Kratom may sound something out of Superman, but the herbal supplement is the latest drug to be banned from minors in Illinois.

A new state law takes effect Jan. 1 prohibiting youngsters from getting their hands on the plant known as Mitragyna speciosa from southeast Asia. Commonly sold in a concentrated pill form, it can offer a high similar to Vicodin or heroin but is legally sold in stores, officials said.

"When people are purchasing things from the store, they believe it's safe to ingest," said Rep. Dennis Reboletti, R-Elmhurst, who led the effort to ban kratom.

The former Will County prosecutor said there haven't been any known overdose deaths in the area. He said kratom hasn't been regulated federally because it hasn't been studied enough. Read more.

Chicago – NRI
“…we are trying to get the base out…” Newly-released emails confirm politics part of troubled Quinn program. On Tuesday, Oct. 7, former Quinn chief of staff Jack Lavin turned over personal emails subpoenaed by the Legislative Audit Commission that tie the 2010 election and Quinn’s campaign to the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative.

In a Sept. 5, 2010 email to Ben Nuckels, then Quinn’s campaign manager, Lavin outlined strategies to appeal to African-American voters. “If we are trying to get the base out and that’s the key to our victory, we better prioritize correctly,” Lavin wrote. “The African-American community tends to break late so we have some time. The Gov’s Neighborhood Recovery Initiative will also help on the jobs and anti-violence messages.”

House GOP members of Legislative Audit Commission
Rep. Ron Sandack, Dennis Reboletti & David Reis

After 12 full hours of testimony on Wednesday into Governor Pat Quinn’s disgraced Neighborhood Recovery Initiative (NRI), House Republicans on the Legislative Audit Commission were left with more questions than answers and continue to demand accountability for the failings of the program.
In day one of two days of testimony, members of the bipartisan and bicameral commission heard from four of seven witnesses who were subpoenaed to appear before them. While issues brought up in the Auditor General’s report into the program, such as hasty implementation, lax oversight and poor record keeping, were largely confirmed as accurate, members did not receive testimony into how the failings occurred and who was responsible.

Two pieces of legislation sponsored by State Representative Dennis Reboletti (R-Elmhurst) to curb the use and manufacture of illicit drugs were signed into law on Monday, August 18.

The two bills include House Bill 5526 that will make it illegal for minors to purchase products containing the herbal stimulant kratom, and Senate Bill 3275 that will place certain synthetic drugs into a list of drugs that are illegal to manufacture, deliver or possess with intent to distribute.

House Bill 5526 prohibits minors from possessing or buying kratom. The bill also outlaws the sale and distribution of any product containing kratom to a person under the age of 18. Read more.

Capital – Transportation Bills 
Capital bills become law: $1.1 billion to be spent on transportation projects. The 2014 capital plan centers on $1.0 billion for shovel-ready Illinois Department of Transportation projects, primarily road resurfacing and bridge renewal and repair. $100 million is included for grants to local governments for local capital projects; it is expected that these will also mostly be transportation projects, although the definition of road and street work on the local level also includes other infrastructure repairs such as the rebuilding of local sidewalks and curbs.

Rep. John Anthony, R-Plainfield, will be utilizing his knowledge as a former sheriff’s deputy in his new appointment to two panels dealing with criminal justice reform and illegal gun trafficking.

Anthony has been appointed by House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, to serve on the panels, according to a news release.

The Joint Criminal Justice Reform Committee, comprised of five members from the House and five from the Senate, will examine the impact of the current sentencing structure, ensure enforcement and punishment of crimes does not disproportionately or unfairly affect certain racial, ethnic or minority groups; and develop solutions to address issues that exist within the system. The committee is required to submit a report to the General Assembly by Dec. 1.

The other three House members on the committee, appointed by House Speaker Michael Madigan, include Rep. Ken Dunkin, D-Chicago; Rep. Arthur Turner, D-Chicago; and Rep. Mike Zalewski, D-Riverside. Former prosecutor Rep. Dennis Reboletti, R-Elmhurst, is the other Republican appointed. The committee was established May 30. Read the story by the Morris Daily Herald.

