By Jamey Dunn
The Illinois House will head back to Springfield on Monday with the intent of passing a budget.
According to an e-mail from House Speaker Mike Madigan’s spokesman, Steve Brown, lawmakers will be back in the chamber Monday afternoon. In the e-mail, Brown told legislators to come prepared to work Tuesday and Wednesday as well. Senate President John Cullerton sent out a memo to his members telling them they would be back Wednesday and may be in until Friday. He said in the memo that although he did not expect the session to stretch into Memorial Day weekend, “it may be necessary, depending on the action taken in the House of Representatives.”
Lawmakers must approve a budget by midnight on Monday, when the new fiscal year begins. Anything passed after that date will need a three-fifths majority to take effect.
The Senate passed a budget plan earlier this month, and Cullerton has reiterated that it is now the House’s move.
Representatives have not yet been able to reach agreement on a plan. A bill to borrow almost $4 billion to make the annual pension payment failed, as well as a proposal that would cut roughly the same amount next fiscal year. The reductions mainly target primary and secondary education, an area that is politically difficult for both parties to cut.
Madigan, the sponsor of the cuts measure, invited members from both sides of the aisle to file amendments to the bill proposing alternative cuts. So far only one member, Madigan’s fellow Democrat Rep. Jack Franks from Woodstock, has presented many amendments (Amendments 3, 4 and 5). Franks’ amendments would end salaries for members of executive branch boards or commissions and cut legislators’ and top agency officials’ pay.
Expect a lot of debate and grandstanding from both sides of the aisle next week on hot-button issues like cuts and borrowing.
As part of its budget plan, the Senate passed a bill to direct money toward education from a dollar-a-pack cigarette tax increase that the chamber passed last session. The bill lacked the votes in the House when the legislators left town on May 7.
Without new revenue or borrowing in the mix, the only other substantial option is fairly drastic budget cuts. Democrats have spent the last two weeks negotiating agreements behind close doors, and the plan may take shape next week.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
State can keep interest on unclaimed property
By Rachel Wells
As a result of a Supreme Court ruling issued today, Illinoisans can rest assured that, for now, at least one state bank account won’t lose millions of dollars.
After a piece of property – such as money in an abandoned safe deposit box – goes unclaimed for up to seven years, the state takes control of it. While the rightful owner can later reclaim the items, or at least the value of those items, the state gets to keep any interest it earns while keeping in its trust the neglected or abandoned property.
Some owners of reclaimed property argue that the interest should go to them, not the state. But the Supreme Court decided today that the state’s procedure, outlined by law, is constitutional and can continue.
In their decision, justices pointed to Illinois’ system as more “benevolent” than many other states' procedures, which have been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, in that it allows owners to reclaim property no matter how long it’s been under state control. Illinois never assumes ownership but holds the property indefinitely or until it’s reclaimed.
“In return for this seemingly advantageous, long-term reclamation service, the state receives the benefit of retaining the interest earned from its management of the property after it is placed in state custody,” Justice Lloyd Karmeier wrote in the Supreme Court opinion. Citing the lower court, which said it was unclear whether the property in question was earning interest prior to the state taking control of it, Karmeier added: “Simply put, the State’s gain did not establish a loss on the part of the plaintiffs.”
According to the treasurer’s office, had the court accepted the argument of property owners who filed the lawsuit, the state could have lost millions of dollars. Right now, the claims trust fund holds a balance of roughly $50 million, which earns interest for the general revenue fund. But the state also, over the last four years, returned an average of $85 million to property owners.
“If we had to pay out interest on all property we return, the numbers would amount to millions,” said Scott Burnham, spokesman for the treasurer’s office. He added that the state is incapable of earning interest on all properties in question, such as a payroll check. “When we return funds, we may have held those funds for six weeks or six years or far more. If we had to calculate interest at a rate determined by the court and pay compound interest to each owner, we would pay millions in interest out each year.”
The legal team arguing against the state is “disappointed” in the court’s decision and will consider appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court, said counselor John Wylie with Chicago firm Donaldson and Guin.
As a result of a Supreme Court ruling issued today, Illinoisans can rest assured that, for now, at least one state bank account won’t lose millions of dollars.
After a piece of property – such as money in an abandoned safe deposit box – goes unclaimed for up to seven years, the state takes control of it. While the rightful owner can later reclaim the items, or at least the value of those items, the state gets to keep any interest it earns while keeping in its trust the neglected or abandoned property.
Some owners of reclaimed property argue that the interest should go to them, not the state. But the Supreme Court decided today that the state’s procedure, outlined by law, is constitutional and can continue.
In their decision, justices pointed to Illinois’ system as more “benevolent” than many other states' procedures, which have been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, in that it allows owners to reclaim property no matter how long it’s been under state control. Illinois never assumes ownership but holds the property indefinitely or until it’s reclaimed.
“In return for this seemingly advantageous, long-term reclamation service, the state receives the benefit of retaining the interest earned from its management of the property after it is placed in state custody,” Justice Lloyd Karmeier wrote in the Supreme Court opinion. Citing the lower court, which said it was unclear whether the property in question was earning interest prior to the state taking control of it, Karmeier added: “Simply put, the State’s gain did not establish a loss on the part of the plaintiffs.”
According to the treasurer’s office, had the court accepted the argument of property owners who filed the lawsuit, the state could have lost millions of dollars. Right now, the claims trust fund holds a balance of roughly $50 million, which earns interest for the general revenue fund. But the state also, over the last four years, returned an average of $85 million to property owners.
“If we had to pay out interest on all property we return, the numbers would amount to millions,” said Scott Burnham, spokesman for the treasurer’s office. He added that the state is incapable of earning interest on all properties in question, such as a payroll check. “When we return funds, we may have held those funds for six weeks or six years or far more. If we had to calculate interest at a rate determined by the court and pay compound interest to each owner, we would pay millions in interest out each year.”
The legal team arguing against the state is “disappointed” in the court’s decision and will consider appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court, said counselor John Wylie with Chicago firm Donaldson and Guin.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Quinn shoots down scholarship reforms
By Rachel Wells
Reforms aren't enough, Gov. Pat Quinn said today in a message vetoing changes to the General Assembly's scholarship program, which some lawmakers allegedly have used to reward political supporters.
The program, which cost state universities roughly $13.5 million last year, allows each lawmaker to award two four-year tuition waivers every year to students in his or her district.
Senate Bill 365 would have allowed lawmakers to continue awarding the waivers, but would limit them from giving them to anyone whose family members had contributed to the lawmaker’s campaign within five years of the award, among other changes.
Quinn said he would like the legislature to instead look at House Bill 4685, which would eliminate the program. Opponents of the waivers also complain that they place more strain on already underfunded university budgets.
“This bill fails to adopt the fundamental reforms that are necessary to bring transparency, competition and fairness to the General Assembly scholarship program,” Quinn said in a veto statement. “A program that relies on the favor of a legislator rather than the merit of an applicant is not a program I can endorse.”
Rikeesha Phelon, spokeswoman for the bill’s sponsor, Senate President John Cullerton, said Cullerton would discuss the issue with his caucus before the legislature's fall veto session. “Right now the focus needs to stay on the budget,” she said. In passing the measure this spring, Cullerton’s position was that “there’s no need to throw the student out with the bathwater,” Phelon said.
Reforms aren't enough, Gov. Pat Quinn said today in a message vetoing changes to the General Assembly's scholarship program, which some lawmakers allegedly have used to reward political supporters.
The program, which cost state universities roughly $13.5 million last year, allows each lawmaker to award two four-year tuition waivers every year to students in his or her district.
Senate Bill 365 would have allowed lawmakers to continue awarding the waivers, but would limit them from giving them to anyone whose family members had contributed to the lawmaker’s campaign within five years of the award, among other changes.
Quinn said he would like the legislature to instead look at House Bill 4685, which would eliminate the program. Opponents of the waivers also complain that they place more strain on already underfunded university budgets.
“This bill fails to adopt the fundamental reforms that are necessary to bring transparency, competition and fairness to the General Assembly scholarship program,” Quinn said in a veto statement. “A program that relies on the favor of a legislator rather than the merit of an applicant is not a program I can endorse.”
Rikeesha Phelon, spokeswoman for the bill’s sponsor, Senate President John Cullerton, said Cullerton would discuss the issue with his caucus before the legislature's fall veto session. “Right now the focus needs to stay on the budget,” she said. In passing the measure this spring, Cullerton’s position was that “there’s no need to throw the student out with the bathwater,” Phelon said.
Friday, May 07, 2010
Legislative wrapup
By Rachel Wells
University borrowing
Under a bill passed today, universities would have the ability to borrow in anticipation of payments from the state. SB 642, would allow schools to borrow 75 percent of what they are owed. The money would have to be repaid within one year of the loan or 10 days after the state comes through with the payments.
Telecommunications
The Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved changes to Illinois’ Telecommunications Act, the framework regulating providers of basic telephone service.
SB 107, if signed by the governor, would lighten regulations on those providers, which include AT&T, while ensuring that providers of newer technologies, such as cable telephone systems and broadband, that they would not be regulated by the state for at least the next three years. The measure would also require companies such as AT&T to offer price-fixed, basic telephone packages.
The measure is heralded as a “jobs bill” and a way to lure in more broadband investment. But consumer advocacy groups such as the Citizens Utility Board [CUB] say the bill might actually widen the digital divide between rural and urban Illinois.
The House on Wednesday approved the bill with unanimous support. Gov. Pat Quinn, an who helped create CUB and who as governor says jobs are a main priority, has not said whether he would sign the measure into law.
Illinois State Police funding
The Illinois State Police will likely avoid numerous layoffs and regional office closures now that both chambers of the General Assembly have approved a measure expected to provide $22 million.
SB 3695 would require county courts to assess additional fees of between $1 and $15 to go to the ISP Operations Assistance Fund. When those fees are placed on mail-in bonds, which by Supreme Court rule cannot exceed $75, the ISP fee would further diminish the amount now distributed to several local agencies.
