CHICAGO - Governor Bruce Rauner took action today on the following bills:
Bill No.: HB 228
An Act Concerning State Government
Action: Signed
Effective Date: January 1, 2016
Bill No.: HB 233
An Act Concerning Local Government
Action: Signed
Effective Date: January 1, 2016
Bill No.: HB 576
An Act Concerning State Government
Action: Signed
Effective Date: Immediate
Bill No.: HB2644
An Act Concerning Civil Law
Action: Veto
Note: Veto message is below.
Bill No.: HB3104
An Act Concerning Local Government
Action: Signed
Effective Date: Immediate
Bill No.: HB3231
An Act Concerning Animals
Action: Signed
Effective Date: January 1, 2016
Bill No.: HB 3428
An Act Concerning Education
Action: Signed
Effective Date: Immediate
Bill No.: HB 3577
An Act Concerning Education
Action: Signed
Effective Date: January 1, 2016
Bill No.: SB 509
An Act Concerning Revenue
Action: Signed
Effective Date: Immediate
Bill No.: SB 816
An Act Concerning Local Government
Action: Amendatory Veto
Note: Amendatory veto message below.
Bill No.: SB 1344
An Act Concerning Civil Law
Action: Veto
Note: Veto message is below
Bill No.: SB 1360
An Act Concerning Business
Action: Veto
Note: Veto message is below.
Bill No.: SB 1714
An Act Concerning Local Government
Action: Signed
Effective Date: January 1, 2016
Bill No.: SB 1861
An Act Concerning Regulation
Action: Signed
Effective Date: Immediate
Veto Message HB 2644
To the Honorable Members of
The Illinois House of Representatives
99th General Assembly:
Today I veto House Bill 2644 from the 99th General Assembly, which would limit the rights of condominium owners.
Current law permits condominium owners, acting by approval of 75% of unit owners, to limit or restrict certain rights of their board with respect to disputes and legal actions. This bill would remove that right and automatically void any contrary provision in a condominium instrument. This bill is an unnecessary restriction on the rights of condominium owners with respect to their property.
Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return House Bil 2644, "AN ACT concerning civil law", with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.
Sincerely,
Bruce Rauner
GOVERNOR
Veto Message SB 816
To the Honorable Members of
The Illinois Senate,
99th General Assembly:
Today I return Senate Bill 816 with a specific recommendation for change.
Section 2.1 of the Water Commission Act authorizes a water commission to vote to dissolve itself and consolidate into another unit of government. This authority was only recently enacted into law in 2014 at the recommendation of the Local Government Consolidation Commission. Senate Bill 816 would remove this authority.
Illinois currently has almost 7,000 units of local government, far more than any state in the country. I strongly support the authority of units of local government to take initiative to dissolve and consolidate.
In one particular circumstance, however, this authority is hampering the DuPage Water Commission's ability to effectively serve its constituents. The Commission was created and funded by voluntary participating municipalities. Because the Commission can be effectively dissolved by those municipalities, the additional authority conferred by the 2014 law is not necessary in the limited case of the Commission.
I applaud the efforts of those members of the General Assembly who have championed the consolidation of local government. The change recommended below allows for the dissolution of water commissions best suited to their circumstances.
Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(e) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 816, entitled "AN ACT concerning local government", with the following specific recommendation for change:
On page 1, by replacing lines 7 through 23 with the following:
"Sec. 2.1. Cessation of commission organization.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a majority vote of the water commission is in favor of the proposition to annex the commission to another commission whose boundaries are contiguous, or consolidate the commission into a municipality with which the commission is coterminous or substantially coterminous, or consolidate the commission into the county in which the commission sits, and if the governing authorities of the governmental unit assuming the functions of the former commission agree by resolution to accept the functions (and jurisdiction over the territory, if applicable) of the consolidated or annexed commission, then the commission shall cease. On the effective date of the annexation or consolidation, all the rights, powers, duties, assets, property, liabilities, indebtedness, obligations, bonding authority, taxing authority, and responsibilities of the commission shall vest in and be assumed by the governmental unit assuming the functions of the former commission.
The employees of the former commission shall be transferred to the governmental unit assuming the functions of the former commission. The governmental unit assuming the functions of the former commission shall exercise the rights and responsibilities of the former commission with respect to those employees. The status and rights of the employees of the former commission under any applicable contracts or collective bargaining agreements, historical representation rights under the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, or under any pension, retirement, or annuity plan shall not be affected by this amendatory Act.
(b) This Section shall not apply to any water commission organized in DuPage County."; and
On page 2, by deleting lines 1 through 12.
With this change, Senate Bill 816 will have my approval. I respectfully request your concurrence.
Sincerely,
Bruce Rauner
GOVERNOR
Veto Message SB 1344
To the Honorable Members of
The Illinois Senate,
99th General Assembly:
Today I veto Senate Bill 1344 from the 99th General Assembly, which lowers the threshold required for common interest community associations to incorporate as municipalities.
Under current law, a common interest community association may initiate the process to incorporate as a municipality upon approval by two-thirds of its members. Senate Bill 1344 would lower that threshold from two-thirds to "51%" of the members.
The decision to incorporate as a municipality, which implicates a range of tax and local governance policies, should not be taken lightly. Illinois has almost 7,000 units of local government, more than any state in country. As such, we should maintain the higher threshold for initiating the incorporation process.
Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 1344, "AN ACT concerning civil law", with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.
Sincerely,
Bruce Rauner
GOVERNOR
Veto Message SB 1360
To the Honorable Members of
The Illinois Senate,
99th General Assembly:
Today I veto Senate Bill 1360 from the 99th General Assembly, which would increase the cost and burdens of doing business in Cook County.
Under current law, a business that operates with an assumed name is required to register that name with the Secretary of State and each county in which the business operates. The business is also required to renew that registration with the Secretary of State - and pay a renewal fee to the State - periodically. This bill would require the business to also renew its registration with Cook County, but no other county, every five years and pay a renewal fee to Cook County.
This new mandate and fee would apply mostly to small businesses. The economic climate in Illinois is already detrimental to business, particularly small business. Over and over, we hear small businesses report that they are overburdened with regulations and fees, which hamper their ability to expand and impose barriers to entry.
Moreover, the need for the bill is not apparent. The Secretary of State maintains a thorough and current online database of business registrations and assumed names. We should be exploring ways to consolidate and eliminate redundant filing requirements between the State and local governments, rather than expanding them.
Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 1360, entitled "AN ACT concerning business", with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.
Sincerely,
Bruce Rauner
GOVERNOR
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