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Final Days of 2014 Spring Session
As third week of May ends, only six session days remain for vital work. Left undetermined as of Friday, May 23 were key decisions affecting the future of all Illinoisans, including the FY15 State budget.

The key twelve-month spending plan will govern State spending and operations starting in only one month, July 1, 2014. A $3 billion gap between expected State tax revenues and Democrat-led spending requests will create significant challenges for lawmakers.

Substantive, non-budget issues will also require action, and positions and legislative language could change over this period from moment to moment. Stay tuned to The Caucus Blog for continuously updated information on these key questions.

State Representative Dennis Reboletti (R-Elmhurst) joined Bill Moller on CLTV’s Politics Tonight on Tuesday, May 20th to talk about newly proposed legislation that would ask voters whether or not the five percent ‘temporary’ income tax increase should become permanent.

Rep. Reboletti also discussed legislation he is sponsoring with State Representative Michael McAuliffe (R-Chicago) that calls for a new study of the environmental and human health impacts caused by runways and air traffic around O’Hare. Watch the video.

A group of House and Senate Republicans today introduced legislation that would put on the November ballot a statewide advisory referendum asking voters whether or not the five percent ‘temporary’ income tax increase should become permanent.

“A number of issues are expected to be placed on the ballot in November as a way to gauge public sentiment.  The proposal we are introducing today would ask the voters to decide whether or not the five percent ‘temporary’ income tax increase should be made permanent,” said State Rep. Dennis Reboletti (R-Addison).  “Extending the income tax increase hits residents and small employers directly in the pocketbook.  They deserve the opportunity to weigh in on the decision.” Read more.

Budget
House Democrats pass unbalanced budget, blowing up agreed revenue cap. Abandoning their pledge to adhere to projected FY15 general funds revenues of $34.5 billion, the House Democrats passed a series of appropriations bills on Thursday, May 15 that anticipate spending approximately $37.4 billion. Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) begins on July 1, 2014 and continues until June 30, 2015. The Democrats’ spending plan is $2.9 billion more than agreed to by the General Assembly in its previous FY15 revenue estimate.

Republicans say that passing the bills as proposed amounts to making the Governor's tax increase a permanent reality.

"Doesn't your appropiation bill assume the tax increase is permanent, not temporary," said Representative Ron Sandack . 

"No." 

'How is it we're gonna pay for it then, Sir?"

"My job is just to get this bill outta the floor and pass it. I'm not gonna tell you how we're gonna pay for it just yet."

See the video from NBC CINewsNow

As noise complaints have continued to fly in after O'Hare International Airport opened a new runway in 2013, two state lawmakers want to look into it.

Republican state Reps. Dennis Reboletti of Elmhurst and Michael McAuliffe of Chicago will file legislation to study the environmental and health impacts brought on by the new runway.

Reboletti said he has received complaints from all over his district about problems other than noise.

"(People have complained about) not only new noise pollution but also environmental pollution. Fuel from airplanes, and dust and silt, and people are extremely concerned about their health and well-being," he said.  Zachary White at the Daily Herald has the rest of the story.

Advancing a key aspect of the heroin legislative package sponsored by Rep. Dennis Reboletti (R-Elmhurst), the Illinois House has approved a measure that will allow the establishment of a Pilot Program to create a secure facility with on-site substance abuse treatment in DuPage County, Cook County, and a third location to be determined. The facilities will serve as a “last chance” option where individuals convicted of drug or property crimes would be allowed to serve their sentences in a treatment-intensive environment. Read more about the legislation.

A life-long resident of Elmhurst, State Representative Dennis Reboletti has devoted his entire life to serving the community.

Prior to his election to the Illinois House of Representatives, Dennis was a career prosecutor. Upon his graduation from law school, Dennis was appointed an Assistant Attorney General under then-Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan and was responsible for defending the Illinois Department of Corrections from inmate lawsuits. He later served as an Assistant State’s Attorney for eight years prosecuting violent criminals as a member of his office’s Organized Crime Unit and earned membership in Illinois. elite Capital Litigation Trial Bar. While a prosecutor, Dennis also educated prospective law enforcement officers as an Adjunct Instructor in Triton Community College’s Criminal Justice Department.  Read more about Rep. Reboletti.