Opponents say local governments can’t afford a shrinking piece of the pie. Those in favor of the measure say that without the additional funding, the ISP would have to cut about 460 officers and close five regional offices. With fewer police on the roads, counties and municipalities would see less money from ISP citations.
Nursing home reform
Potential nursing home patients would undergo enhanced screening and background checks before being admitted to a long-term care facility, under SB 326, which the General Assembly approved this week with near unanimous support.
Mentally ill patients would also only be admitted to nursing homes specially certified for handling such patients, who would be segregated from other patients, and nursing homes would be subject to tighter reporting and ethics regulations.
A working group of state agencies and other stakeholders would also be formed to study possible expansion and funding of residential and community-based care options.
Unfunded mandates
Schools would be allowed to ignore certain state mandates, under a measure now headed to the governor.
If HB 80 becomes law, schools could use a lower blend of biodiesel, raise driver’s education fees to $250 from $50 and reclassify students receiving only speech services so that they don’t require an individual education program, as other special education students do.
Lobbyist reform
If Gov. Pat Quinn signs SB 1526, lobbyists would again be required to pay an annual registration fee, but it would be less expensive than the one the legislature wrote into law last year.
A judge blocked the state from collecting the $1,000 fee approved last year after groups sued on the basis that such a high figure violated First Amendment rights. Following the ruling, the secretary of state stopped collecting fees altogether.
The new measure would lower the annual fee to $300.
Under a bill passed today, universities would have the ability to borrow in anticipation of payments from the state. SB 642, would allow schools to borrow 75 percent of what they are owed. The money would have to be repaid within one year of the loan or 10 days after the state comes through with the payments.
Telecommunications
The Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved changes to Illinois’ Telecommunications Act, the framework regulating providers of basic telephone service.
SB 107, if signed by the governor, would lighten regulations on those providers, which include AT&T, while ensuring that providers of newer technologies, such as cable telephone systems and broadband, that they would not be regulated by the state for at least the next three years. The measure would also require companies such as AT&T to offer price-fixed, basic telephone packages.
The measure is heralded as a “jobs bill” and a way to lure in more broadband investment. But consumer advocacy groups such as the Citizens Utility Board [CUB] say the bill might actually widen the digital divide between rural and urban Illinois.
The House on Wednesday approved the bill with unanimous support. Gov. Pat Quinn, an who helped create CUB and who as governor says jobs are a main priority, has not said whether he would sign the measure into law.
Illinois State Police funding
The Illinois State Police will likely avoid numerous layoffs and regional office closures now that both chambers of the General Assembly have approved a measure expected to provide $22 million.
SB 3695 would require county courts to assess additional fees of between $1 and $15 to go to the ISP Operations Assistance Fund. When those fees are placed on mail-in bonds, which by Supreme Court rule cannot exceed $75, the ISP fee would further diminish the amount now distributed to several local agencies.
Opponents say local governments can’t afford a shrinking piece of the pie. Those in favor of the measure say that without the additional funding, the ISP would have to cut about 460 officers and close five regional offices. With fewer police on the roads, counties and municipalities would see less money from ISP citations.
Nursing home reform
Potential nursing home patients would undergo enhanced screening and background checks before being admitted to a long-term care facility, under SB 326, which the General Assembly approved this week with near unanimous support.
Mentally ill patients would also only be admitted to nursing homes specially certified for handling such patients, who would be segregated from other patients, and nursing homes would be subject to tighter reporting and ethics regulations.
A working group of state agencies and other stakeholders would also be formed to study possible expansion and funding of residential and community-based care options.
Unfunded mandates
Schools would be allowed to ignore certain state mandates, under a measure now headed to the governor.
If HB 80 becomes law, schools could use a lower blend of biodiesel, raise driver’s education fees to $250 from $50 and reclassify students receiving only speech services so that they don’t require an individual education program, as other special education students do.
Lobbyist reform
If Gov. Pat Quinn signs SB 1526, lobbyists would again be required to pay an annual registration fee, but it would be less expensive than the one the legislature wrote into law last year.
A judge blocked the state from collecting the $1,000 fee approved last year after groups sued on the basis that such a high figure violated First Amendment rights. Following the ruling, the secretary of state stopped collecting fees altogether.
The new measure would lower the annual fee to $300.
The blame game
By Jamey Dunn and Rachel Wells
It seems everybody had someone to blame today after a budget failed to pass both chambers of the General Assembly.
Senate Democrats, with no Republican backing, passed a plan and are now looking to the House to finish the job. “The action is over in the House. We have passed a budget. We have passed the revenues necessary to fund the budget, and it’s up to the House,” Senate President John Cullerton said.
The Senate passed:
House Bill 2428 which is similar to the House “Emergency Budget Act” that emerged last night. It requires legislators, state constitutional officers and agency executives to forfeit one day's pay each month during the fiscal year. It also extends the “lapse period,” the time when the state can pay off its bills from the previous fiscal year, from August 31 to December 31. It also gives Gov. Pat Quinn the power to borrow from special funds and includes the tobacco settlement “securitization.”
HB543 would let the state skip its employee pension payment until Quinn can find the nearly $4 billion needed.
HB991 would appropriate the money from a $1-a-pack cigarette tax increase, which passed in the Senate last year, to K-12 education, assuming that the increase, Senate Bill 44, passes in the House.
The Senate passed a spending bill early this morning. That plan would require Quinn to make about $2 billion in cuts from last year’s spending.
Although the Senate passed several major budget components, the House failed to pass any budget legislation or take up the bills the other chamber approved.
It seems everybody had someone to blame today after a budget failed to pass both chambers of the General Assembly.
Senate Democrats, with no Republican backing, passed a plan and are now looking to the House to finish the job. “The action is over in the House. We have passed a budget. We have passed the revenues necessary to fund the budget, and it’s up to the House,” Senate President John Cullerton said.
The Senate passed:
House Bill 2428 which is similar to the House “Emergency Budget Act” that emerged last night. It requires legislators, state constitutional officers and agency executives to forfeit one day's pay each month during the fiscal year. It also extends the “lapse period,” the time when the state can pay off its bills from the previous fiscal year, from August 31 to December 31. It also gives Gov. Pat Quinn the power to borrow from special funds and includes the tobacco settlement “securitization.”
HB543 would let the state skip its employee pension payment until Quinn can find the nearly $4 billion needed.
HB991 would appropriate the money from a $1-a-pack cigarette tax increase, which passed in the Senate last year, to K-12 education, assuming that the increase, Senate Bill 44, passes in the House.
The Senate passed a spending bill early this morning. That plan would require Quinn to make about $2 billion in cuts from last year’s spending.
Although the Senate passed several major budget components, the House failed to pass any budget legislation or take up the bills the other chamber approved.
“[House Speaker Mike Madigan] doesn’t have the necessary votes to pass the bills that we have passed here,” Cullerton said. However, he added that budget negotiations frequently take longer than originally planned. “Every once in a while this happens at the end of the year.”
Needing Republican votes to pass a borrowing plan to finance the annual pension payment, Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie from Chicago, the House majority leader, pointed to the minority party for failing to propose a real alternative. “Borrowing for the pension payment is not a great thing to do, but it is, I think, the only thing to do, since no one has proposed a $4 billion cut in state spending.
“More than half of you supported a substantial borrowing program for the state universities as recently as yesterday, and you supported a plan like this just one year ago. So what’s changed?” Currie asked.
But, as Currie blamed Republicans for the possibility that the state might skip a pension payment, which would cost more money in the long run, House Minority Leader Tom Cross blamed Quinn for repeatedly disappointing them.
“A year ago, we said to you, ‘Yes, we will participate in a borrowing plan,’” Cross said. “The problem of today versus a year ago is we said to the governor, ‘Governor, we’re going to give you a chance, we have a new governor, a fresh start, we have some problems.’” But Quinn didn’t live up to House Republicans’ expectations, Cross said. “Our governor needs to lead. Leaders lead. He needs to cut; he needs to control spending; he needs to pay his bills; he needs to provide for job growth and Medicaid reform.”
The bill, SB 3514, only received 59 votes, 12 short of the number required for a borrowing measure.
Democrats then moved on to SB 1211, a spending bill that called for cuts equal to what the pension payment would be. The reductions were aimed at primary and secondary education, an unpopular area to cut. The measure failed by a wide margin, but House Speaker Michael Madigan challenged the minority caucus to file amendments detailing other cutting options.
“More than half of you supported a substantial borrowing program for the state universities as recently as yesterday, and you supported a plan like this just one year ago. So what’s changed?” Currie asked.
But, as Currie blamed Republicans for the possibility that the state might skip a pension payment, which would cost more money in the long run, House Minority Leader Tom Cross blamed Quinn for repeatedly disappointing them.
“A year ago, we said to you, ‘Yes, we will participate in a borrowing plan,’” Cross said. “The problem of today versus a year ago is we said to the governor, ‘Governor, we’re going to give you a chance, we have a new governor, a fresh start, we have some problems.’” But Quinn didn’t live up to House Republicans’ expectations, Cross said. “Our governor needs to lead. Leaders lead. He needs to cut; he needs to control spending; he needs to pay his bills; he needs to provide for job growth and Medicaid reform.”
The bill, SB 3514, only received 59 votes, 12 short of the number required for a borrowing measure.
Democrats then moved on to SB 1211, a spending bill that called for cuts equal to what the pension payment would be. The reductions were aimed at primary and secondary education, an unpopular area to cut. The measure failed by a wide margin, but House Speaker Michael Madigan challenged the minority caucus to file amendments detailing other cutting options.
Sen. Donne Trotter sees the troubles in the House as a chronic problem. “The House, I believe, has dropped the ball for the past two years in trying to be a partner and trying to make Illinois whole again. And it’s not easy, the economy is still bad, but there are certainly things that can be done that make it better than what it is now.”
Trotter said he doesn’t blame Quinn, and in the end the legislature has a duty to legislate. “He’s not our daddy,” Trotter said.
That may be the biggest passing of the buck to come out of the negotiations. Like last year, the General Assembly plans to give Quinn lump-sum appropriations and expects him to make what are sure to be unpopular cuts instead of negotiating a budget that doles out money by line item.
