Senate passes Stadelman bill to permit online hearings for protection orders

State Senator Steve Stadelman won unanimous approval Thursday for his legilsation to let domestic violence and sexual assault survivors appear virtually when requesting judges issue them orders of protection. 

Senate Bill 3667 would give people the option to file a protective order either online or in-person. The measure also would require any court in a county with a population above 250,000 to offer the option of a remote hearing to someone petitioning for a protective order.

“The weight of trauma that a survivor carries becomes detrimental as they struggle to cope with grief and take the steps necessary to begin to heal,” Stadelman said. “By giving survivors the opportunity to file for protective orders at their own pace in the safety of their own homes, we are giving them the keys to move forward.”
 

 Click on photo to watch video from Springfield news conference:

"This legislation provides survivors of sexual violence the choices they deserve when filing for protective orders,” Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault Executive Director Carrie Ward said during a news conference this week at the State Capitol. “The availability of an online option is critical in giving survivors the opportunity to secure their protective orders in the safest and easiest way possible."

If approved in the Illinois House of Representatives and signed by Governor JB Pritzker, the law would apply in Winnebago and eight other counties. Orders of protection prohibit demand that abusers stay away from and refrain from contacting assault survivors.

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Stadelman anti-corruption bill approved by Senate

State Senator Steve Stadelman helped win approval today for a bipartisan bill to help restore faith in local government by establishing a process to place local elected officials on administrative leave when they've been accused of violating their oath.

“We are ensuring that while criminal charges are pending, residents can have trust in their government to act appropriately,” Stadelman said. “This allows townships and counties the ability to remove bad faith actors within the system.”

The legislation, also sponsored by Senator Dave Syverson and Representatives Maurice West and Dave Vella, creates a process in which countywide elected officials or township officers can be placed on administrative leave in the wake of a criminal charge for a crime or any offense in violation of their official oath. Under Senate Bill 3460, county or township boards could vote by a three-fifths majority to recommend the official be placed on administrative leave.

From there, the state's attorney would determine if the crimes were relevant to the accused official's duties and then would file a motion in court to place the official on administrative leave.

“An elected official should not remain in office after violating an oath they took that breaks the trust of their community,” Stadelman said. “This process already exists for many other offices in Illinois – it only makes sense to apply this standard across the board.”

Rockford lawmakers introduced the bill in response to corruption charges filed in 2020 against Winnebago County Coroner Bill Hintz. While his trial is ongoing, the coroner continued to serve in his elected position and was accused by the Illinois Attorney General of further misconduct.

Senator Stadelman and Senator Syverson speaking about SB 3460.

Stadelman advances incentive to buy Illinois-made vehicles

Legislation co-sponsored by State Senator Steve Stadelman that encourages people to invest in cars and small trucks manufactured in Illinois advanced this week out of the Senate Transportation Committee.

Under Senate Bill 3609, Illinoisans purchasing cars or passenger trucks will have the opportunity to apply for a $25 rebate on the title fee if the vehicle was manufactured in Illinois. The application for title must occur within one year of the month the vehicle was manufactured.

Stadelman, the bill's chief co-sponsor, called the incentive a "reward for a highly-skilled Illinois workforce that produces high-quality vehicles -- besides being a discount for the consumers who buy them."

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Steve Stadelman
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Congratulations to Rockford University, which today celebrated the 175th anniversary of the signing of its charter, with an awards luncheon in Regents Hall. President Eric Fulcomer honored seven organizations for their contributions to what began in 1847 as Rockford Female Seminary: the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (bottom right) and the Puri Foundation (Sunil Puri with former RU presidents Paul Pribbenow and Bill Shields, bottom left) along with Collins Aerospace, woodward Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Rock Valley College and the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

 


State Senator Steve Stadelman
January 28 at 1:32 PM