The 2010 spring legislative session in Springfield is halfway done. Over 700 bills have passed at least one chamber, but hundreds more remain lodged in committee or have been granted brief extensions. Apart from the high-profile debates over the budget and pension reform, we've reported on numerous initiatives that progressive activists are pushing for in Springfield. While by no means comprehensive, here is an update on how some of those efforts have fared.

Bills that passed at least one chamber

SB 3568
Grants the Illinois Department of Labor authority to investigate and issue an enforceable judgment on claims lower than $3,000 per employee; Passed Senate (56-0), referred to House Rules Committee.

HB 5783
Makes it easier for people to provide professional hair braiding services; Passed House (95-20-1), referred to Senate Assignments Committee.

SB 2571
Establishes a high-speed rail authority in Illinois to help coordinate spending priorities and lobby for funding; Passed Senate (51-2), referred to House Rules Committee.

SB 3047
Establishes a health care implementation task force to monitor the execution of federal health care reforms and make recommendations for any additional state reforms; Passed Senate (33-21-1), referred to House Rules Committee.

HB 6419
Grants school districts the authority to set up a cooperative wind farm and sell their excess power to utility companies for a profit; Passed House (96-1).

HB 6202
Improves net metering rules, allowing homeowners and small businesses to sell back renewable energy they generate themselves; Passed House (112-2).

SB 3507
Would require the Illinois Education Funding Advisory Board to set an annual foundation level for investment in early education programs; Passed Senate (57-0), referred to House Rules Committee.

HB 4756
Creates the Farmers' Market Technology Improvement Program to expand the use of food stamp benefits at farmers markets; Passed House (110-2), referred to Senate Human Services Committee.

SB 2549
Allows Illinoisans to harvest rainwater for non-potable uses like flushing toilets; Passed Senate (56-0), referred to House Rules Committee.

Bills that have until April 15 to pass first chamber

SB 3536
Would reinstate some crucial insurance industry reforms that were tossed out when the state law capping medical malpractice damages was ruled unconstitutional.

SB 655, Amendment 1
Would close a damaging loophole in the state's Payday Loan Reform Act

SB 2925
Establishes a pilot program to conduct early voting, grace period registration, and grace period voting on state college campuses -- but not community colleges.

SB 3686
Seeks to expand wind power in Illinois by requiring that utilities fulfill their obligations under the state's Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard through local sources first.

Stuck In Committee Or Not Yet Introduced

A proposed constitutional amendment (SJRCA 92) to remove the mandate that Illinois have a flat income tax rate was tossed into the Senate Executive Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments.

The Senate also failed to move on an appropriations bill (SB 3821) that would have sent $18 million in new funding towards HIV/AIDS prevention and medical programs for low-income patients.

In the lower chamber, House Speaker Michael Madigan left an array of bills to die in the Rules Committee. These include a paid sick leave measure (HB 3665), the Reproductive Care Act (HB 6205), an attempt to block a questionable private Medicaid managed care pilot program (HB 5086), a bill changint the way Illinois counts prison inmates on the U.S. Census (HB 4650), a ban on the the use of toxin Bisphenol-A in reusable food containers for children under age 3 (HB 6088), public financing of elections (HB 5692), and legislation speeding up the date by which utilities have to purchase solar power (HB 6013).

On the plus side, the full House has postponed Madigan's unnecessary judicial experience amendment (HJRCA 57). Another sneaky bill (HB 6000) that would have made it a whole lot harder for new Chicago aldermanic candidates to get on the ballot in 2011 remained lodged in the Rules Committee as well.

Rep. Greg Harris' (D-Chicago) civil unions bill won't move until next fall at the earliest. Senate Democrats are also yet to introduce their plan to reform the redistricting process.

Any other bills we should be tracking when the legislature returns to Springfield?  Let us know in the comments section below.