To ensure that fines and court fees paid by those going through the justice system in Illinois remain fair and consistent, a new measure by State Senator John Mulroe (D-Chicago) was signed into law Monday.

“Court-related fines and fees support the justice system’s operations, but we can never lose sight of the fact that they should always be consistent and never seem arbitrary or unfair,” said Mulroe, the legislation’s sponsor in the Illinois Senate. “This broad realignment of the fine and fee structure came about based on the findings of an intensive study by the Statutory Court Fee Task Force, and I’m pleased to see it become law.”

The law will expand the ability of those assessed with fees to receive waivers as well. The legislation also clarifies to which agencies fines and fees are to be given and in some cases how they are to be used: It specifies that in misdemeanor traffic, conservation, and ordinance offenses, the arresting agency keeps the fine, and for other offenses the fine goes to the county to defray costs of prosecution. In addition, fees collected by the Illinois State Police would be marked specifically for the funding of cadet training.

House Bill 4594 takes effect July 1, 2019 and will sunset Jan. 1, 2021, giving the General Assembly the opportunity to reassess how well the new fee structure has worked.

State Senator John G. Mulroe (D-Chicago) plans to file a motion to override the governor’s veto of legislation that would have helped Medicaid patients in long-term care facilities whose applications take an excessive time to process.

“The governor’s veto of this legislation will hurt patients and long-term care facilities,” Mulroe said. “Without this measure, facilities will continue to not be paid while their patients are waiting for their determination. The governor’s veto will burden patients and providers with the negative effects of a slow, bureaucratic determination process.”

Under current federal law, determinations for long-term care Medicaid applicants must be made within 45 days. House Bill 4771 requires the Illinois Department of Human Services to provide provisional eligibility and coverage for applicants who have waited more than 45 days until their eligibility is determined.

“The fact that some long-term care facilities have closed because of delayed Medicaid eligibility processing is unacceptable,” Mulroe said. “These facilities need to be paid for the services they provide within a timely manner. I plan to file the necessary paperwork to override the governor’s short-sighted veto.”

Currently, there are more than 8,000 applications pending more than 90 days due to state delay.

Mulroe plans to push a motion forward to override the governor’s veto during the fall legislative session.

CHICAGO – Illinois youth and their guardians will no longer be prevented from accessing their investigation and arrest records under a new law sponsored by State Senator John G. Mulroe (D-Chicago).

“It’s important for minors, their family and their legal representation to have access to their records,” Mulroe said.

Under current law, minors cannot receive a copy of their own records before their 18th birthday, nor can their guardians or lawyers. However, law enforcement and prosecutors can access a juvenile’s record. Senate Bill 2915 corrects that discrepancy.

“It’s important to balance protecting a juvenile’s identity with ensuring that the right people have access to information to help them,” Mulroe said.

Additionally, Senate Bill 2915 requires juvenile court proceedings to be expunged by the arresting agency within 60 days of receiving the expungement order.

This legislation, which was signed into law today, takes effect immediately.

CHICAGO – State Senator John G. Mulroe (D-Chicago) issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Janus v. AFSCME:

“Today the Supreme Court dealt a major blow to not only organized labor, but also to anyone who works within the public sector, including teachers, first responders and state workers. Labor unions do not only negotiate on behalf of their members, but also for non-members within the organization. The Supreme Court’s decision today will cripple public sector workers’ rights across the nation.

I am disappointed with this decision and with Gov. Rauner’s involvement in this case to dismantle collective bargaining rights.

I remain grateful for the role that labor unions have played in our nation’s history and will stand by them as they weather this storm.”