By AARON GETTINGER
Staff writer
Rep. Curtis Tarver II (D-25th), who represents Kenwood east of Woodlawn Avenue and Hyde Park east of Ellis Avenue in Springfield, led four bills through the General Assembly during his first session in office.
In a statement released earlier this month on the legislature’s accomplishments and his priorities next year, Tarver celebrated the passage of the progressive income tax that Illinoisans will vote on as a constitutional amendment in November 2020. “Illinois is one of just a handful of states that taxes the wealthy at the same rate as the poor, meaning a much larger portion of a working person’s check will go to the government than a millionaire’s,” Tarver said, saying the “Fair Tax” would “keep rates the same, or provide relief, for 98% of my district, keeping more money in the pockets of folks who need it most.”
Tarver identified “the woefully inadequate level of funding for Chicago Public Schools” as “one of the biggest challenges to receiving a good education” and expressed hope that tax revenue from legalized recreational cannabis “goes exactly where it was promised, to our schools and to the communities that have been harmed the most by over-policing and selective enforcement of [cannabis prohibition].”
His statement also referenced two bills he introduced but that did not pass: one to raise the minimum wage of pre-kindergarten teachers to $35,000 and one to automatically expunge criminal records of those convicted of marijuana possession.
“It’s incredibly difficult for a person who has been incarcerated to rebuild their lives. They’ve paid their debt to society and yet they remain locked out of opportunities for jobs, school and even a place to live,” Tarver said in the statement. “I’m looking forward to continuing my work to ease restrictions for professional licensing and to prevent landlords from denying to rent or sell property to an individual simply based on an arrest or a criminal record that’s been expunged or sealed.”
Tarver declined an interview request for this article, instead directing constituents to call his office (773-363-8870), write (office@repcurtisjtarverii.com) or visit 1303 E. 53rd St. (Because of renovations, office hours are from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays until July 1.) He also said constituents could check his social media profiles, https://ift.tt/2J4B5Id and http://www.twitter.com/Tarver25th. His office sends out a newsletter, with signup at http://www.eepurl.com/ghqlP1.
The four bills for which Tarver was the primary sponsor were:
House Bill (HB) 3604, which provides that a vote to prohibit retail sales of alcohol in a precinct in a municipality of more than 200,000 inhabitants shall not apply to retail sales of alcohol by a specific private institution of learning or some affiliate. Local Sen. Robert Peters (D-13th) was its other chief sponsor. The bill passed the House 95-14 and 50-2 in the Senate.
HB 3701, which provides that the Department of Central Management Services is not required to verifying the license, endorsement or both of job applicants to the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) that require licensure from the State Board of Education. If an Illinois minor on aftercare release committed to the DJJ is charged under state or federal criminal law, a DJJ commitment and all rights and duties created by it are automatically suspended pending final disposition of the charge. Local Rep. Kambium Buckner (D-26th) co-sponsored. The bill passed 65-41 in the House and unanimously in the Senate.
Senate Bill (SB) 138, Tarver was the chief House sponsor of the bill filed by South Side Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16th). It provides that, if an offer to purchase a mortgage or residential property is made by a tax-exempt entity for the purpose of resale to the mortgager, with financing provided by a community development financial institution, an affidavit or other agreement limiting ownership or occupancy by the mortgager will not provide a basis to avoid a sale or transfer, nor is it enforceable against the acquirer or any agreement-named broker, mortgager or agent. At the time of an offer, specific disclosures will be made to the mortgagee, and upon request, a community development financial institution shall provide documentation evidencing its current certification status. Nothing in the bill shall impair the rights of the mortgagee to accept or reject an offer; neither does it create a cause of action. The bill passed 111-5 in the House and unanimously in the Senate.
SB 1780, filed by Northwest Side Sen. Omar Aquino (D-2nd) and sponsored in the House by Tarver, makes it a civil rights violation for an owner or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction to, because of an arrest record, refuse to engage with a person, alter terms, refuse to receive or fail to transmit an offer, refuse to negotiate, lie and say a property is unavailable and indicate any preference, limitation or discrimination based on arrest history. The bill would take effect on Jan. 1. Peters co-sponsored it in the Senate. The bill passed 82-32 in the House and 41-12 in the Senate.
In addition, the House also passed five resolutions Tarver introduced:
- 188, honoring North Kenwood early childhood educator Senorities Bracey, whose Tailored Beginnings program, 4356 S. Berkeley Ave., opened in 1997
- 189, mourning Sidney Miller, Jr., a teacher, administrator, and track and field coach at Marshall High School, 3250 W. Adams St., and Chicago State University, who died in November
- 211, mourning Vítor Westhelle, a professor of systematic theology at the Lutheran School of Theology, 1100 E. 55th St., who died in May
- 374 and 375, which honor local students Tim Arrington and Abdel Raoul, respectively, for their golfing and academic achievements.
The post Springfield Report: Tarver pushed 4 bills through legislature appeared first on hpherald.com.
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June 25, 2019 at 05:03PM
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