By Eric Stock

SPRINGFIELD – State lawmakers didn’t pass a budget this year, but they did pass 237 bills that will become law next week.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Colleen’s interview with Brady on WJBC. 

State Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) said a measure he spearheaded would benefit homicide investigations. Brady told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin, the measure signed into law in August, determines how evidence is collected, preserved and transferred to law enforcement.

“This helps to streamline and clarify that police, if you are the ones investigating a homicide, you are going to be responsible for this evidence and you are going to have to follow the chain of custody and if something goes wrong, it’s on your watch,” Brady said.

The new law also creates a statewide Coroner Training Board to oversee a training program for coroners on procedures and protocols in death investigations.

Brady is also touting a new law that requires insurance companies to refill eye-drop medications before the anticipated refill date for those with a chronic need. Brady said he pushed for the bill after a local ophthalmologist raised the concern that seniors and others living with chronic eye conditions could suffer.

Another bill allows the terminally ill to try experimental drugs or treatments and another measure implements a four-year ban on creating any new local governments.

Migration

Illinois beat out all other states in the nation in population loss over the past year. U.S. Census data released on Tuesday shows Illinois continues to lose population. All told, 67,000 more people left the state than arrived.

Brady said he’s concerned about the migration out of the state. He feels the big issue is not enough employers feel comfortable adding jobs.

“There are (employers) who are saying it’s not so much that I’m moving out of Illinois, bit I’m not going to expand. I have the potential to but it won’t be in Illinois,” Brady said. “That’s very frustrating.”

Brady says workers compensation reforms would make more employers willing to expand.

With growth, including births, Illinois still showed a net population loss of nearly 22,200. In fact, the Land of Lincoln lost more people in one year than all other states that saw declines combined. Over the past five years, Illinois had the third slowest rate of population increases – trailing Vermont and Maine.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
Illinois News Network contributed to this report.