August 14, 2015

To the Honorable Members of

The Illinois House of Representatives,

99th General Assembly:

Today I veto House Bill 1345 from the 99th General Assembly, which imposes new and unnecessary licensing requirements on business and imposes new burdens on ex-offender reentry into the job market.

First, this bill would require remittance agents – persons who assist businesses in obtaining Illinois vehicle registrations – to take “prelicensing education training courses” on top of existing licensing requirements. We should not impose new regulations on business in this difficult economic climate without compelling and substantiated justification. We should instead pursue voluntary training opportunities.

Second, this bill would prohibit a person from obtaining a vehicle dealer license or from serving as an officer, director, or significant owner of a vehicle dealer if he or she has been convicted of a “forcible felony,” which is defined to include specific serious crimes as well as “any other felony which involves the use or threat of physical force or violence against any individual.”

We must be careful whenever we disqualify ex-offenders from employment. While persons convicted of serious crimes may not be suitable for certain positions, disqualification is inconsistent with our goal of facilitating successful reentry of ex-offenders into society. In this case, the definition of forcible felony is potentially too broad: while it includes serious offenses like murder and rape, it also includes “any other felony which involves the use or threat of physical force or violence against any individual.” Courts have examined and attempted to narrow the definition, but it remains open-ended and subject to frequent litigation, particularly over more common offenses like assault and battery.

In addition, courts have instructed us that a disqualifying offense must have a clear nexus to the position. The connection between forcible felony and vehicle dealership licensure is not apparent.

Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return House Bill 1345, entitled “AN ACT concerning transportation”, with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.

Sincerely,

Bruce Rauner

GOVERNOR