RECAP of January 2022
By President, Dean Graven
Summary:
January started with the hospitalization of Staff, Evelyn Yowell. She was out of the office for a week while in the hospital and another to recover. However, she is doing well and in the process of completing all the needs of HBAI.
Mike Manion, Contract Lobbyist, was introduced to our Legislative Committee and has held two telephone conferences. It will be a transition process to adjust from an in house to a contract lobbyist. However, it is moving forward smoothly and revising the agenda format for the Conference Call. A change is notifying the entire Membership of the Legislative call to approximately 900+ individual emails providing an opportunity to any Member to participate.
The search committee will be meeting to find our next Executive Vice President in the next few weeks.
Legislative Committee:
- 2022 may be one of the strangest General Assembly Session in memory. Due to the 10-year redistricting of the state, means all 177 members and Constitutional Officers will be up for election. The election date will be June 28th. In order to be in district to obtain their petition signatures, session days may be shortened. The Senate has reported they will be back on 2-1-22 and the House reports “just not in today”. Which possibly means, the House will be in a few days.
- The Senate has no committees scheduled and the House has cancelled any committee meetings
- The Governor’s State of the State and the State of the Budget report will be combined on February 2nd. Not clear whether it will be in person or possibly via electronic media.
- HB3125 – Electric Car Chargers Mandate Robin Gabel sponsor passed the bill out of committee with the provision that amendments will be added to the bill to clarify. Currently no amendments have been posted. Once posted, HBAI will work with our coalition stakeholders and our Legislative Committee to revise to meet the needs of our Membership.
- SB3613 – Creates the Hydrogen Economy Act. Creates the Hydrogen Economy Task Force. With Toyota going to hydrogen instead of electric vehicles may help with the electric car chargers’ efforts
- HB3293 – Work Comp Review Committee -Provides that each Commissioner appointed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall receive an annual salary of 70% of a Circuit Court Judge in the Judicial Court constituted by the First Judicial District under the Salaries Act and the Chairman shall receive an annual salary of 5% more than the other Commissioners.
- HB4356 – Rep Robin Gabel, sponsor. Carpet disposal to recycle carpet fees. Bill has been assigned to the Energy & Environment Committee
- Rumor is the General Assembly will not be in Springfield until March
- Energy Conservation Advisory Committee Update -Jason Huelsmann & Allen Drewes – Do not have the final report from the committee meetings, however the assumptions are:
- Will maintain the 2018 insulation levels
- Blower door exchange from 4 to 3
- Duct tests
- Code changes do not go into effect until 6 months after approval. The final report goes to the JCAR committee, to approve and it is unclear when JCAR will receive the report
Executive Vice President Search Committee:
- The committee
- Dean Graven
- Bryan Wenthe
- Mark Fulford
- John Frerichs
- Jon Thompson
- Pete Stefani
- The first step is deciding on the job description. With the change in HBAI structure in 2021 separating the duties into a contract lobbyist and Executive Vice President and the elimination of the admin position. Prioritizing the important & urgent functions of this new position, will be the priority.
