Delivery service rules, limits on governor’s authority over unions advance
By PETER HANCOCK
Capitol News Illinois
phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate worked through a long list of bills Thursday as lawmakers prepared to enter the final stretch of the 2021 session.
Those bills included new restrictions on third-party delivery services such as DoorDash, limits on the governor’s authority to interfere with collective bargaining agreements and new requirements to collect data on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the LGBTQ community.
Delivery services
Senate Bill 672 would create the “Fair Food Delivery Act,” requiring third-party delivery services such as DoorDash and Uber Eats to have formal agreements with the restaurants and retailers for whom they deliver before they can use the merchant’s name, likeness, menus or other intellectual property.
Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake, the chief sponsor of the bill, said it is designed to prevent those restaurants and retailers from being taken advantage of by the delivery services.
The bill would only apply to delivery services that have an online presence such as a website or smart phone app.
Bush said when issues arise about a delivery, such as an incorrect order or added delivery fees, customers often complain to the restaurant, even though the restaurant may not have known that the order was placed by the delivery service.
She also said she negotiated the legislation with delivery service companies and described those talks as “fruitful,” but admitted they were not able to agree on a key element.
“These companies want to be able to list all of the restaurants in their area that you can order food from, even if they don’t have an agreement with those restaurants,” she said. “We believe if they don’t have an agreement, that’s proprietary and they shouldn’t be able to list that restaurant when they can’t deliver for it.”
The bill cleared the Senate by a vote of 55-0 and now heads to the House for consideration.
Public employee unions
The Senate also passed a bill Thursday aimed at rolling back some of former Gov. Bruce Rauner’s actions regarding public employee unions.
Senate Bill 525, by Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, would provide that a state employee’s eligibility to be a member of a collective bargaining unit be based on the duties that employee actually performs rather than the duties listed in a written job description.
“The Labor Relations Board, primarily under the Rauner administration, issued decisions overturning decades of case law allowing employees to be designated confidential, supervisory or managerial based on written job descriptions and not the duties an employee actually performs,” Aquino said on the Senate floor. “Employees who had been part of the bargaining unit for decades saw their collective bargaining rights taken away despite never having performed the duties in the written job description that caused them to be excluded.”
Aquino said the bill came about through an agreement with the Department of Central Management Services and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, the state’s largest public employee union.
Republican Sen. Jason Barickman, of Bloomington, argued against the bill, saying that currently about 93 percent of the state’s workforce is part of a collective bargaining unit, making it difficult for supervisors to manage their employees because so few individuals qualify as supervisors. He said passage of the bill would exacerbate that problem.
Aquino, however, said the bill would only return the state’s labor relations to the conditions that existed before the Rauner administration, “and every step that we can do to go back to those days before that administration is a better day for our state.”
The bill passed, 44-11.
LGBTQ data
Hospitals and state agencies in Illinois would be required to gather more demographic data about COVID-19 patients to determine how the pandemic has affected the LGBTQ community under a bill that cleared the Senate Thursday on a 40-1 vote.
Sen. Mike Simmons, D-Chicago, the first openly gay member of the Senate and lead sponsor of Senate Bill 2133, said that information is needed to ensure visibility and justice for historically marginalized communities.
The bill, which is supported by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and the gay rights advocacy group Equality Illinois, calls on hospitals and state agencies to gather specific data about the age, sex, disability status, sexual orientation and gender identity of COVID-19 patients.
“Any pandemic relief and recovery must be rooted in an understanding of what disparities got us here,” Simmons said in a statement. “This vote (Thursday) is a declaration to LGBTQIA+ communities that we see them and are working for a recovery that includes them.”
He referenced studies that he said show members of those communities are more likely to have chronic conditions and other risk factors that can increase vulnerability to COVID-19.
Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, was the only senator to vote against the bill. Eighteen other senators did not cast a vote.
Nursing home visitation
Another bill that passed the Senate Thursday would require nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to adopt procedures to prevent social isolation among their residents, including making technology available for online visits with loved ones when in-person visits are not possible.
Senate Bill 2137, cosponsored by Democratic Sen. Jacqueline Collins, of Chicago, and Republican Sen. Donald DeWitte, of St. Charles, passed unanimously, 53-0.
“This last year was incredibly difficult for seniors who were unable to touch or hug their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic, and SB 2137 will ensure that moving forward we place more of a balance between physical and social-emotional health,” DeWitte said in a statement.
The bill provides that online visitation and other forms of social isolation prevention measures would be in addition to, not a substitute for, in-person visitation and that each patient’s individualized visitation plan should give priority to the resident’s own preference over the resident’s representative.
It also provides that long-term care facilities could apply for grants from the state’s civil monetary penalty fund, as well as other state and federal funds, to pay for assistive and supportive technology.
