Illinois lawmakers approved more than 20 bills during the recently-concluded fall veto session. State Rep. Sharon Chung, a Democrat from Bloomington, is relieved to see that one bill did not pass.
State lawmakers tried unsuccessfully during the recent veto session to regulate homeowners insurance rates, something every other state does.
Chung noted the community's long history with two of the area's top employers, State Farm and Country Financial, in opposing price controls.
“We have a really rich history here with State Farm, and I wanted to make sure that whatever we did wasn’t going to regulate it in a way that would make it not friendly for State Farm to be viable here in Illinois,” Chung said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas.
It was State Farm's 27% rate increase for property and casualty insurance in Illinois earlier this year that prompted Gov. JB Pritzker to call for tougher regulations on the insurance industry. He accused State Farm of making Illinois customers pay for disasters in other states, a claim State Farm denies.
The state then took State Farm to court, alleging the insurer has refused to turn over policy data to regulators. Chung said she's concerned all the heat on State Farm could cause them or another insurer to leave the state.
“I’ve spoken with folks in the governor’s office and expressed my very deep concerns,” said Chung, adding she hasn't heard back.
A message sent to the governor’s office was not immediately returned.
State Farm said in a statement the price control legislation would have hurt, not helped, Illinois consumers.
“We remain committed to working with state officials to find solutions to protect both consumers and market stability,” spokesperson Gina Morss-Fischer said. “We support solutions like strengthening homes and properties against extreme weather, promoting accurate pricing and reining in lawsuit abuse.”
State Farm is Bloomington-Normal’s largest employer with an estimated 13,000 employees. Country Financial has about 3,000 employees in the community, making it the fourth largest, according to the City of Bloomington.
Public transit
State lawmakers approved $1.5 billion for public transit during the recent veto session. Most of the money goes to Chicago area transit. Chung said Democrats are working on legislation to ensure that money doesn't get diverted from downstate road construction to pay for transit — as some downstate Republican lawmakers have suggested could happen.
“We’re still trying to figure that out. Maybe it’s just assurances that we can try to get a little bit more money for downstate; I’m not quite sure how that’s going to look,” said Chung, adding state Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, is working on legislation to address that concern.
Chung noted the bill boosts funding for public transit without any statewide tax increases.
“The fact that we were able to pass this without any new taxes is a huge win for me,” Chung said.
Downstate transit agencies, including Connect Transit, did not get as much funding as they had hoped.
Medical Aid in Dying
Pritzker has said he hasn't decided whether he will sign a bill that allows doctors to prescribe end-of-life medications for terminally ill patients. The Illinois Senate passed the measure last week after it cleared the Illinois House this spring.
Chung said she came around to support legislation to allow medical aid in dying after talking with advocates, including hospice care workers and families who have a terminally-ill loved one.
“It comes down to the decision between the patient and their doctor. We’re not compelling doctors to have to do this, it’s just giving the ability for somebody to explore these options at the end of their life,” Chung said.
Chung said if the governor vetoes the bill, she doesn't think there will be enough support to override the veto.
Energy bill
Illinois lawmakers approved the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act [CRGA], the largest change to Illinois’ energy policy in at least four years. It’s intended to lower energy costs through expanded energy storage, even though it comes with a new charge that electric customers will pay starting in 2030.
Chung said the bill is intended to increase energy capacity to meet demand.
“We knew this was a real issue we would have to deal with,” Chung said. “Right now if we continue on the same trajectory, your rates will keep going up year after year."
The measure also lifts a longtime ban on new nuclear power developments, which Chung supports.
“We’re trying to get to clean energy goals and nuclear is one of those options we can do,” she said. “That’s just one step in trying to get there.”
Emergency funding
It's not clear how long the state's emergency funding for food pantries will last as the federal government shutdown continues.
Chung said lawmakers prepared for that uncertainty when they set aside $100 million in emergency funding in the state budget last spring.
“SNAP right now is a huge issue for so many across the state. I think that we and the General Assembly — and at least the House Democratic caucus — we see that as a good use of that money,” Chung said.
Pritzker approved $20 million for food pantries in an executive order last week.
Chung said she's not sure Illinois would be able to consider a supplemental budget if more emergency relief is needed, given the budget challenges Illinois expects to face again next year.
“That would be a very, very huge issue to take on right now,” she said.