Cullerton blamed the recent financial crisis and lack of Republican support for pushing legislators to what he called the “dubious honor” of letting the governor make the spending decisions.
“In order to pass a budget when you have to cut so much, you have to get 30 and 60 people to agree to these cuts, and when the other party is saying no to everything, it makes it very difficult to pass,” he said.
Cullerton said Democrats "have worked on many, many things with the Republicans here. The one area where they just basically have just said we’re not going to help you is the budget, and that obviously is major area.”
But the deadline that the General Assembly missed today was really only one that they imposed on themselves.
As lawmakers left the Statehouse on Friday, on the day leaders had for months said would be the final day of their spring session, Rep. John Fritchey, a Chicago Democrat, said the self-imposed deadline didn’t matter. He said any budget deadline other than the constitutionally established date of May 31 is “arbitrary.”
Cullerton said both chambers will be returning before the end of the month.
Trotter said he doesn’t blame Quinn, and in the end the legislature has a duty to legislate. “He’s not our daddy,” Trotter said.
That may be the biggest passing of the buck to come out of the negotiations. Like last year, the General Assembly plans to give Quinn lump-sum appropriations and expects him to make what are sure to be unpopular cuts instead of negotiating a budget that doles out money by line item.
Cullerton blamed the recent financial crisis and lack of Republican support for pushing legislators to what he called the “dubious honor” of letting the governor make the spending decisions.
“In order to pass a budget when you have to cut so much, you have to get 30 and 60 people to agree to these cuts, and when the other party is saying no to everything, it makes it very difficult to pass,” he said.
Cullerton said Democrats "have worked on many, many things with the Republicans here. The one area where they just basically have just said we’re not going to help you is the budget, and that obviously is major area.”
But the deadline that the General Assembly missed today was really only one that they imposed on themselves.
As lawmakers left the Statehouse on Friday, on the day leaders had for months said would be the final day of their spring session, Rep. John Fritchey, a Chicago Democrat, said the self-imposed deadline didn’t matter. He said any budget deadline other than the constitutionally established date of May 31 is “arbitrary.”
Cullerton said both chambers will be returning before the end of the month.
Budget plans emerge in each chamber
By Jamey Dunn
On the night before the self-imposed adjournment date, each chamber of the General Assembly unveiled its own budget bill. The Senate passed its legislation and sent it to the House, but the House did not take final action on its own spending plan.
Both the Senate and the House spending bills hinge upon an “emergency budget act” passing in the House. That bill, Senate Bill 3660, would:
One of the differences is that the Senate bill relies on the House to pass a cigarette tax hike. A $1-dollar-a-pack increase barely passed in the Senate last year and has so far lacked the needed support in the House.
The Senate spending bill became the centerpiece for a rhetorical debate because it would appropriate the spending for capital construction projects that passed last session again. Democrats said they were trying to point out that Republicans supported big-ticket items while calling for budget cuts. Senate President John Cullerton said Senate Republicans were asked to vote again on their capital projects to highlight their “priorities.”
Senate Republicans accused the Democrats of playing games with the budget and going back on hard-fought negotiations that had produced the first capital bill in a decade. Regarding the overall budget bill, Republicans said Democrats were forcing members from both parties to vote on a more than 2,000-page bill that they hadn't had time to read. They called on Democrats to slow down the process to make it more transparent, since they have until the end of the month to pass the budget. But the Democrats, who control the Senate, called the budget bill for a vote, anyway, and it passed, 31-26
Both chambers are scheduled to be in session Friday.
"We have other plans that we have to sift through to make it work," said Chicago Democrat Sen. Donne Trotter, the sponsor of the HB 859, "There's still a lot of heavy lifting to do."
On the night before the self-imposed adjournment date, each chamber of the General Assembly unveiled its own budget bill. The Senate passed its legislation and sent it to the House, but the House did not take final action on its own spending plan.
Both the Senate and the House spending bills hinge upon an “emergency budget act” passing in the House. That bill, Senate Bill 3660, would:
- Suspend the $3.7 billion annual pension payment until January 31, 2011.
- Extend the time the state has to pay any overdue FY2010 bills from August 31, 2010, to December 31, 2010.
- Require lawmakers, constitutional officers and executive agency directors to take 12 furlough days.
- Create an independent state agency called the Railsplitter Tobacco Authority. The state would transfer its future payments from a national tobacco settlement to the agency, which would issue $1.7 billion in bonding with the settlement money pledged to pay off the borrowing.
- Allow the governor to borrow from special funds for the General Revenue Fund and Common School Fund. That money would have to be put back in the special funds a year after it was borrowed.
One of the differences is that the Senate bill relies on the House to pass a cigarette tax hike. A $1-dollar-a-pack increase barely passed in the Senate last year and has so far lacked the needed support in the House.
The Senate spending bill became the centerpiece for a rhetorical debate because it would appropriate the spending for capital construction projects that passed last session again. Democrats said they were trying to point out that Republicans supported big-ticket items while calling for budget cuts. Senate President John Cullerton said Senate Republicans were asked to vote again on their capital projects to highlight their “priorities.”
Senate Republicans accused the Democrats of playing games with the budget and going back on hard-fought negotiations that had produced the first capital bill in a decade. Regarding the overall budget bill, Republicans said Democrats were forcing members from both parties to vote on a more than 2,000-page bill that they hadn't had time to read. They called on Democrats to slow down the process to make it more transparent, since they have until the end of the month to pass the budget. But the Democrats, who control the Senate, called the budget bill for a vote, anyway, and it passed, 31-26
Both chambers are scheduled to be in session Friday.
"We have other plans that we have to sift through to make it work," said Chicago Democrat Sen. Donne Trotter, the sponsor of the HB 859, "There's still a lot of heavy lifting to do."
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
House approves telecom rewrite
By Rachel Wells
Telecommunications companies are a little closer to assurance that advanced technologies will not be regulated, at least until 2013, and that old technologies won’t drain their resources.
The House today approved a rewrite of the 1985 law regulating telecommunications companies operating in Illinois. The act was last updated in 2001.
Under the measure, SB 107, broadband and Internet-based phone providers would be guaranteed for the life of the law that those services would remain unregulated. Internet-based phone services would be required to register with the Illinois Commerce Commission but would only have to provide very basic information. That information would allow the state to map where Illinois does and does not have adequate broadband adoption.
Regulations on landline service providers would also be loosened. Instead of requiring repair of landline service within 24 hours, the measure would allow a 30-hour window. The threat of a $30 million fine for companies such as AT&T for failing to meet service quality standards would also disappear if the bill became law.
They would, however, still be subject to fines of up to $200,000 for each offense. Other service quality standards would include installing service to customers within five business days and keeping appointments with customers. Failing to meet those standards would result in consumer credits.
The measure would also fix costs for three levels of basic phone service for the next three years.
Proponents say loosening regulations and providing regulatory certainty will encourage telecommunications companies to invest in broadband in Illinois, which in turn would bring more jobs in other sectors to the state.
The consumer advocacy group The Citizens Utility Board says the bill contains no provisions requiring telecommunications companies to invest in broadband throughout the entire state, including rural and low-income areas, nor does it guarantee jobs.
“You can not guarantee the unguaranteeable,” said Rep. Kevin McCarthy, an Orland Park Democrat. “But we can guarantee the way we’ve been going up until now, has been nothing but losing jobs.”
The House approved the measure with unanimous support.
Telecommunications companies are a little closer to assurance that advanced technologies will not be regulated, at least until 2013, and that old technologies won’t drain their resources.
The House today approved a rewrite of the 1985 law regulating telecommunications companies operating in Illinois. The act was last updated in 2001.
Under the measure, SB 107, broadband and Internet-based phone providers would be guaranteed for the life of the law that those services would remain unregulated. Internet-based phone services would be required to register with the Illinois Commerce Commission but would only have to provide very basic information. That information would allow the state to map where Illinois does and does not have adequate broadband adoption.
Regulations on landline service providers would also be loosened. Instead of requiring repair of landline service within 24 hours, the measure would allow a 30-hour window. The threat of a $30 million fine for companies such as AT&T for failing to meet service quality standards would also disappear if the bill became law.
They would, however, still be subject to fines of up to $200,000 for each offense. Other service quality standards would include installing service to customers within five business days and keeping appointments with customers. Failing to meet those standards would result in consumer credits.
The measure would also fix costs for three levels of basic phone service for the next three years.
Proponents say loosening regulations and providing regulatory certainty will encourage telecommunications companies to invest in broadband in Illinois, which in turn would bring more jobs in other sectors to the state.
The consumer advocacy group The Citizens Utility Board says the bill contains no provisions requiring telecommunications companies to invest in broadband throughout the entire state, including rural and low-income areas, nor does it guarantee jobs.
“You can not guarantee the unguaranteeable,” said Rep. Kevin McCarthy, an Orland Park Democrat. “But we can guarantee the way we’ve been going up until now, has been nothing but losing jobs.”
The House approved the measure with unanimous support.
Budget off to rocky start
The broad strokes
By Jamey Dunn
She later voiced support for a $1-a-pack cigarette tax increase that passed in the Senate last session. Currie estimated it would bring in about $320 million. A plan to “securitize” the state’s chunk of the national tobacco settlement would bring in more than $1 billion for next fiscal year.
“All of these things are part of a final budget mix, and we’ll see where we go,” Currie said.
But by far the biggest component was a plan to borrow almost $4 billion to make the pension payment. It passed in the committee along partisan lines.
On the House floor, the borrowing amendment, which is similar to the tactic the state employed to make the pension payment last fiscal year, was called for a vote to add it to existing legislation, and it received the simple majority it needed. However, the full bill will require a three-fifths vote to pass on to the Senate.
With Wednesday's vote, the Democrats were testing the waters for pension borrowing, and the response was a resounding “no.” There wasn’t even unanimous support on their side of the aisle. Of course, the bill can always be called for another vote later, and time will tell if Democrats can find the 10 or so votes they would need for it to garner the three-fifths majority.