News From Rep. Reboletti
Current Legislation Sponsored by Rep. Reboletti
Rep. Reboletti's Committees

Rep. Dennis Reboletti talks to Courtney Gousman about Concealed Carry in a recent news segment on CBS 2.

Budget – Illinois’ “Net Deficit”

·         New report shows cumulative State deficit of $47.8 billion.  This cumulative deficit of almost $48 billion (nearly $4,000 per Illinois resident) comes from the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for FY 2013, released by Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka and the Statewide Financial Statement Audit released by Auditor General Bill Holland.  The purpose of the figures presented in the CAFR are to drill past the cash-flow situation of the State of Illinois (which is what the “official” State budget looks at) and uncover the gap between resources available and commitments made. 

The majority of the gap consists of pension obligations and commitments to pay health-care-related expenses to providers of services to eligible patients, primarily Medicaid patients and State workers.  This number is not a one-year deficit, but a representation, on a balance-sheet basis, of the cumulative deficit that has been building up over a multi-year period.  Almost two-thirds of the deficit has appeared during the past seven years ($18.7 billion in FY06 to $47.8 billion in FY13), roughly coinciding with the tenure of Gov. Pat Quinn.

Chicago – Neighborhood Recovery Initiative
Lawmakers Urge Freeze of Chicago Anti-Violence State Funds; Call for Additional Investigation of Programs.  In the wake of the Illinois Auditor General’s scathing audit of Governor Quinn’s $54.55 million Neighborhood Recovery Initiative (NRI), State Reps. David Reis (R-Ste. Marie), John Cavaletto (R-Salem) and Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon) are demanding all state funds allocated to questionable Chicago anti-violence programs be frozen.  The lawmakers are also calling upon the Auditor General to further investigate state moneys allocated to these programs.

State Representative Sandy Pihos (R-Glen Ellyn) joined State Representatives Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove) and Dennis Rebolletti (R-Elmhurst), along with Senator Michael Connelly (R-Naperville) and DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin to unveil two taxpayer protection bills that would prevent taxing districts from raising taxes when home values are declining.

Sandack, Chief Sponsor of House Bills 4426 and 4429, said the legislation addresses an unforeseen issue with the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law. “When PTELL was created, it protected property owners from huge tax increases during the era when home values were increasing very quickly,” said Sandack. “I would imagine that the authors of the PTELL bill never imagined a scenario where that bill would actually hurt taxpayers. This legislation takes steps to freeze taxes when property values fall and helps people from getting taxed out of their homes during difficult economic times.” Read more.

Graduated Income Tax  
House GOP: Graduated Tax Threat to Illinois Jobs, Families.  On Monday, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) and members of the Illinois House Republican caucus announced their unanimous opposition to the graduated income tax proposal introduced by legislative Democrats. The plan, currently filed as HJRCA 33, would replace the state’s current flat tax with a graduated income tax system, with rates to be determined by the General Assembly.

“There is a movement in Springfield by the majority party to move Illinois from a flat income tax to a graduated tax,” said Durkin. “The same party responsible for years of overspending, over taxing and a mountain of debt wants to move to a graduated tax for one reason and one reason only – to raise taxes and spend more money.”

A group of House Republican Lawmakers are taking action to fight Illinois’ growing heroin epidemic. House Republican Leader Jim Durkin  State Representatives Dennis Reboletti , Patti Bellock , John Cabello , and Sandy Pihos  were joined by DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and DuPage County Judicial and Public Safety Committee Chairman Grant Eckhoff on Thursday to announce a comprehensive package of legislation designed to address heroin abuse and related crimes.

“Heroin has claimed too many lives – leaving behind families devastated by their loss. It’s our hope that the package of bills introduced here today will prevent the loss of life and protect other families from having to experience such pain in the future. I would like to applaud the efforts of State Rep. Dennis Reboletti, DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin, the DuPage Heroin Coalition; DuPage County Judical and Public Safety Chairman Grant Eckhoff ; Reps. Sandy Pihos, Patti Bellock and John Cabello for their work in developing and supporting these bills,” said Durkin (R-Western Springs). Read the rest of the story.

Other links:
Heroin DuPage
Be a Hero-In-DuPage Facebook Site
Be a Hero-In-DuPage Twitter Site @HeroInDuPage