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News April 2002

Court knocks gun law, grandparent visitation
The Illinois Supreme Court invalidated a part of the ?15-20-life? anti-gun crime law and a statute permitting grandparents to sue for visitation rights. Meanwhile, a Cook County Circuit Court judge struck down a liquor tax hike used to bankroll the Illinois First program.

Under ?15-20-life,?? courts were required to extend the sentence in convictions for some felonies by 15 or 20 years or to life. The state Supreme Court ruled the ?15? section of the law unconstitutional because a sentence can be disproportionately longer than one for a similar crime not within the law?s reach.

The high court ruled that the visitation rights law violated the constitutional guarantee of due process and that it contradicts the presumption a parent acts in the best interest of the child.

In the liquor tax case, Judge Alexander White said the General Assembly violated the state Constitution?s one-subject rule and failed to give lawmakers enough time to review the bill.

The tax generates an estimated $80 million annually for the state. In the meantime, the state, which is appealing, will continue to collect the tax.

Illinois Issues, April 26 , 2002

Jail makes list
The Illinois State Penitentiary in Joliet, which Gov. George Ryan closed to help ease the state’s financial woes, made the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois’ list of Ten Most Endangered Historic Places for 2002. Joliet, constructed in 1858, is the oldest prison in Illinois and one of the oldest in the United States, according to the council.

Illinois Issues, April 4 , 2002

Campaign finance reform
President George W. Bush signed off on campaign finance reforms that ban so-called “soft money” contributions to national political parties. The ban will take effect after the November elections.

Illinois Issues, April 4 , 2002