“It’s the same old thing. We’re just continuing to look at a budget as an instrument of debt rather than a balanced instrument that’s supposed to have real revenue for the expenses,” said Rep. Roger Eddy, a Hutsonville Republican.
Eddy added, “I think unless and until there is a real commitment to talk about some of the reforms that we feel are necessary for a responsible approach to budgeting, nobody’s really interested in borrowing more as the answer. ... When you think about the cost that has been piled onto the pension system in the last seven or eight years with various schemes and payments not being made, we’re paying hundreds of millions of dollars in interest.”
Currie said that while cuts may be necessary, Republicans couldn’t produce a list of $4 billion in cuts that would be politically tolerable or sustainable for the state.
After the committee meeting this morning, she had hinted that the borrowing might not find the support it needed. Currie said that without borrowing, “we’re going to have to scuttle about and figure out what our other options might be.”
Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget director David Vaught said of the pension bonds this morning, “This bill is about cash—we don’t have any, so we’d like to use bonds, issue bonds and sell some bonds, to pay the pension funds.”
If pension borrowing cannot pass in the House, it begs the questions: Where will the “cash” come from? Or will it come at all?
State Police Funding
By Rachel Wells
Illinois State Police may get their funding, but local governments won’t be happy about it.
The Illinois Senate approved a measure today that would provide an estimated $22 million to the state law enforcement agency, which under proposed cuts would otherwise lay off about 460 sworn officers and close five regional offices.
Some of that funding will come from additional $1 to $15 fines imposed during court proceedings, but others would apply to mail-in bonds, such as those associated with some speeding tickets, that by Supreme Court ruling cannot be raised above $75. In those cases, counties and municipalities would have to share the $75 fee with the Illinois State Police, shrinking local government’s cut.
Lawmakers aren’t sure how much Senate Bill 3695 would take from local governments statewide, but Kip Kolkmeier of Metro Counties said Lake County government had estimated annual losses at about $160,000, with municipalities in Lake County losing about $180,000.
“I’m not trying to diminish that, that just doesn’t seem like a whole lot at risk compared to the employment of 460 officers and us losing five of our regional offices to protect us,” says Senate sponsor Kimberly Lightford, a Maywood Democrat.
“If the state police are to lay off 464 officers and close five districts, the director has already testified in committee that we will become a reactive agency and no longer be proactive out writing citations,” said State Police Capt. Tim Becker. “In 2009, our 540,000 citations generated $16 million for the counties. That’s $16 million they will not be getting if we’re not out writing tickets.”
Opponents voiced concerns that the money could be swept into the general revenue fund and may not go toward state police funding in the end
“[It’s] going to take a big slice out of municipal and county law enforcement officials’ money. So in the end, we’re robbing Peter to pay Paul,” said Rep. Dale Righter, a Mattoon Republican.
The measure, already approved by the House, now heads to the governor.
By Jamey Dunn
House Democrats appear to be crafting a budget without a tax increase, without borrowing to make the annual pension payment and without Republican support.
In a House committee this morning, Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, a Chicago Democrat, laid out some possible pieces of the budget. The committee approved an amnesty plan for delinquent taxpayers that Currie said could bring in about $250 million.She later voiced support for a $1-a-pack cigarette tax increase that passed in the Senate last session. Currie estimated it would bring in about $320 million. A plan to “securitize” the state’s chunk of the national tobacco settlement would bring in more than $1 billion for next fiscal year.
“All of these things are part of a final budget mix, and we’ll see where we go,” Currie said.
But by far the biggest component was a plan to borrow almost $4 billion to make the pension payment. It passed in the committee along partisan lines.
On the House floor, the borrowing amendment, which is similar to the tactic the state employed to make the pension payment last fiscal year, was called for a vote to add it to existing legislation, and it received the simple majority it needed. However, the full bill will require a three-fifths vote to pass on to the Senate.
With Wednesday's vote, the Democrats were testing the waters for pension borrowing, and the response was a resounding “no.” There wasn’t even unanimous support on their side of the aisle. Of course, the bill can always be called for another vote later, and time will tell if Democrats can find the 10 or so votes they would need for it to garner the three-fifths majority.
“It’s the same old thing. We’re just continuing to look at a budget as an instrument of debt rather than a balanced instrument that’s supposed to have real revenue for the expenses,” said Rep. Roger Eddy, a Hutsonville Republican.
Eddy added, “I think unless and until there is a real commitment to talk about some of the reforms that we feel are necessary for a responsible approach to budgeting, nobody’s really interested in borrowing more as the answer. ... When you think about the cost that has been piled onto the pension system in the last seven or eight years with various schemes and payments not being made, we’re paying hundreds of millions of dollars in interest.”
Currie said that while cuts may be necessary, Republicans couldn’t produce a list of $4 billion in cuts that would be politically tolerable or sustainable for the state.
After the committee meeting this morning, she had hinted that the borrowing might not find the support it needed. Currie said that without borrowing, “we’re going to have to scuttle about and figure out what our other options might be.”
Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget director David Vaught said of the pension bonds this morning, “This bill is about cash—we don’t have any, so we’d like to use bonds, issue bonds and sell some bonds, to pay the pension funds.”
If pension borrowing cannot pass in the House, it begs the questions: Where will the “cash” come from? Or will it come at all?
State Police Funding
By Rachel Wells
Illinois State Police may get their funding, but local governments won’t be happy about it.
The Illinois Senate approved a measure today that would provide an estimated $22 million to the state law enforcement agency, which under proposed cuts would otherwise lay off about 460 sworn officers and close five regional offices.
Some of that funding will come from additional $1 to $15 fines imposed during court proceedings, but others would apply to mail-in bonds, such as those associated with some speeding tickets, that by Supreme Court ruling cannot be raised above $75. In those cases, counties and municipalities would have to share the $75 fee with the Illinois State Police, shrinking local government’s cut.
Lawmakers aren’t sure how much Senate Bill 3695 would take from local governments statewide, but Kip Kolkmeier of Metro Counties said Lake County government had estimated annual losses at about $160,000, with municipalities in Lake County losing about $180,000.
“I’m not trying to diminish that, that just doesn’t seem like a whole lot at risk compared to the employment of 460 officers and us losing five of our regional offices to protect us,” says Senate sponsor Kimberly Lightford, a Maywood Democrat.
“If the state police are to lay off 464 officers and close five districts, the director has already testified in committee that we will become a reactive agency and no longer be proactive out writing citations,” said State Police Capt. Tim Becker. “In 2009, our 540,000 citations generated $16 million for the counties. That’s $16 million they will not be getting if we’re not out writing tickets.”
Opponents voiced concerns that the money could be swept into the general revenue fund and may not go toward state police funding in the end
“[It’s] going to take a big slice out of municipal and county law enforcement officials’ money. So in the end, we’re robbing Peter to pay Paul,” said Rep. Dale Righter, a Mattoon Republican.
The measure, already approved by the House, now heads to the governor.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Quinn calls for insurance reform
By Jamey Dunn
Gov. Pat Quinn called for lawmakers to pass legislation before they adjourn their spring session that would allow Illinois to capture $200 million in federal funds to expand the state’s pool for high-risk health insurance.
Illinois offers people with preexisting conditions an opportunity to be insured through the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan, often referred to as ICHIP. However, the premiums, which can often be steep, make the program unaffordable for many. Quinn said the federal funds would expand the program and make “high risk” health insurance more readily available.
Quinn is also asking lawmakers to pass a “bill of rights” for health care consumers. It would include:
“Right now if you have home insurance or auto insurance, you have an ability to appeal to the [Illinois] Department of Insurance to make sure that you’re getting a fair shake. That provision does not apply right now to health insurance, and it should,” he said at a Chicago news conference.
Michael McRaith, director of the Illinois Department of Insurance, agreed that reforms are needed.
“Make no mistake that Illinois’ health insurance marketplace right now is completely dysfunctional,” he said at the news conference.
McRaith, who has long advocated for expanding consumer access to insurance, said Quinn’s proposal will not fix all the problems, but it will help some families get access to health care and bridge the gap until federal heath care reform takes effect in 2014.
“It is not a silver bullet. It is not a panacea, but it will provide great relief to families around our state in this important transition period leading up to 2014,” he said.
Quinn’s demand that the legislature address this becomes another issue stacked upon some sweeping changes to nursing home and telecommunications regulation that the General Assembly plans to address this session — not to mention passing a “balanced” budget, that will not contain an income tax increase, in the face of a $13 billion deficit. And don’t forget, legislators are still saying they will have session wrapped up by the end of the week. Things are going to start moving quickly. Check back for updates.
Gov. Pat Quinn called for lawmakers to pass legislation before they adjourn their spring session that would allow Illinois to capture $200 million in federal funds to expand the state’s pool for high-risk health insurance.
Illinois offers people with preexisting conditions an opportunity to be insured through the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan, often referred to as ICHIP. However, the premiums, which can often be steep, make the program unaffordable for many. Quinn said the federal funds would expand the program and make “high risk” health insurance more readily available.
Quinn is also asking lawmakers to pass a “bill of rights” for health care consumers. It would include:
- Coverage for children with preexisting conditions.
- Guaranteed access for women to obstetrical and gynecological care.
- Requirements that insurance companies make information, such as premium and health care costs, available to the public.
“Right now if you have home insurance or auto insurance, you have an ability to appeal to the [Illinois] Department of Insurance to make sure that you’re getting a fair shake. That provision does not apply right now to health insurance, and it should,” he said at a Chicago news conference.
Michael McRaith, director of the Illinois Department of Insurance, agreed that reforms are needed.
“Make no mistake that Illinois’ health insurance marketplace right now is completely dysfunctional,” he said at the news conference.
McRaith, who has long advocated for expanding consumer access to insurance, said Quinn’s proposal will not fix all the problems, but it will help some families get access to health care and bridge the gap until federal heath care reform takes effect in 2014.
“It is not a silver bullet. It is not a panacea, but it will provide great relief to families around our state in this important transition period leading up to 2014,” he said.
