ACTION ALERTS

Take action now!

HB5189 - Condominium Act - Action needed by May 9.  OPPOSE HB 4403 - Requiring Voter Photo ID - act by 4/29.  Graduated Income Tax - Action needed by 4/29.  Clean Car Act - HB 3424 - act by 4/29.  Global Climate Change - S2191.  Education Funding/Tax Swap - action still needed.

HB5189 - Condominium Act - Action needed by May 9

ACTION NEEDED: Contact your State Representative today in her/his Springfield Office and urge your representative to vote for passage of HB5189. This bill is on third reading in the House of Representatives and must be acted upon by May 9, 2008. House Bill 5189 states that if condominium associations ban rental of individual units, the association must let unit "renting" owners continue renting until the unit owner sells the unit.

BACKGROUND: Under current law, condominium and town home associations can ban owners from renting their units, thus restricting their right to use their investment in a manner they see fit. Owners may need to rent their unit to protect their investment, to move for a new job, to avoid foreclosure, to purchase a unit for an adult child, elderly parent or other relative or to create affordable rental housing. In some areas this has been a method of providing rental housing for affordable housing, and housing associations have been able to address this need through rental of these units.

If HB5189 is passed, condominium and town home units may continue to be rented by the owner as long as he/she owns the unit. Without this protection, the rental option will be eliminated if the condominium boards adopt this position.

BILL STATUS: HB 5189 is on 3rd reading and the vote must be taken no later than May 9, 2008 This bill maintains an association's ability to ban rentals, but allows unit owners who are renting their unit at the time of the ban to continue renting until the unit owners sells his/her unit. The new owner then would come under the new "no rental" association rule. Please urge your representative to vote YES to pass HB5189.

OPPOSE HB 4403 - Requiring Voter Photo ID - act by 4/29

ACTION NEEDED: Contact your State Representative in her/his home legislative officer prior to April 29, 2008 when the Illinois General Assembly reconvenes. Ask your representative to vote no on HB 4403 +

Election Voter Photo ID. This bill has passed out of committee and would require voters to show government-issued photo ID before casting a ballot on Election Day. LWVIL opposes this because it would disenfranchise many minority, elderly and poor voters who would lack the designated government-issued photo ID.

BACKAGROUND: LWVIL AND LWVUS positions oppose the requirement of presenting government-issued photo IDS at the time of voting. This has been used as a tool to prohibit registered voters from casting a ballot because of the lack of the specific ID. To register to vote, citizens in Illinois must NOW prove their identity to their local election authority with birth certificates, current bills and other documents.

They also sign the registration form, and their signature is again required at the time of voting which provides another method of verifying identity

BILL STATUS: This bill was placed on the calendar for second reading on March 5, 2008. Action on HB4403 was extended until May 9, 2008. The bill could be called at any time in the next two weeks.

Please call your state representative and ask for a NO VOTE on HB4403.

To find your representative's name and contact information visit http://www.ilga.gov.

PLEASE ACT TODAY - URGE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO VOTE AGAINST PASSAGE OF HB 4403

Graduated Income Tax - Action needed by 4/29

ACTION NEEDED: Contact your State Representative and Senator in their home legislative offices prior to April 29, 2008 when the Illinois Legislature reconvenes. Ask them to pass a resolution which will put the question of whether Illinois should amend its Constitution to allow an income tax with a graduated rate schedule on the ballot at the November 4, 2008 election.

BACKGROUND: The League of Women Voters has a position in support of a progressive income tax with a graduated rate schedule. This cannot be done without amending the Illinois Constitution.

In the 1990's LWVIL chaired a statewide coalition of organizations called Progress Illinois which was formed to spearhead a campaign to place a constitutional amendment for a graduated income tax on the November 1994 ballot. LWVIL and local Leagues mounted an extensive public education and lobbying campaign to generate support for a graduated income tax amendment. The General Assembly did not call the amendment for a vote.

This year there are several proposals to amend the constitution to allow a graduated income tax. The question must be read in full on three different days in each house and pass both houses by a three-fifths vote by May 4, 2008 in order to be placed on the ballot on November 4, 2008.

SJRCA 0092, Senate Amendment No. 2, would remove the provision that the income tax be at a flat rate. This would result in the Illinois Constitution having language that would allow either a flat rate or a graduated rate. This language would be similar to the Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

HJRCA 0042 would tax incomes under $250,000 at 3% and incomes over $250,000 at 6%. This resolution contains very specific language that does not belong in a constitution, but the proposal does serve as an example of a graduated income tax.

There are other proposals calling for a graduated income tax, but none of them have made it out of committee. The question will be the subject of negotiations and debate during the next week. Your legislators need to hear from you that the income tax needs to be made more progressive and that you support putting the question on the November 4, 2008 ballot. To find your representative's name and contact information visit, http://www.ilga.gov.

Clean Car Act - HB 3424 - act by 4/29

Re: Time for Action - Clean Car Act + HB 3424

ACTION NEEDED: Contact your State Representative in his/her home legislative office prior to April 29, 2008 when the Illinois Legislature reconvenes. Ask your representative to sign on as a cosponsor and vote for the Clean Car Act, HB 3424. Through the passage of the Clean Car Act we can: Cut global warming pollution by 27% by 2030; Reduce Illinois's 11% asthma rate; and Save roughly $400 per car, per year in gas savings.

