While the overall tone of the legislature has been fairly quiet so far, several bills moved forward this week. The House unanimously passed a measure to permit train commuters in the Chicago area to carry bicycles with them on trains, thus allowing someone to bike to and from the train stations at both ends of their commute.
HB 467 was sponsored by Rep. Marlow Colvin along with 30 other co-sponsors, and is being sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Carol Ronen.House Bill 1149, sponsored by Rep. John Millner, also passed the House unanimously. This bill would establish a commission to recommend options for increasing opportunities for computer and electronics recycling.
The House Environmental Health Committee passed HB 1585, which would ban local governments and school districts from using arsenic-containing building materials on playgrounds. Wooden playground equipment may use arsenic as a preservative agent to prevent rotting. Sponsored by Rep. Karen May, the bill now goes to the full House.