Quinn’s demand that the legislature address this becomes another issue stacked upon some sweeping changes to nursing home and telecommunications regulation that the General Assembly plans to address this session — not to mention passing a “balanced” budget, that will not contain an income tax increase, in the face of a $13 billion deficit. And don’t forget, legislators are still saying they will have session wrapped up by the end of the week. Things are going to start moving quickly. Check back for updates.
Free rides compromise moves forward
By Rachel Wells
Sen. Rickey Hendon has changed his mind. Offering free mass transit rides to all seniors is going too far, the Chicago Democrat said.
Last month, after blocking a repeal of the program that he sponsored in 2008, Hendon today sought and found committee approval for limiting free rides to only low- and middle-income seniors.
Previous proposals to repeal the program set the annual income level limits at about $22,000 for individuals, $29,000 for a household of two and $36,000 for a household of three or more. Those limits are too low, Hendon said.
The limits included in HB 4623, which received unanimous approval from committee members, would be about $41,000 for one, $54,000 for two and $57,000 for a family of three or more, Hendon said.
“I think this is a real number. It works. Seniors won’t have to make the decision between trying to ride and feeding themselves or buying their medication,” Hendon said.
He thanked Senate President John Cullerton and Republican Sen. Christine Radogno for convincing him that free rides for all seniors, including the wealthy, was not the way to go.
The measure would allow financially troubled Chicago transportation systems to collect $25 million to $35 million more.
Hendon did, however, insist upon a sunset clause that, if the legislation is not renewed in two years, would reopen the program to all seniors.
“I don’t quite trust CTA,” Hendon said. “The two-year sunset allows us two years to see if they’re going to put more trains on the tracks and more buses and see what they do with the money.”
Radogno said giving free rides to wealthy seniors is not the way to make the CTA accountable. “It just doesn’t seem to me to make a lot of sense to revert to bad public policy to discipline an agency, that if we have problems with CTA we ought to find another way to do it.”
Sen. Rickey Hendon has changed his mind. Offering free mass transit rides to all seniors is going too far, the Chicago Democrat said.
Last month, after blocking a repeal of the program that he sponsored in 2008, Hendon today sought and found committee approval for limiting free rides to only low- and middle-income seniors.
Previous proposals to repeal the program set the annual income level limits at about $22,000 for individuals, $29,000 for a household of two and $36,000 for a household of three or more. Those limits are too low, Hendon said.
The limits included in HB 4623, which received unanimous approval from committee members, would be about $41,000 for one, $54,000 for two and $57,000 for a family of three or more, Hendon said.
“I think this is a real number. It works. Seniors won’t have to make the decision between trying to ride and feeding themselves or buying their medication,” Hendon said.
He thanked Senate President John Cullerton and Republican Sen. Christine Radogno for convincing him that free rides for all seniors, including the wealthy, was not the way to go.
The measure would allow financially troubled Chicago transportation systems to collect $25 million to $35 million more.
Hendon did, however, insist upon a sunset clause that, if the legislation is not renewed in two years, would reopen the program to all seniors.
“I don’t quite trust CTA,” Hendon said. “The two-year sunset allows us two years to see if they’re going to put more trains on the tracks and more buses and see what they do with the money.”
Radogno said giving free rides to wealthy seniors is not the way to make the CTA accountable. “It just doesn’t seem to me to make a lot of sense to revert to bad public policy to discipline an agency, that if we have problems with CTA we ought to find another way to do it.”
Monday, May 03, 2010
Cohen plans governor bid
Former lieutenant governor candidate Scott Lee Cohen announced today he plans to run for governor as an independent.
Cohen stepped aside as the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor after allegations of domestic violence and stories of steroid use surfaced from his past. The Democratic Central Committee has since chosen Sheila Simon as Cohen’s replacement.
"Everybody, everybody makes mistakes in their life. Everybody's entitled to a second chance, and everybody is entitled to redemption," Cohen said at the Chicago news conference he held to announce his candidacy for governor. He will have to collect 25,000 signatures from registered voters by June 21 to get his name on the ballot.
Cohen stepped aside as the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor after allegations of domestic violence and stories of steroid use surfaced from his past. The Democratic Central Committee has since chosen Sheila Simon as Cohen’s replacement.
"Everybody, everybody makes mistakes in their life. Everybody's entitled to a second chance, and everybody is entitled to redemption," Cohen said at the Chicago news conference he held to announce his candidacy for governor. He will have to collect 25,000 signatures from registered voters by June 21 to get his name on the ballot.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Remap fails in the House
By Jamey Dunn
As expected, the Democrats’ constitutional amendment to change the way Illinois draws its voting districts failed today.
House Republicans and one Democrat voted down the measure after about two hours of debate this afternoon.
Republicans were critical of the plan because under it, a simple majority could pass a map for both chambers, giving the majority party the power to cut out the minority.
“It gives an edge to the majority party. That’s not the way redistricting should be. It should be a level playing field … and it should not be about us taking care of our own districts. These are not ‘our’ districts,” House Minority Leader Tom Cross said after the vote.
Republicans said the plan was set up to fail so the current system would stay in place.
“No one really thought that was real. It was another attempt, in this state, of reform that really wasn’t reform,” Cross said. He added that Gov. Pat Quinn’s criticism of the measure earlier today only backed up his theory.
Democrats and Republicans alike are critical of the current system, which often ends in a random drawing to decide which party gets to create the map.
Democrats said their proposal is the one that made it through the legislative process and accused Republicans of casting their votes in favor of the current system.
Chicago Democrat Sen. Kwame Raoul, a sponsor of the bill, said he was “highly disappointed. We’re stuck with the status quo.”
He added, “The [Republican-backed] ‘Fair Map’ [amendment] got a fair hearing in both chambers—four and a half hours in the Senate, four hours in the House. It also had its opportunity with the people at large [as a voters’ imitative]. Apparently, the people at large have not embraced it. So it’s gotten its opportunity.”
As expected, the Democrats’ constitutional amendment to change the way Illinois draws its voting districts failed today.
House Republicans and one Democrat voted down the measure after about two hours of debate this afternoon.
Republicans were critical of the plan because under it, a simple majority could pass a map for both chambers, giving the majority party the power to cut out the minority.
“It gives an edge to the majority party. That’s not the way redistricting should be. It should be a level playing field … and it should not be about us taking care of our own districts. These are not ‘our’ districts,” House Minority Leader Tom Cross said after the vote.
Republicans said the plan was set up to fail so the current system would stay in place.
“No one really thought that was real. It was another attempt, in this state, of reform that really wasn’t reform,” Cross said. He added that Gov. Pat Quinn’s criticism of the measure earlier today only backed up his theory.
Democrats and Republicans alike are critical of the current system, which often ends in a random drawing to decide which party gets to create the map.
Democrats said their proposal is the one that made it through the legislative process and accused Republicans of casting their votes in favor of the current system.
Chicago Democrat Sen. Kwame Raoul, a sponsor of the bill, said he was “highly disappointed. We’re stuck with the status quo.”
He added, “The [Republican-backed] ‘Fair Map’ [amendment] got a fair hearing in both chambers—four and a half hours in the Senate, four hours in the House. It also had its opportunity with the people at large [as a voters’ imitative]. Apparently, the people at large have not embraced it. So it’s gotten its opportunity.”
Lawmakers approve FOIA exemptions
By Rachel Wells
Public employee evaluations would be sealed to the public if Gov. Pat Quinn signs a measure that opponents say would roll back major reforms made last year in the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The change would expand an exemption that Quinn signed into law earlier this year exempting performance evaluations of teachers, principals and superintendents. The new changes are part of legislation meant to improve Illinois’ chances at earning federal education grant funding. Proponents argued that opening up the evaluations to the public would devalue them, as those writing the evaluations might be less candid, and that treating educators differently from other state employees would not be fair.
“There has to be a line that we draw that we do protect the personal interest of people, [that] we do let them know that because you are a public employee, we trust that you will come to work and do a good job,” said Sen. Kimberly Lightford, a Maywood Democrat and sponsor of House Bill 5154. “And if you don’t, then you will be disciplined by the employer, not by John Q Public. There has to be a dividing line.”
Opponents call the measure a step back in Illinois’ progress toward a more open government and worry lawmakers will further degrade last year’s FOIA reforms.
“We are concerned that more bills will come down the pike to further shove public information into the shadows,” said Melissa Hahn, president of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association.
Although Lightford has said there’s no connection between the union-backed FOIA change and recent changes to the state’s pension systems, which unions adamantly opposed, Hahn said she’s not convinced.
“The unions lost when it came to pensions, so lawmakers are giving them this to help make up for it,” Hahn said.
The pension legislation went through both houses in one day on March 24, about a year after Quinn first proposed the measure. The House approved the FOIA changes on March 11 , and the Senate approved the measure today.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Redistricting vote bumped to tomorrow
Illinois House members say they will not vote on the Democrats' redistricting plan until tomorrow.
House Speaker Michael Madigan and Chicago Democratic Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie had said yesterday that the constitutional amendment would be called for a vote today. But legislators left the Statehouse this evening without considering the measure. Democrat Sen. Kwame Raoul, the Senate sponsor of the plan, said it was bumped to tomorrow because some Democrats were not in Springfield today to cast their votes.
"I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful. You never know what's going to happen, even on this side of the aisle," Raoul said. He was on the House floor today lobbying members of his party. "I'm not talking to people about the weather. I'm answering as many questions as I can."
Raoul said he thinks some Republicans may vote for the amendment when they realize the choice is either it or the status quo. However, many Republicans still insist they cannot support a proposal that would allow legislators to draw voting district lines.
House Speaker Michael Madigan and Chicago Democratic Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie had said yesterday that the constitutional amendment would be called for a vote today. But legislators left the Statehouse this evening without considering the measure. Democrat Sen. Kwame Raoul, the Senate sponsor of the plan, said it was bumped to tomorrow because some Democrats were not in Springfield today to cast their votes.