BACKGROUND: The LWVUS Natural Resources Position on Environmental Protection and Pollution Control supports the preservation of the physical, chemical and biological integrity of the ecosystem and maximum protection of public health and the environment. Under Air Quality Guidelines the League supports measures to reduce vehicular pollution, including inspection and maintenance of emission controls, changes to engine design and fuel types and development of more energy-efficient transportations systems. The Clean Car Act, HB 3424 would help reduce vehicular pollution.

The Illinois Clean Cars Act (H.B. 3424/S.B. 2238) follows the model of California's Pavley Law, which sets standards requiring automakers to increasingly reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by cars and light trucks on a fleet-wide average basis between 2009 and 2020. Thirteen states representing 39% of the U.S. automobile market have already adopted clean car standards to address their global warming output, which means automakers are building cleaner cars for them and dirtier vehicles for our state and others. Clean car standards in Illinois would represent an economic tipping point for manufacturers who would decide it's in their best interests to build cleaner cars for the entire nation.

BILL STATUS: Right now, HB 3424 is in 3rd reading in the House, and must be voted on by May 9th. It has 37 co-sponsors but needs even more support to pass. Please take a few minutes today to call your state representative in his/her home office and ask for a Yes Vote on HB 3424. A fact sheet may be found at:

http://www.illinoisclimateactionnetwork.org/attachments/clean_cars.pdf

To find your representative's name and contact information visit, http://www.ilga.gov.

Working to pass the Clean Car Act is one easy way you protect the environment!

Global Climate Change - S2191

ACTION ALERT: The Senate Must Act on Global Climate Change

Global climate change is one of the most serious threats to the environment, health and economy of our nation and our world. With the U.S. Senate expected to take up legislation this spring, now is the time to let your Senators know that they should support strong action to control global warming.

Please contact your Senators and tell them to support and strengthen S. 2191, America's Climate Security Act.

Recent scientific studies show that global warming is already causing environmental changes that will have significant global economic and social impacts. America's Climate Security Act, S. 2191, sponsored by Senators Lieberman and Warner, will establish the basic framework that is necessary to curtail the pollution that is causing climate change.

S. 2191 is a good first step. The bill establishes a "cap and trade" system that will, if properly carried out, achieve two essential goals: cutting green-house gas emissions enough to prevent the worst impacts of global climate change, and doing so in an economically efficient manner. The "cap" sets a limit on allowable emissions from electric power, transportation and manufacturing sources that will decline over time to meet the pollution-reduction goal. The "trading" system sets up a market that allows sources to buy, sell, borrow and trade emission allowances so reductions can be achieved in the most cost-effective ways.

However, the legislation should be strengthened in two ways. First, the bill should ensure that pollution reduction goals are consistent with the best scientific analyses. Currently, the legislation does not achieve all the reductions that will likely be needed, and advances in scientific knowledge may later indicate a need for quicker or greater reductions. Second, the auction system should be expanded to include more emissions earlier in the process. This will both speed compliance and increase the economic efficiency of the program.

Tell your Senators to oppose weakening amendments, particularly loopholes that undermine the emissions cap through such mechanisms as a so-called "safety valve" that would allow sources to purchase unlimited emission allowances.

Take action today to encourage your Senators to take quick and strong action against global climate change!

TAKE ACTION

1. Contact your Senators now, by phone or by email, and tell them to strengthen and pass S. 2191, as well as to oppose weakening amendments. Tell them that global climate change is one of the most serious threats to the environment, health and economy of our nation and our world.

2. Send this alert to other concerned citizens - your grassroots network, your friends and coworkers. Encourage them to contact their Senators today!

BACKGROUND

Learn more about what the League is doing to protect against global climate change.

Sign up to receive Action Alerts directly by email. Don't miss an opportunity to take action! It's easy to sign up and the League will never share your email with others: http://takeaction.lwv.org/lwv/mlm/signup/.

For additional information, please contact LWVUS Grassroots Lobbyist Christina Vamvas at lobbying@lwv.org.

Education Funding/Tax Swap - action still needed

BILL NUMBER: SB2288 + Fiscal Policy/ School Funding

SPONSORS: Senator James Meeks, Emil Jones and 18 other Senators

STATUS: 2nd reading in the Senate

ACTION REQUESTED: Please call your State Senator before she/he returns to Springfield on April 1, 2008 and urge her/him to vote yes for passage of SB2288. Tell the Senator your name and that you are a member of the League of Women Voters and explain that you recognize the need for passage of this much needed legislation. Indicate that the LWVIL (and you a constituent) recognize that Illinois must solve the critical structural deficit problem we have with our fiscal system and that we support and encourage this modest tax increase.

If you do not have a phone number for your State Senator, you may go to http://www.ilga.gov and find it listed under members. We urge you to call today and also encourage your friends to contact their State Senators.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Senate Bill 2288 provides a new, permanent revenue source for schools, property tax relief for homeowners, a billion dollars for debt service for a state infrastructure program, raises personal and corporate income taxes, provides a refundable Family Tax Credit for households up to an annual income of $55,000, expands early childhood programs, increases the reimbursement for special education personnel and increases the Foundation Level over a four year period.

The core advocacy issue and priority of LWVIL in 2008 is Fiscal Policy/Funding of Public Education and

Social Services. SB2288 is proposed legislation for tax reform that will significantly improve education funding while lowering property taxes. This bill provides for consistent, equitable, sustainable funding for schools, providing increases for the foundation level and for some of the costs of providing special education programs. It increases the personal and corporate income taxes, which is anticipated to raise a total of $7.3 billion and provide $2.9 billion in property tax relief.

Thank you for your cooperation. Please call today!

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: May 7, 2008 13:24 PDT.

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