Politics & Government

State Senate Knocks Down Anti-Bullying Bill for Second Time

Here is a wrap-up of some of the latest political news.

Losing by one vote, the Illinois Senate has again rejected legislation requiring schools to adopt more detailed policies against bullying. According to The Associated Press, the bill says schools must spell out how students can file anonymous complaints, how complaints will be investigated and what can happen to students who bully classmates. The legislation left it up to schools to decide how each requirement would be met.

The May 29 vote on House Bill 5290 was 29-21, but the bill needed 30 votes to pass. It also came up short last week.

Some conservative groups, such as the Illinois Family Institute, see the anti-bullying bill as cover for schools to lecture students about accepting homosexuality. They want to add a provision letting students and teachers skip any lesson that might contradict their religious beliefs.

Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Area lawmakers who voted for the bill were: Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) and Sen. John Millner (R-Carol Stream); voting against were Sen. Chris Lauzen (R-Aurora) and Sen. Christine Radogno (R-Lemont). Voting present were Sen. Kirk W. Dillard (R-Hinsdale) and Sen. Steven N. Landek (D-Bridgeview). And, Sen. Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove) did not vote.

Judges May Be Unscathed in Pension Battle

Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Judges would be exempt from legislation intended to curb the rising cost of public pensions in Illinois by reducing benefits for recipients, Illinois Statehouse News is reporting.

Judges receive the highest average annual pension of any public employee, yet their benefits would remain untouched, according to legislation introduced by Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

The nearly 1,000 retired judges earn an average annual pension of more than $112,000. The average public employee retiree draws an average annual pension of about $40,000.

If the current changes to public pensions manage to squeak out of the General Assembly and get Gov. Pat Quinn's OK, the public unions would probably sue the state.

Ultimately, the fate of the legislation would be decided by the justices of the Illinois Supreme Court, who, coincidentally, are members of the public pension Judges' Retirement System.

Illinois House President Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) said judges were left out of the legislation to avoid a conflict of interest. According to Illinois Statehouse News, Madigan danced around questions of whether the omission of judges was a way to get a favorable ruling from the Illinois Supreme Court.

Leaving judges' pensions alone has some precedent. Judges were exempted when the state scaled back pension benefits in 2010 for new employees.



Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here