"I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful. You never know what's going to happen, even on this side of the aisle," Raoul said. He was on the House floor today lobbying members of his party. "I'm not talking to people about the weather. I'm answering as many questions as I can."
Raoul said he thinks some Republicans may vote for the amendment when they realize the choice is either it or the status quo. However, many Republicans still insist they cannot support a proposal that would allow legislators to draw voting district lines.
Autism rises as state cash flow drops
By Rachel Wells
Mary Kay Betz, a director at the Autism Society of Illinois, was once told that her son Riley would never speak. Today, he read a speech in front of lawmakers, advocates and reporters as he worked to encourage awareness during Autism Lobby Day.
“If I hadn’t received the services I did at the time, my life would probably be very different,” 9-year-old Riley Betz said. “Because the programs were funded when I was smaller, I was given a chance.” But he also pointed to the state’s current financial climate is leading to providers no longer receiving timely paychecks and cuts to services.
All the while, autism rates are rising.
“When we first started coming and talking about this, about four or five years ago, we were quoting statistics as one out of 150 children is on some form of the [autism] spectrum,” said Rep. Patti Bellock, a Westmont Republican. “I’m sorry to say that that is now one in 110.”
The challenge going forward, Bellock said, would be to ensure that autistic children still have support when they become adults. She said the state needed to start exploring ways to make that happen.
“Between insurance coverage, between educational programs, early intervention programs, early diagnosis, these are all key to making this condition a livable condition,” said Elmhurst Mayor Pete DiCianni, whose daughter is autistic. While he doesn’t expect any further action until after the election, DiCianni is helping push Senate Bill 3106, which would allow voters to remove limits on property taxes for special education.
Addressing the budget question, Glen Ellyn Republican Rep. Sandra Pihos said lawmakers have not received answers to their questions and called for a review of state contract efficiency. “Unless we can wrap our arms around actual figures, I don’t know how we solve the budget problem.”
Lawmakers also called for constituents to voice their concerns to their representatives and senators, including the four legislative leaders.
“It is April 28 today, and we are scheduled to be out on May 7, and we have not had 30 seconds of a debate on our budget,” Pihos said. “So this is where I say we need [parents' and advocates’] help to get that debate moving forward.”
Mary Kay Betz, a director at the Autism Society of Illinois, was once told that her son Riley would never speak. Today, he read a speech in front of lawmakers, advocates and reporters as he worked to encourage awareness during Autism Lobby Day.
“If I hadn’t received the services I did at the time, my life would probably be very different,” 9-year-old Riley Betz said. “Because the programs were funded when I was smaller, I was given a chance.” But he also pointed to the state’s current financial climate is leading to providers no longer receiving timely paychecks and cuts to services.
All the while, autism rates are rising.
“When we first started coming and talking about this, about four or five years ago, we were quoting statistics as one out of 150 children is on some form of the [autism] spectrum,” said Rep. Patti Bellock, a Westmont Republican. “I’m sorry to say that that is now one in 110.”
The challenge going forward, Bellock said, would be to ensure that autistic children still have support when they become adults. She said the state needed to start exploring ways to make that happen.
“Between insurance coverage, between educational programs, early intervention programs, early diagnosis, these are all key to making this condition a livable condition,” said Elmhurst Mayor Pete DiCianni, whose daughter is autistic. While he doesn’t expect any further action until after the election, DiCianni is helping push Senate Bill 3106, which would allow voters to remove limits on property taxes for special education.
Addressing the budget question, Glen Ellyn Republican Rep. Sandra Pihos said lawmakers have not received answers to their questions and called for a review of state contract efficiency. “Unless we can wrap our arms around actual figures, I don’t know how we solve the budget problem.”
Lawmakers also called for constituents to voice their concerns to their representatives and senators, including the four legislative leaders.
“It is April 28 today, and we are scheduled to be out on May 7, and we have not had 30 seconds of a debate on our budget,” Pihos said. “So this is where I say we need [parents' and advocates’] help to get that debate moving forward.”
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Redistricting status quo looks likely
By Jamey Dunn
Illinois’ next legislative district map could be determined by the luck of the draw, yet again.
With a Democratic redistricting plan struggling to find the Republican support it needs, and a voter initiative falling short on signatures, it looks as though the current system may stay in place.
A House committee voted down the “Fair Map” constitutional amendment backed by Republicans and several reform groups, including the League of Women Voters. The committee approved the Democrats’ “Citizens’ First Amendment,” which passed in the Senate over heated protest from Republicans.
The League of Women Voters is spearheading a petition drive to get the “Fair Map” amendment on the November general election ballot but is far from its goal of gaining enough signatures. With less than a week to meet the deadline for a constitutional amendment to make the ballot, the window for giving voters a choice on a new plan is rapidly closing
After the Republican plan was shot down in a Senate committee, Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, the sponsor of the amendment, said she would be willing to add more protection for minority populations. That was a major area of criticism from Democrats, and some supporters of “Fair Map” say it could be stronger on this point.
Radogno added that she thought concerns over diversity representation were not the real reason for Democratic opposition. She said Democrats' true worry was the legislature losing its map-drawing power.
Yet the Republicans did not call what they perceived as the Democrats’ bluff today. The amendment they presented was identical to the one that stalled in the Senate, and many Democrats said their desires to protect minority voters played into their “no” votes.
“The question is, why do you not enhance the ability for communities of interest and minorities … to have their seat at the table,” said Rep. Lou Lang, a Democrat from Skokie.
Lang said the time to work out changes to the amendment has passed. “My view is that you have had much time to propose what you want to propose. … You want to propose weaker provisions for minority representation,” he said to House Republican Leader Tom Cross. The minority leader called Lang’s statement a “mischaracterization.”
The biggest sticking point between the two plans is ultimately who draws the map. Republicans say that the legislature cannot draw the districts they will be elected from because it is a conflict of interest. They want a commission appointed by the legislative leaders to create the map.
Cross admits that members of both parties might be nervous about changing the process. “To Republicans, it’s a risk for us. It’s a risk for [Democrats]. Having somebody other than us draw a map, we don’t like that. It’s down a road we’re not used to, and one we’re not perhaps even comfortable with because there’s an unknown … but this is the only way to begin the process of restoring integrity in this state.”
Chicago Sen. Kwame Raoul, sponsor of the Democrats’ amendment, says the issue of who draws the map also plays into the minority representation debate. He is concerned about the “inability of a commission to embrace the great diversity of our state.” He says the legislature does make up this diversity “not just from a racial perspective but from a geographic perspective as well.”
The amendment now goes to the House floor, where,if it receives the backing of every Democrat, it will still need at least one Republican vote. None of them are stepping forward to voice support at this point. In fact some are saying the plan was set up by Democrats just to be knocked down.
“Democrats will not compromise. And this is all nice window dressing that they’re going through right now, but the fact is at the end of the day, they’re not going to take our suggestions to heart. They will not make any changes. They want this to fail. The want the status quo,” said Rep. Jim Durkin, a Western Springs Republican.
Illinois’ next legislative district map could be determined by the luck of the draw, yet again.
With a Democratic redistricting plan struggling to find the Republican support it needs, and a voter initiative falling short on signatures, it looks as though the current system may stay in place.
A House committee voted down the “Fair Map” constitutional amendment backed by Republicans and several reform groups, including the League of Women Voters. The committee approved the Democrats’ “Citizens’ First Amendment,” which passed in the Senate over heated protest from Republicans.
The League of Women Voters is spearheading a petition drive to get the “Fair Map” amendment on the November general election ballot but is far from its goal of gaining enough signatures. With less than a week to meet the deadline for a constitutional amendment to make the ballot, the window for giving voters a choice on a new plan is rapidly closing
After the Republican plan was shot down in a Senate committee, Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, the sponsor of the amendment, said she would be willing to add more protection for minority populations. That was a major area of criticism from Democrats, and some supporters of “Fair Map” say it could be stronger on this point.
Radogno added that she thought concerns over diversity representation were not the real reason for Democratic opposition. She said Democrats' true worry was the legislature losing its map-drawing power.
Yet the Republicans did not call what they perceived as the Democrats’ bluff today. The amendment they presented was identical to the one that stalled in the Senate, and many Democrats said their desires to protect minority voters played into their “no” votes.
“The question is, why do you not enhance the ability for communities of interest and minorities … to have their seat at the table,” said Rep. Lou Lang, a Democrat from Skokie.
Lang said the time to work out changes to the amendment has passed. “My view is that you have had much time to propose what you want to propose. … You want to propose weaker provisions for minority representation,” he said to House Republican Leader Tom Cross. The minority leader called Lang’s statement a “mischaracterization.”
The biggest sticking point between the two plans is ultimately who draws the map. Republicans say that the legislature cannot draw the districts they will be elected from because it is a conflict of interest. They want a commission appointed by the legislative leaders to create the map.
Cross admits that members of both parties might be nervous about changing the process. “To Republicans, it’s a risk for us. It’s a risk for [Democrats]. Having somebody other than us draw a map, we don’t like that. It’s down a road we’re not used to, and one we’re not perhaps even comfortable with because there’s an unknown … but this is the only way to begin the process of restoring integrity in this state.”
Chicago Sen. Kwame Raoul, sponsor of the Democrats’ amendment, says the issue of who draws the map also plays into the minority representation debate. He is concerned about the “inability of a commission to embrace the great diversity of our state.” He says the legislature does make up this diversity “not just from a racial perspective but from a geographic perspective as well.”
The amendment now goes to the House floor, where,if it receives the backing of every Democrat, it will still need at least one Republican vote. None of them are stepping forward to voice support at this point. In fact some are saying the plan was set up by Democrats just to be knocked down.
“Democrats will not compromise. And this is all nice window dressing that they’re going through right now, but the fact is at the end of the day, they’re not going to take our suggestions to heart. They will not make any changes. They want this to fail. The want the status quo,” said Rep. Jim Durkin, a Western Springs Republican.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Supreme Court will not close Chicago locks
By Rachel Wells
The U.S. Supreme Court will not reopen a nearly 100-year-old lawsuit, as requested by Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, who sought closure of Chicago navigational locks as a way to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a written statement today that she was pleased with the court’s decision and that Illinois will continue to work with other states and the federal government to combat Asian carp.
