SPRINGFIELD – In support of the good-paying jobs and vital economic contributions jet repair companies provide to the Metro East, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) advanced an initiative out of the Senate Revenue Committee to help keep their doors open.

“West Star Aviation provides over 500 good-paying jobs in the East Alton region,” Crowe said. “We need to keep them here.”

The measure reinstates Illinois’ sales tax exemption for aircraft materials, which expired Dec. 31, 2014.

Since its expiration, the Illinois Department of Revenue audited several privately-owned aviation repair companies and never required them to collect sales tax. The Illinois Aviation Trades Association believes the outstanding tax bill is roughly $50 million.

SPRINGFIELD – Vaping has taken the life of three Illinoisans and injured 166 more. Senate President John J. Cullerton is committed to stopping the lung illness outbreak before even more lives are lost – and it starts with the passage of Senate Bill 668.

“Chemical cigarettes are a public health epidemic,” President Cullerton said. “I don’t want to see these numbers go any higher. I don’t want to see any more teenagers lured to addiction by fruit flavored chemical cigarettes.”

President Cullerton is the sponsor of SB 668, which would ban flavored nicotine products, including flavored electronic cigarettes and vapes, flavored cigars and flavored chewing tobacco.

This step toward addressing the epidemic is supported by the Illinois attorney general, the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society and the Respiratory Health Association.

SPRINGFIELD – In response to a Springfield-based nonprofit’s previous decision to withhold paychecks from employees with developmental disabilities, State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) held a hearing in hopes to further examine sub-minimum wage.

“There are thousands of people in the state of Illinois who are anxious to work,” Morrison said. “We need to lead by example and provide good options for those who not only need to work, but want to work.”

The joint Senate and House Human Services Committee was joined by members of the Department of Human Services and Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities to discuss sub-minimum wage employment for people with developmental disabilities.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) advanced a measure from the Illinois Senate to address pedestrian fatalities on state highways.

“This is a very personal issue to me,” Murphy said. “In Des Plaines we’ve witnessed four separate pedestrian fatalities at the same intersection, and countless other close calls. The local police department even did a sting operation and cited dozens of drivers for not yielding to pedestrians there.”

Senate Bill 767 would require the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to conduct a traffic study for each pedestrian fatality on a state highway. Studies would consider design improvements, traffic control devices and any other improvements that IDOT may recommend.

The measure passed the Senate 49-1 and will go to the House for consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) voted on legislation today that would make daylight saving time the year-round standard.

The measure would eliminate the statewide practice of moving clocks forward in the spring and backward in the fall.

“Changing your clocks twice year is at best a hassle for most Illinoisans,” Stadelman said. “There are also many benefits that come with making this simple change to the way we keep our time in this state.”

Research has shown that switching to standard time in the fall is linked with a spike in diagnoses of depression as well as a mild spike in heart attacks.

“I have no doubt that in the past standard time served a purpose, but it’s simply no longer necessary for the world we live in today,” Stadelman said. “I hope federal lawmakers will come to a similar conclusion and do their part to remove this arbitrary system that burdens everyday people.”

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate today approved legislation sponsored by State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) aimed at making daylight saving time the year-round standard in Illinois.

The inspiration for Senate Bill 533 came from a group of students from Carlinville High School, who presented the idea to Senator Manar as part of a civics class project.

“It was a well-thought out proposal that I felt deserved consideration in Springfield. Given the loss of productivity caused by the arbitrary daylight saving time change, and the various health and safety concerns that are supported by research, this proposal makes a lot of sense,” Manar said. “What’s most important is that this group is an example of how young people can step up and engage their elected officials to enact changes they want to see in government.”

SPRINGFIELD – Throughout American history, only 32 individuals have lain in state in the rotunda of the United States Capitol, an honor reserved for the most esteemed American military heroes and statesmen. State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) wants to extend that privilege to the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II as a tribute to all 16 million Americans, often referred to as the “Greatest Generation,” who served in our Armed Forces from 1939 to 1945.

Senate Joint Resolution 50 would urge the President and the United States Congress to take all necessary measures to ensure the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II be offered a state funeral, including, but not limited to, the option to lie in state in the rotunda of the United States Capitol.

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to provide more transparency among elected officials, State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) filed a measure that would require lawmakers to state if they have a conflict of interest on a bill.

“This is simply about honesty and transparency,” Senator Morrison said. “The people of Illinois deserve to know lawmakers are best serving voters and the community — not themselves.”

Senate Bill 2299, which will be read into the record Tuesday, would require a member of the General Assembly to disclose if they have a conflict of interest on a measure they are taking official action on – which includes voting for a bill. If the legislator does have a conflict of interest, they would be responsible for filing a written statement declaring the conflict or stating their conflict during floor debate.