SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Gov. Bruce Rauner has congratulated the Illinois General Assembly for adopting anti-sexual harassment protections.
But the Republican took a shot Tuesday at Democrats who control the General Assembly. In a statement he says his office has a harassment-free code that’s enforced. He says the Legislature “finally moved to protect its members and staff and end the culture.”
Lawmakers scrambled last week as they prepared to adopt a plan to prohibit sexual harassment and require annual training for its members. A woman complaining of sexual harassment against a state senator pointed out there was no inspector general to enforce provisions.
An interim investigator was named during the weekend.
Senate President John Cullerton acknowledged in a statement that the action was a “beginning” and answered issues which “should have been tackled a long time ago.” He pledged support to ongoing study and recommendations for change.
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6:40 p.m.
The Illinois House has voted to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a measure creating a bill of rights for those taking out student loans.
The legislation was drafted by Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan after she handled thousands of complaints that prompted her investigation into abusive practices by Navient. It’s one of the nation’s largest loan-servicing companies.
The House voted 98-16 to override the veto. The measure becomes law.
It prohibits loan companies from misleading borrowers and requires that they properly process payments and work with struggling borrowers. They must inform borrowers of all repayment options and possible loan-forgiveness plans.
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The bill is SB1351
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6:10 p.m.
The Illinois House has failed for the second time to override Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of union-friendly legislation.
Des Plaines Democratic Rep. Martin Moylan’s proposal would ban local governments from setting up “right-to-work” zones. It would set forth that only the state government has the authority to set rules regarding union membership.
The 70-39 vote Tuesday fell one tally shy of the necessary three-fifths majority necessary to reverse Rauner’s action. It failed with a 70-42 vote two weeks ago even though the Senate approved an override.
A worker in a “right-to-work” jurisdiction may hold a union job with labor-union protections but not have to join the bargaining unit or pay dues.
Making Illinois a statewide zone was part of Republican Rauner’s agenda when he took office in 2015. It failed. The Chicago suburb of Lincolnshire established a local one at Rauner’s urging. A federal court invalidated it in January. The judge said only a state can establish such a zone.
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The bill is SB1905 .
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4:35 p.m.
The Illinois House has endorsed expanded authority for the Legislature’s new inspector general.
The unanimous vote Tuesday would allow the first inspector general in two years to investigate more than two dozen ethics complaints filed while the office was vacant.
The state ethics law in many cases limits the time to resolve such complaints to one year. Inaction became painfully clear last week when a legislative activist complained that Sen. Ira Silverstein had harassed her last year.
Denise Rotheimer filed a complaint in November and wondered why nothing was done. Silverstein has denied the allegations.
The legislation now goes to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner after a Senate OK earlier Tuesday.
The brouhaha arose in response to a plan to explicitly prohibit sexual harassment in the state ethics law. That legislation by House Speaker Michael Madigan was endorsed by the House Tuesday afternoon and moves to the House.