Starting Jan. 1, 2023, facilities that fail to comply with the new rules could be subject to administrative penalties.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Local News
Football roundup: Christian Flutman helps Chicago Christian advance
Christian Flutman rarely comes off the field for Chicago Christian and he wouldn’t have it any other way. The senior starts at quarterback and defensive back and also is the holder for kicks — duties that kept him plenty busy on Nov. 2 when the Knights rolled by visiting Illini West 53-16 in a Class…
Oak Lawn-Hometown students back Trump in mock election
Oak Lawn Hometown Middle School took to the polls during a mock election. Even though they were too young to actually vote, students at Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School participated in a mock election. The event, held Monday, Nov. 4, engaged all 1,100 students and staff in a hands-on civics and democracy experience. “I liked that…
Man arrested for battery at Orland Park polling place
A 24-year-old man was arrested on multiple charges, including aggravated battery, after causing a disturbance at the Orland Park Township Office on Sunday. Around 11 a.m., Orland Park police were dispatched to the polling location at 14807 Ravinia Ave. following reports of a man disrupting the voting line. Upon arrival, officers found Daniel Schmidt restrained…
Cloudy skies fail to dampen Veterans Day tribute in Worth
Under overcast skies and a brisk wind, Worth Mayor Mary Werner joined a crowd Sunday morning to honor veterans at the town’s annual Veterans Day Observance. The ceremony at the Eternal Flame Memorial on 111th Street and Harlem Avenue brought together local officials, Scouts, and community organizations to pay tribute to veterans from all eras.…
Evergreen Park cops nab suspects with license-plate reading camera help
Commendations are in order for members of the Evergreen Park Police Department who recently made a series of arrests that may have prevented major crimes. A license-plate reading camera alerted Evergreen Park police to a vehicle wanted by Markham Police for fleeing and eluding officers. Police found the vehicle parked at Aldi, 2541 W. 95th…
Community grieves after 16-year-old Argo High student fatally shot
Students and staff at Argo Community High School are mourning the death of Jaydin Bahena, a 16-year-old junior who was killed in an act of violence over the weekend. Bahena, remembered for his vibrant personality and kind heart, was fatally shot in Summit on Nov. 1, leaving the school and community grieving his sudden loss.…
Acorn to Oak studios highlight young artistic talent in Oak Lawn
The organizers of Acorn to Oak Studios in Oak Lawn aim to celebrate all things art. The studio was founded in November 2022, with an initial information event held in the north wing of Pilgrim Faith Church, 9411 S. 51st Ave. The first official session took place on Feb. 5, 2023. Andrea Zumhagen, a co-founder…
Loaf at first sight: Oak Lawn gets its first sourdough spot
The Village of Oak Lawn welcomed its first sourdough bread bakery and cafe last week, and judging by the reception, it couldn’t have come a moment too soon. The grand opening of Ancestral Oven Sourdough Bakery and Cafe, located at 4616 W. 103rd St., took place the morning of Oct. 31. The owners are the…
Lyle School Library Wins Prestigious Kendra Scott Award
Lyle School in Bridgeview received a transformative boost on Oct. 30, with a $2,000 gift certificate from First Book to enhance its collection of multicultural and diverse books, and an additional $1,000 for literacy enrichment from the Kendra Scott Foundation. The initiative, part of the Little Yellow Library program, aims to support Title 1 schools…
Neighbors
Football roundup: Christian Flutman helps Chicago Christian advance
Christian Flutman rarely comes off the field for Chicago Christian and he wouldn’t have it any other way. The senior starts at quarterback and defensive back and also is the holder for kicks — duties that kept him plenty busy on Nov. 2 when the Knights rolled by visiting Illini West 53-16 in a Class…
Oak Lawn-Hometown students back Trump in mock election
Oak Lawn Hometown Middle School took to the polls during a mock election. Even though they were too young to actually vote, students at Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School participated in a mock election. The event, held Monday, Nov. 4, engaged all 1,100 students and staff in a hands-on civics and democracy experience. “I liked that…
Man arrested for battery at Orland Park polling place
A 24-year-old man was arrested on multiple charges, including aggravated battery, after causing a disturbance at the Orland Park Township Office on Sunday. Around 11 a.m., Orland Park police were dispatched to the polling location at 14807 Ravinia Ave. following reports of a man disrupting the voting line. Upon arrival, officers found Daniel Schmidt restrained…
Cloudy skies fail to dampen Veterans Day tribute in Worth
Under overcast skies and a brisk wind, Worth Mayor Mary Werner joined a crowd Sunday morning to honor veterans at the town’s annual Veterans Day Observance. The ceremony at the Eternal Flame Memorial on 111th Street and Harlem Avenue brought together local officials, Scouts, and community organizations to pay tribute to veterans from all eras.…
Evergreen Park cops nab suspects with license-plate reading camera help
Commendations are in order for members of the Evergreen Park Police Department who recently made a series of arrests that may have prevented major crimes. A license-plate reading camera alerted Evergreen Park police to a vehicle wanted by Markham Police for fleeing and eluding officers. Police found the vehicle parked at Aldi, 2541 W. 95th…
Community grieves after 16-year-old Argo High student fatally shot
Students and staff at Argo Community High School are mourning the death of Jaydin Bahena, a 16-year-old junior who was killed in an act of violence over the weekend. Bahena, remembered for his vibrant personality and kind heart, was fatally shot in Summit on Nov. 1, leaving the school and community grieving his sudden loss.…
Acorn to Oak studios highlight young artistic talent in Oak Lawn
The organizers of Acorn to Oak Studios in Oak Lawn aim to celebrate all things art. The studio was founded in November 2022, with an initial information event held in the north wing of Pilgrim Faith Church, 9411 S. 51st Ave. The first official session took place on Feb. 5, 2023. Andrea Zumhagen, a co-founder…
Loaf at first sight: Oak Lawn gets its first sourdough spot
The Village of Oak Lawn welcomed its first sourdough bread bakery and cafe last week, and judging by the reception, it couldn’t have come a moment too soon. The grand opening of Ancestral Oven Sourdough Bakery and Cafe, located at 4616 W. 103rd St., took place the morning of Oct. 31. The owners are the…
Lyle School Library Wins Prestigious Kendra Scott Award
Lyle School in Bridgeview received a transformative boost on Oct. 30, with a $2,000 gift certificate from First Book to enhance its collection of multicultural and diverse books, and an additional $1,000 for literacy enrichment from the Kendra Scott Foundation. The initiative, part of the Little Yellow Library program, aims to support Title 1 schools…