Cox continues to urge President Barack Obama and Congress to push for immediate action, and Cox’s office said it would now review whether to take the case to federal district court.
In initial filings with the U.S. Supreme Court, Illinois argued that the case did not belong in the highest court but in federal district court because it was not a state versus state issue. The locks Michigan sought to close are controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Supreme Court Justices declined to hear Michigan’s lawsuit but did not offer reasons for denying it. They previously denied two requests from Michigan for immediate closure of the locks.
The U.S. Supreme Court will not reopen a nearly 100-year-old lawsuit, as requested by Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, who sought closure of Chicago navigational locks as a way to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a written statement today that she was pleased with the court’s decision and that Illinois will continue to work with other states and the federal government to combat Asian carp.
Cox continues to urge President Barack Obama and Congress to push for immediate action, and Cox’s office said it would now review whether to take the case to federal district court.
In initial filings with the U.S. Supreme Court, Illinois argued that the case did not belong in the highest court but in federal district court because it was not a state versus state issue. The locks Michigan sought to close are controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Supreme Court Justices declined to hear Michigan’s lawsuit but did not offer reasons for denying it. They previously denied two requests from Michigan for immediate closure of the locks.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Brady makes tax returns public
By Jamey Dunn
The Republican candidate for governor, state Sen. Bill Brady, made his tax returns availed to reporters for three hours today.
He paid no federal or state taxes in 2008 and no federal tax in 2009. He paid $3,309 in state taxes last year. Brady took advantage of a 2009 federal provision geared at helping small businesses make it through the recession by allowing the sale of assets.
In 2004, Brady’s gross income was more than $550,000. He suffered a loss of more than $115,000 in 2008, and last year, his gross income was almost $120,000.
Brady’s construction and realty businesses have taken a hit during the recession and collapse of the housing market. According to a news release issued by the campaign, tough financial times resulted in employee layoffs and downsizing. "One of the reasons I'm running for governor is so that others don't have to face the anguish of job loss and dislocation that too many in our family company have," Brady said in the release. "I've seen the harsh effects of the old politics in real lives, and I know what a pro-growth environment can mean for workers."
Gov. Pat Quinn publicly called for Brady to release his returns earlier this week after releasing his own. Quinn’s gross income for last year was more than $150,000. He paid $27,547 in federal taxes and $4,468 in state taxes.
Brady said he decided to let reporters view his tax returns to keep the issue from becoming a “distraction” in the campaign.
The Republican candidate for governor, state Sen. Bill Brady, made his tax returns availed to reporters for three hours today.
He paid no federal or state taxes in 2008 and no federal tax in 2009. He paid $3,309 in state taxes last year. Brady took advantage of a 2009 federal provision geared at helping small businesses make it through the recession by allowing the sale of assets.
In 2004, Brady’s gross income was more than $550,000. He suffered a loss of more than $115,000 in 2008, and last year, his gross income was almost $120,000.
Brady’s construction and realty businesses have taken a hit during the recession and collapse of the housing market. According to a news release issued by the campaign, tough financial times resulted in employee layoffs and downsizing. "One of the reasons I'm running for governor is so that others don't have to face the anguish of job loss and dislocation that too many in our family company have," Brady said in the release. "I've seen the harsh effects of the old politics in real lives, and I know what a pro-growth environment can mean for workers."
Gov. Pat Quinn publicly called for Brady to release his returns earlier this week after releasing his own. Quinn’s gross income for last year was more than $150,000. He paid $27,547 in federal taxes and $4,468 in state taxes.
Brady said he decided to let reporters view his tax returns to keep the issue from becoming a “distraction” in the campaign.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Republicans say Quinn won't cut enough
By Jamey Dunn
Quinn and Sen. President John Cullerton have both said that changes to pension plans for those who already work for the state would be unconstitutional.
Lauzen said he voted for billions in borrowing in the current fiscal year’s budget because the governor promised cuts that he says never materialized. “I voted for that borrowing, and I saw how it was used. I will not vote for that again — period, I won’t. I won’t be foolish a second time.”
Quinn proposed $4 billion in borrowing as part of the plan he unveiled last month.
Republican leaders are asking for a list of the cuts Quinn says he has made to the current fiscal year’s budget. Kraft said her office will give Republicans those numbers in the next few days.
Sen. Dave Syverson, a Rockford Republican, is optimistic about Illinois making a financial recovery, but he says it will take time.
“If we address the spending first and then we work on a plan to start paying off that debt by growing our economy, we can get through this. We just can’t get through it by continuing to spend at high levels and continuing to borrow and raise taxes. We can get through this, and we don’t have to do it overnight,” he said.
Republicans said today that Gov. Pat Quinn is exaggerating his budget cuts, and his plan relies too heavily on taxes and borrowing.
Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican, called Quinn’s budget “a lot of smoke and mirrors.”
“The governor came out and wants to convince people that he heard the people of this state when they said they want government to rein in spending. He is trying to convince people he’s going to cut $2.6 billion, when it’s clear that at best, he’s got $200 million up there in unspecified cuts [if his proposed 1 percentage point tax increase passes], and this is from a guy who’s got a track record of claiming he is going to cut and not having the guts to go ahead and do it,” he said.
However, Kelly Kraft, spokeswoman for Quinn’s Office of Management and Budget, said if the governor’s proposed income tax increase passes, there would still be $900 million in cuts. She added that Quinn is seeking to make $400 million more in reductions, in addition to the cuts he proposed in March.
“That’s still a huge amount of money,” she said. “We are making the cuts that we can. We are making responsible cuts.”
Republicans are calling for more substantial cuts before they would even consider a tax increase.
“Because we do, in the end, have to be specific with this. I would think that a number that would cause movement [on the governor’s budget] over in the House would be in the range between $2 billion and $3 billion,” said Sen. Chris Lauzen, an Aurora Republican.
Lauzen said those cuts could be achieved through Medicaid reform and changes to pension benefits for current employees. He also said that Illinois needs to lobby Washington, D.C., for more flexibility in spending stimulus money.
Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican, called Quinn’s budget “a lot of smoke and mirrors.”
“The governor came out and wants to convince people that he heard the people of this state when they said they want government to rein in spending. He is trying to convince people he’s going to cut $2.6 billion, when it’s clear that at best, he’s got $200 million up there in unspecified cuts [if his proposed 1 percentage point tax increase passes], and this is from a guy who’s got a track record of claiming he is going to cut and not having the guts to go ahead and do it,” he said.
However, Kelly Kraft, spokeswoman for Quinn’s Office of Management and Budget, said if the governor’s proposed income tax increase passes, there would still be $900 million in cuts. She added that Quinn is seeking to make $400 million more in reductions, in addition to the cuts he proposed in March.
“That’s still a huge amount of money,” she said. “We are making the cuts that we can. We are making responsible cuts.”
Republicans are calling for more substantial cuts before they would even consider a tax increase.
“Because we do, in the end, have to be specific with this. I would think that a number that would cause movement [on the governor’s budget] over in the House would be in the range between $2 billion and $3 billion,” said Sen. Chris Lauzen, an Aurora Republican.
Lauzen said those cuts could be achieved through Medicaid reform and changes to pension benefits for current employees. He also said that Illinois needs to lobby Washington, D.C., for more flexibility in spending stimulus money.
Quinn and Sen. President John Cullerton have both said that changes to pension plans for those who already work for the state would be unconstitutional.
Lauzen said he voted for billions in borrowing in the current fiscal year’s budget because the governor promised cuts that he says never materialized. “I voted for that borrowing, and I saw how it was used. I will not vote for that again — period, I won’t. I won’t be foolish a second time.”
Quinn proposed $4 billion in borrowing as part of the plan he unveiled last month.
Republican leaders are asking for a list of the cuts Quinn says he has made to the current fiscal year’s budget. Kraft said her office will give Republicans those numbers in the next few days.
Sen. Dave Syverson, a Rockford Republican, is optimistic about Illinois making a financial recovery, but he says it will take time.
“If we address the spending first and then we work on a plan to start paying off that debt by growing our economy, we can get through this. We just can’t get through it by continuing to spend at high levels and continuing to borrow and raise taxes. We can get through this, and we don’t have to do it overnight,” he said.
School vouchers bill advances
By Jamey Dunn
Parents of children in failing Chicago public grade schools may soon have the option to send their kids to private schools.
Senate Bill 2494, which advanced through a House committee today, would create a pilot program that would allow students in the 10 percent lowest-performing grade schools, as measured by No Child Left Behind Standards, to take state dollars to pay tuition at private schools in the city.
“I think it is the right thing to do for the right students at the right time. We need to give them an opportunity to have some success in life. These students that would be eligible for this program don’t have much of a chance in the existing schools that they’re at,” said Chicago Democratic Rep. Kevin Joyce, House sponsor of the bill.
Jim Reed, director of government relations for the Illinois Education Association, said pilot programs similar to the one proposed in this bill were not successful in other parts of the country. Reed added that the measure would “divert much-needed resources from public education. The bill has already passed in the Senate with bipartisan support.
Parents of children in failing Chicago public grade schools may soon have the option to send their kids to private schools.
Senate Bill 2494, which advanced through a House committee today, would create a pilot program that would allow students in the 10 percent lowest-performing grade schools, as measured by No Child Left Behind Standards, to take state dollars to pay tuition at private schools in the city.
“I think it is the right thing to do for the right students at the right time. We need to give them an opportunity to have some success in life. These students that would be eligible for this program don’t have much of a chance in the existing schools that they’re at,” said Chicago Democratic Rep. Kevin Joyce, House sponsor of the bill.
Jim Reed, director of government relations for the Illinois Education Association, said pilot programs similar to the one proposed in this bill were not successful in other parts of the country. Reed added that the measure would “divert much-needed resources from public education. The bill has already passed in the Senate with bipartisan support.
FOIA law may be tweaked again
By Rachel Wells
Concerned citizens would no longer have access to any portion of any public employee performance evaluations, under a measure that moved through a Senate committee today.
