IBJ Legislative News
Online retailers’ taxes built into state budget
SPRINGFIELD – Out-of-state online retailers will have to pay their fair share of local sales taxes to do business in Illinois, if the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling plays out according to the state budget plan.
State Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, was the sponsor of a successful bipartisan measure that was contingent upon the ruling in the case called South Dakota vs. Wayfair. That plan was incorporated into the state budget that was signed into law June 4.
Previously, out-of-state e-commerce retailers do not have to collect a sales tax, a practice that undercuts local retailers and denies revenue for local needs, such as road, bridge and sewer repairs.
Law blocks fees for freezing credit reports
Credit reporting agencies will no longer be able to charge Illinois residents who want to freeze their report reports due to system hacking or stolen information, thanks to a measure supported by state Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, D-Shorewood.
House Bill 4095 was signed into law recently by the governor and is now in effect.
“Dealing with the aftermath of massive security breaches is time-consuming and devastating,” she said, noting the 2017 Equifax security breach, which compromised information such as names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and driver’s license numbers.
The new law will no longer allow consumer reporting agencies to impose a charge on consumers for placing a freeze, removing a freeze, or temporarily lifting a freeze on their credit reports.
Previously, consumer reporting agencies were allowed to charge up to $10 each time a consumer wished to take these proactive actions.
State Sen. Andy Manar, a Bunker Hill Democrat, co-sponsored the measure, which was an initiative of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
Measure smooths ethics investigation process
SPRINGFIELD – A measure designed to remove bureaucratic hurdles and streamline the investigative process for the office of the Legislative Inspector General is now law in Illinois.
Previously, when an ethics complaint was filed regarding lawmakers or legislative employees, the Legislative Inspector General could not review the complaint until it first went to the Ethics Commission and was approved for an investigation. This would delay the start of investigations by weeks if not months.
This measure removes the hurdle and gives the inspector general the authority to begin reviewing cases as they are filed.
House Bill 138 became effective immediately.