Archive for December, 2012

Dec. 17, 2012 show Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran tells why he personally supports Senate Bill 957, which would extend Temporary Visitor Driver's Licenses to undocumented immigrants. The Illinois Senate has passed the legislation, which is now being considered by the House. Jimmy Lago, chancellor for the Archdiocese of Chicago, discusses his work with other faith groups in trying to get the Chicago City Council to reinstate the water exemption for churches and other nonprofits. CCI's own Zach Wichmann ...

Help Preserve Marriage! The Catholic Conference of Illinois is opposing a legislative push to redefine marriage. State Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago, and state Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, attempted to push redefinition of marriage legislation during the lame duck session that ran from Jan. 2-8. That legislation passed a Senate committee, but was not called for a vote before the full Senate. The measure changes the definition of marriage currently set in state law ...

Two Illinois pharmacists today won their final battle seeking conscience rights in dispensing emergency contraception after the Illinois attorney general notified the state Supreme Court that she would not appeal a lower court ruling.  Pharmacy owners Luke Vander Bleek of Morrison and Glenn Kosirog of Wheaton sued the state over an emergency rule instituted by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2005 requiring all pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception. The rule was later ...

Catholic priests, sisters and brothers traveled to the state Capitol to lobby lawmakers on SB 957, which extends Temporary Visitor Driver's Licenses to immigrants. The Senate passed SB 957 in December, and the House passed the measure in January. Gov. Pat Quinn has indicated he will sign the bill into law.

The Illinois Senate today approved expanding Temporary Visitor Driver's Licenses to undocumented immigrants. Catholic Conference of Illinois Executive Director Robert Gilligan applauded the Senate's actions, noting that many families are separated when unlicensed, immigrant drivers are stopped for a minor traffic violation, and then deported because of their status. “Too many of our immigrant families have been torn apart by the simple act of driving,” Gilligan said in a press release. “What hurts one family hurts our entire community, for ...

 Democrats in both the state House and Senate won enough seats in the Nov. 6 election to hold a supermajority in each chamber, meaning they have enough votes to pass legislation without input from Republicans. The Democrats will also be able to override any legislation vetoed by the governor. Read the November Education newsletter to see what this means for our education agenda for the upcoming 2013 legislative ...