Rep. Mike Fortner

Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution. Limits a person's total service in the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives, President of the Senate, Minority Leader of the House, or Minority Leader of the Senate to a total of 8 years in any one office and 12 years combined in 2 or more offices. Effective upon being declared adopted and applies to service on or after the second Wednesday in January, 2014.

Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution. Limits a person's total service in the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives, President of the Senate, Minority Leader of the House, or Minority Leader of the Senate to a total of 8 years in any one office and 12 years combined in 2 or more offices. Effective upon being declared adopted and applies to service on or after the second Wednesday in January, 2014.

Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that the boundaries of Legislative and Representative districts may be separate. Requires that both types of districts, in addition to being compact, contiguous, and substantially equal in population, must reflect minority voting strengths, promote competition, and consider political boundaries. Replaces the current method of redistricting of the Senate and House of Representatives with the following: a commission, appointed by the legislative leaders and in accordance with scoring criteria provided by law, shall score separate Legislative District and Representative District maps submitted by the public; the Senate and House, each by a three-fifths vote, shall adopt one of the 3 maps with the best scores for its districts; and the Secretary of State shall certify the map with the best score if a chamber fails to adopt a map. Specifies the schedule for redistricting activities. Effective upon being declared adopted and applicable to redistricting beginning in 2021 and to the election of General Assembly members beginning in 2022.

Amends the Election Code. Provides that a person who (i) filed a statement of candidacy as an established political party's candidate at a general primary or (ii) voted at an established political party's general primary may not file a statement of candidacy as an independent candidate or as a different party's candidate at the immediately following general election. A person may file a statement of candidacy for a partisan office as a qualified primary voter of an established political party regardless of any prior filing of candidacy for a partisan office or voting the ballot of an established political party at any prior election. Effective immediately.

Pledges support for Argonne National Laboratory and its bid to be the home of the Energy Storage Hub and encourages the United States Department of Energy to consider Argonne for the location of the Hub.

Amends the Fire Protection District Act. Provides that the fire chief or any other designated officer of the fire department of a fire protection district may, with the authorization of the board of trustees of the fire protection district, prohibit open burning within the district on an emergency basis, if (i) the atmospheric conditions or other circumstances create an unreasonable risk of fire because of wind, weather, or the types of combustibles and (ii) the resources of the fire department are not sufficient to control and suppress a fire resulting from one or more of those conditions or circumstances.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. In a provision concerning the process for soliciting bids for electricity and other related services and awarding proposed agreements for the purchase of electricity and other related services, provides that an electric utility that provides residential and small commercial retail electric service in the aggregate area must, upon request of the corporate authorities or the county board in the aggregate area, submit to the requesting party, in an electronic format, those account numbers (in addition to the names and addresses) of residential and small commercial retail customers in the aggregate area that are reflected in the electric utility's records at the time of the request. Effective immediately.

Amends the Technology Development Act. Authorizes the State Treasurer to segregate up to 3% of the Treasurer's investment portfolio in the Technology Development Account IIa. Authorizes investments from the account to provide venture capital to help attract, assist, and retain quality technology businesses in Illinois. Provides that the Treasurer may solicit proposals from entities to manage and be the General Partner of Technology Development Account IIb, a separate fund consisting of investments from private sector investors that must invest, at the direction of the Treasurer, in tandem with TDA IIa. Sets restrictions and conditions. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the members of the State Board of Education.

Congratulates Ronald Ackerman on his retirement as Chief of the West Chicago Fire Protection District.