Oct 30, 2009 6:47 pm US/Central
Cemetery Reform Measure Stalled Until 2010
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) ―
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Illinois cemeteries are not regulated strongly enough, critics say. A reform measure being considered in the General Assembly has been stalled until 2010.
CBS
A proposal to revamp the state's cemetery oversight laws has hit a major roadblock in the Illinois General Assembly that will stall the reform effort until next year.
CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports that the proposed reforms were buried on Friday amid concerns from private for-profit cemeteries who wanted to be excluded from many of the requirements in the proposal.
On Thursday, the reforms passed overwhelmingly in the Illinois House and the sponsors predicted it would also pass easily in the State Senate.
But Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) did not allow that vote on Friday. Instead, he planned to call another round of public hearings on cemetery reform -- time and place still uncertain.
The proposed reforms were prompted by the grave desecration scandal at Chicago's Burr Oak Cemetery.
Four former Burr Oak employees have been charged with digging up graves in a scheme to resell burial plots.
State Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago), the chief House sponsor of the reform measure, said families victimized by Burr Oak were deeply disappointed that they'll now to have to wait until next year.
The measure was amended on the House floor Thursday evening, with the strong backing of House Speaker Michael J. Madigan. The chamber approved the bill 89-27, sending it to the Senate.
Davis and others said the amended bill would require that cemeteries must maintain a map showing each grave site; cemeteries must maintain their grounds free of garbage, and also must trim plants. County death certificates must also show burial sites.
At private, for-profit cemeteries, managers and customer service representatives must be licensed, subject to fingerprinting and background checks. Identification cards would be required for grave diggers and maintenance workers.
Municipal and religious cemeteries would be exempt from licensing, but other questions remained about the proposal and several senators said it would be better not to rush passage of the reforms.
Opponents in the House, including Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville, decried the scandal that occurred at Burr Oak but said the measure would unfairly burden cemeteries with additional costs.
Cullerton has pledged the Senate would take up the reform proposal when it reconvenes in January.
CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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