You know this if you were a close friend of hers, or if you just saw it on a TV commercial: Nobody appreciated a good yard sale more than Judy Baar Topinka did. It wasn’t just campaign shtick. It was true.  She could be in deep conversation about the arcana of public policy and abruptly start to gush about the antique lamp she had fetched for $5. She never understood why shoppers would pay full price for anything when there were Goodwill stores and yard sales full of great deals. Read more of today's Chicago Tribune editorial about the loss of Illinois' Judy Baar Topinka. 

A new law will require all new schools being build in Illinois to include a storm shelter that can withstand an EF4 tornado. The legislation was inspired by the devastation left by deadly tornadoes which ripped through Illinois in 2012 and 2013.

Read Public Act 098-0883.

A new Illinois law will help adult adoptees and their decendents learn more about their ancestry. It will also allow individuals to gain information about their biological family members including obtaining original birth records when one of their grandparents was adopted as a child.

Under the law, adult grandchildren will be granted access to birth certificates and other information regarding their deceased grandparents, if the grandparent was adopted.

The law is effective January 1, 2015.

To honor those who have served in the military and earned the Purple Heart, beginning January 1, 2015, Illinois will waive the payment of any registration or registration renewal fee for an individual issued a Purple Heart license plate.

The law will also allow individuals who have been issued the Purple Heart license plate and qualify under the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief Act to obtain a plate for an additional vehicle for a $24 registration fee.

The legislation was sponsored by Rep C.D. Davidsmeyer.

During the second week of this year’s veto session, the majority party once again sought to ignore the demand of Illinois voters and their call for bipartisan solutions. On a party-line vote of 67-46, the Democrats in the Illinois House of Representatives passed SB3075 under the guise of a narrative to reduce costs. The bill, if signed into law by Gov. Quinn prior to Gov.-Elect Rauner taking office, would slash civil juries from twelve members to six, while increasing pay by more than six-times its current level. Read more.

General Assembly – Veto Session
Veto session ends on a partisan note. The first week of the 2014 Veto Session took place prior to Thanksgiving. In legislative action, members held informational and subject-matter discussions on various issues. Subjects discussed included the State formula for aid to public school districts, creation of a State medical insurance state exchange, and extension for one year of the Medical Practice Act.

In November, Illinoisans sent a strong message to their representatives demanding not only bipartisan cooperation but also a departure from the last 12 years of record job loss and state budget mismanagement. Despite the expectation of cooperation, the Democrat majority thumbed their noses at Illinois residents by unilaterally pushing legislation that will hurt job creators, put further pressures on the state budget and preserve Chicago-style politics.