04-16-2008: This will likely be a critical week in the fight against the Structural Work Act (SWA) reinstatement bill (HB 2094). It was not called for a vote in the House as of Friday April 11, 2008, but the House meets Tuesday through Friday this week (April 15-18), and Friday is the deadline for House passage of House Bills.

Thank you all for your efforts to date. With a lot of work, we can beat this thing.

Your lobbyists in Springfield have been working together to lobby all 118 members of the House. However, they need your support: they need you to speak to the legislators with the voice of their constituents. Here on BuildingIllinois.com you can find a copy of a state-wide coalition’s fact sheet for your reference, in addition to the AHEAD fact sheet, FAQ and other resources to help you reach out to legislators and the media. Please continue to ask your members to place calls and faxes.

04-11-2008: The Structural Work Act (SWA) reinstatement bill (HB 2094) was not called for a vote in the House as of April 11, 2008. The House adjourned late that afternoon and will return to Springfield on Tuesday April 15.

Thank you all for your efforts to date. With a lot of work, we can beat this thing. Your lobbyists in Springfield have been working together to lobby all 118 members of the House. However, they need your support: they need you to speak to the legislators with the voice of their constituents. Here on BuildingIllinois.com you can find a copy of a state-wide coalition’s fact sheet for your reference, in addition to the AHEAD fact sheet, FAQ and other resources to help you reach out to legislators and the media. Please continue to ask your members to place calls and faxes.

Each association should also send a letter, from its President or Executive, to each House member requesting a “no” vote on the SWA reinstatement bill. Attached for your reference is a spreadsheet with the names, addresses and phone/fax numbers of each member of the General Assembly.

As you can see, we have completely revised this site and there is a ton of great information here for your use and your members’ use. We’ll be adding updated material as this campaign continues.

Download a spreadsheet with the names, addresses and phone/fax numbers of each member of the General Assembly.

04-17-2008: As of Thursday, April 17, 2008, the bill to reinstate the Structural Work Act (HB 2094) has not yet been called for a vote in the House. The legislation is still very much alive, however, since the House extended its deadline for considering bills (the deadline for 3rd reading, as it is called) until Friday, May 9.

04-29-2008: Reliable sources in Springfield are reporting that the bill reinstating the SWA will likely be called for a House floor vote on Wednesday April 30 or Thursday May 1.

It is therefore an urgent matter for all of our association members to fax letters to each member of the Illinois General Assembly (both House and Senate), and to ask their respective memberships to contact their local legislators. If this effort remains a work in progress for you, please finish that phase of our "grassroots" outreach effort as soon as possible.

If you would like more guidance on producing letters, check our tips on writing Letters to Legislators.

Also, an amendment to the bill has been introduced. This amendment is intended to do three things: (a) exempt architects, engineers and land surveyors; and (b) remove provisions stating that violations are a Class A misdemeanor that can be filed by "any attorney;" and (c) add a severability clause. This is not a good thing for the construction industry, since it removes potential allies who would otherwise be expected to oppose this bill. This amendment is still in the House Rules Committee, so we will watch the House Rules report very closely and update you on any movement to release the amendment language. It is unclear on exactly when Rep. Fritchey intends to move HB 2094.

Act Now. Only through a vibrant "grassroots" outreach, together with the ongoing on-the-ground lobbying efforts in Springfield, can we hope to avoid the devastating impacts that would result if SWA were reenacted.

05-02-2008: The bill to reinstate the Structural Work Act has not yet been called for a floor vote in the House.

It was not called on Thursday May 1; rumors were that too many legislators were absent. However, Amendment #2, was recommended to the full House on a party line vote, effectively making Amendment #2 the legislation.

The bill could be voted on during any session day next week: Tuesday May 6 through Friday May 9. It appears that our grassroots efforts are working. Please keep up the pressure on your legislators.
Act Now.

05-05-2008: Decision Time for the SWA in the House

Last week concluded without a House floor vote on HB 2094 (Fritchey), the bill to reinstate Structural Work Act.

The expected roll call vote is extremely close now — reflecting that our efforts are paying off. In fact, a few legislative absences last week made it too risky for the sponsor to call his bill.

The House is in session this week from Tuesday through Friday (May 6–9), and Friday is the deadline for HB 2094 to pass the House.

As improbable as it once may have seemed, we appear close to defeating this measure on the House floor. With so few session days left before the House passage deadline, your calls and faxed letters NOW are key.