakers, objected. The bill did not get enough votes to pass, but Farnham reserved the right to call it again.
HB 3500 (FOID) has passed the House, 98-12.
HB 171 (smoking in casinos) was pulled from the record and not called for a vote.
HB 1264 (office expenses) did not pass and was placed on postponed consideration; the sponsor may call it again.
(Source: Illinois Radio Network) |
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| 04 08 11 by Newsroom |
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