Senate Extends Law to Hold Repeat Gun Offenders: House Refuses to Take Action
State Senator Terri Bryant voted on Nov. 8 to extend a criminal penalty enhancement designed to keep more felons convicted of gun crimes behind bars and off the streets. House Bill 1440 was passed in the Senate by a 41-12 vote, but it appears to have stalled in the House of Representatives, which means the criminal penalty enhancement will sunset at the end of this year.
The statute was originally passed at the request of law enforcement to help them keep violent repeat offenders and gang members behind bars.
Senator Bryant says that the partisan games used to kill the statute will make the state less safe, by allowing violent gun criminals to be back on the streets sooner.
Lawmakers Pass Bill Paving Way for Next Generation of Nuclear Reactors
State lawmakers took an important step toward creating a stronger and more reliable power supply for Illinois by passing legislation to end the moratorium on new nuclear reactor construction.
House Bill 2473 lifts the ban on next generation nuclear reactors less than 300 MW beginning Jan. 1, 2026, allowing for the construction and development of next-generation Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The Illinois Emergency Management Agency Office of Homeland Security will be directed to establish rules for reactor decommissioning, environmental monitoring, and emergency preparedness by Jan. 1, 2026. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will provide consultation.
House Bill 2473 also authorizes the Governor to commission a brand-new study to research the state’s role in guiding the development of new nuclear technology and makes conforming statutory changes, including updating references to IEMA-OHS in preexisting Illinois law.
Passed by the Senate with a 44-7 vote and by the House of Representatives with a 98-8 vote, House Bill 2473 will be sent to the Governor’s desk for consideration.
Gettysburg Address on Display in Springfield
An original edition of the Gettysburg Address will be on display from Nov. 17 through Nov. 28 at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM).
President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on Nov. 19, 1863, at the dedication of a national cemetery for the thousands of Union soldiers killed at the Battle of Gettysburg.
Admission to the ALPLM will be free on Nov. 19, the 160th anniversary of Lincoln delivering the speech at a military cemetery in Gettysburg, Pa. For the full 12 days the Gettysburg Address is on display, visitors also have the option of paying just $5 to see the document without touring the rest of the museum.
More information is available at http://www.PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov/gettysburgaddress.