Earlier this year, evaluations for teachers, principal sand superintendents became exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act as legislators worked to gain enough support for Race to the Top legislation, which ties student growth to educators’ evaluations. The latest legislation, HB 5154, stems from related negotiations and would expand the exemption to all public employee evaluations.
Treating all public employees equally is important, said Tim Drea, secretary-treasurer of Illinois’ American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), adding that disclosing evaluations could devalue them. “If a supervisor believes that an evaluation will be made public, he or she may say, ‘Well, you’re fine, I just don’t want any problems from anybody,’” Drea said. “Other employees are looking, and it just does not contribute to a healthy work environment.”
Itasca Republican Sen. Carole Pankau, who opposes the measure, said that evaluation results, a final rating or grade for instance, should become public information. “I think that’s a reasonable request,” Pankau said.
“I think verifying employment is fair, but to go into great details, I think that’s a little unfair,” said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Kimberly Lightford, a Maywood Democrat.
Those who successfully pushed FOIA reforms last year in SB 189 say the new measure would unravel those efforts.
“It shoots a major hole in one of the reforms that we had badly wanted,” said Beth Bennett, government relations director with the Illinois Press Association. Last year, the association had worked to make the results of performance evaluations available for public scrutiny. Personal information such as medical concerns and Social Security numbers remained exempt, Bennett said.
The Illinois attorney general’s office, which pushed for last year’s reforms, agreed the new legislation weakens the FOIA law.
“The reworking of FOIA has just been in effect for four months,” attorney general spokesperson Scott Mulford said. “It has to be given time to work.”
None of the opponents, who also included the Illinois News Broadcasters Association and American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, testified during today’s Senate hearing. Bennett said conversations with Senate members lead the Press Association “to believe that there probably wasn’t going to be a real debate of the issue.”
Concerned citizens would no longer have access to any portion of any public employee performance evaluations, under a measure that moved through a Senate committee today.
Earlier this year, evaluations for teachers, principal sand superintendents became exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act as legislators worked to gain enough support for Race to the Top legislation, which ties student growth to educators’ evaluations. The latest legislation, HB 5154, stems from related negotiations and would expand the exemption to all public employee evaluations.
Treating all public employees equally is important, said Tim Drea, secretary-treasurer of Illinois’ American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), adding that disclosing evaluations could devalue them. “If a supervisor believes that an evaluation will be made public, he or she may say, ‘Well, you’re fine, I just don’t want any problems from anybody,’” Drea said. “Other employees are looking, and it just does not contribute to a healthy work environment.”
Itasca Republican Sen. Carole Pankau, who opposes the measure, said that evaluation results, a final rating or grade for instance, should become public information. “I think that’s a reasonable request,” Pankau said.
“I think verifying employment is fair, but to go into great details, I think that’s a little unfair,” said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Kimberly Lightford, a Maywood Democrat.
Those who successfully pushed FOIA reforms last year in SB 189 say the new measure would unravel those efforts.
“It shoots a major hole in one of the reforms that we had badly wanted,” said Beth Bennett, government relations director with the Illinois Press Association. Last year, the association had worked to make the results of performance evaluations available for public scrutiny. Personal information such as medical concerns and Social Security numbers remained exempt, Bennett said.
The Illinois attorney general’s office, which pushed for last year’s reforms, agreed the new legislation weakens the FOIA law.
“The reworking of FOIA has just been in effect for four months,” attorney general spokesperson Scott Mulford said. “It has to be given time to work.”
None of the opponents, who also included the Illinois News Broadcasters Association and American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, testified during today’s Senate hearing. Bennett said conversations with Senate members lead the Press Association “to believe that there probably wasn’t going to be a real debate of the issue.”
Seniors might keep free rides
By Rachel Wells
Regardless of financial need, all seniors are likely to continue getting free mass transit rides.
A Senate committee on Wednesday voted against HB 4654, which would have repealed a program instituted by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich that allowed higher income seniors to ride buses and trains for free. Previously, higher income seniors paid half-fare, and only low-income seniors were allowed to ride free of charge.
Chicago Democratic Sen. Rickey Hendon took credit for blocking the measure. “Seniors are facing rising property taxes and have less disposable income, but they still need to get to work, see their doctors and run daily errands,” he said in a news release. “The senior free ride program helps them do that.”
Lemont Republican Sen. Christine Radogno sponsored the measure and said that limiting free rides to just low-income seniors should be an easy decision for lawmakers during a budget crisis.
The House earlier this spring approved the measure, which now remains in the Senate executive committee.
Regardless of financial need, all seniors are likely to continue getting free mass transit rides.
A Senate committee on Wednesday voted against HB 4654, which would have repealed a program instituted by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich that allowed higher income seniors to ride buses and trains for free. Previously, higher income seniors paid half-fare, and only low-income seniors were allowed to ride free of charge.
Chicago Democratic Sen. Rickey Hendon took credit for blocking the measure. “Seniors are facing rising property taxes and have less disposable income, but they still need to get to work, see their doctors and run daily errands,” he said in a news release. “The senior free ride program helps them do that.”
Lemont Republican Sen. Christine Radogno sponsored the measure and said that limiting free rides to just low-income seniors should be an easy decision for lawmakers during a budget crisis.
The House earlier this spring approved the measure, which now remains in the Senate executive committee.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Truth in tuition
By Rachel Wells
Students remaining in college beyond the traditional four years could see locked-in tuition rates, under a Truth-in-Tuition measure passed by a House committee today. The Senate has already approved the legislation.
The measure would limit fifth- and sixth-year college students’ tuition to that charged during their second year to incoming freshmen. At present, state universities can only hike tuition for incoming freshmen and for anyone staying in school beyond four years. Sophomores, juniors and seniors continue to pay the same amount they did in their first year.
Rep. Daniel Burke, a Chicago Democrat, said SB 3222 is aimed at helping minority students – many of whom, as first generation college students, must take additional courses to catch up with their peers – afford the additional semesters needed to complete their degrees.
University of Illinois Chicago senior Sean Murray told lawmakers the extension was necessary because state budget cuts have lead to fewer faculty members and more difficulty for students trying to enroll in required courses, meaning they end up staying in school longer.
But Rep. Mike Bost, a Murphysboro Republican, said Truth-in-Tuition as it is now creates enough problems – compounded by a lack of state funding – without extending it.
“What ends up happening is, the incoming freshmen quite often have to have a higher increase to make up for where we’re short falling for the seniors who are locked,” Bost said. “To extend it on to six [years] is once again pulling the rug out from underneath our institutions.” He added that the new legislation wouldn’t just be available to those with special needs but also to those who are just plain lazy.
Rep. Richard Myers, a Colchester Republican, said individual universities should be allowed to determine best practices for graduating students in a timely and cost-effective manner. “I think you are trying to apply a broad general application to universities that are very, very different,” he said.
Some universities say they already go above and beyond existing Truth-in-Tuition rules, including Northern Illinois University, which locks in tuition for nine semesters, and Western Illinois University, which has a guaranteed four-year completion plan and applies the existing Truth-in-Tuition law to room and board. Both institutions oppose the new legislation.
“It’s a matter of one size doesn’t fit all,” said David Steelman, director of government relations at Western.
Students remaining in college beyond the traditional four years could see locked-in tuition rates, under a Truth-in-Tuition measure passed by a House committee today. The Senate has already approved the legislation.
The measure would limit fifth- and sixth-year college students’ tuition to that charged during their second year to incoming freshmen. At present, state universities can only hike tuition for incoming freshmen and for anyone staying in school beyond four years. Sophomores, juniors and seniors continue to pay the same amount they did in their first year.
Rep. Daniel Burke, a Chicago Democrat, said SB 3222 is aimed at helping minority students – many of whom, as first generation college students, must take additional courses to catch up with their peers – afford the additional semesters needed to complete their degrees.
University of Illinois Chicago senior Sean Murray told lawmakers the extension was necessary because state budget cuts have lead to fewer faculty members and more difficulty for students trying to enroll in required courses, meaning they end up staying in school longer.
But Rep. Mike Bost, a Murphysboro Republican, said Truth-in-Tuition as it is now creates enough problems – compounded by a lack of state funding – without extending it.
“What ends up happening is, the incoming freshmen quite often have to have a higher increase to make up for where we’re short falling for the seniors who are locked,” Bost said. “To extend it on to six [years] is once again pulling the rug out from underneath our institutions.” He added that the new legislation wouldn’t just be available to those with special needs but also to those who are just plain lazy.
Rep. Richard Myers, a Colchester Republican, said individual universities should be allowed to determine best practices for graduating students in a timely and cost-effective manner. “I think you are trying to apply a broad general application to universities that are very, very different,” he said.
Some universities say they already go above and beyond existing Truth-in-Tuition rules, including Northern Illinois University, which locks in tuition for nine semesters, and Western Illinois University, which has a guaranteed four-year completion plan and applies the existing Truth-in-Tuition law to room and board. Both institutions oppose the new legislation.
“It’s a matter of one size doesn’t fit all,” said David Steelman, director of government relations at Western.
"Raise our taxes"
By Jamey Dunn and Rachel WellsCitizens advocating for an income tax increase to avoid deep cuts to the state budget packed the Illinois Capitol today for one of the largest rallies in recent history.
The secretary of state’s office estimated that 12,000 people participated in the march and 15,000 total were in the Capitol complex as part of the rally.
With chants of “We’ll remember in November” and “Save our schools. Save our state,” protesters marched around the Statehouse and then filled the halls. They came to advocate for education and social services, such as mental health care, addiction counseling and in-home care for the elderly.
“We have tens of thousands of people whose well-being is at stake if this state does not act. So I’m here to advocate for responsible decisions, a tax increase to support social services in this state, and I’m happy to join these thousands and thousands of people who have come out here to do this,” said Rev. Bob Rasmus, board member for Lutheran Social Services and a pastor in Urbana.
Jo Ann Woods-Payne from ABJ Community Services on the southeast side of Chicago said she came out today to support HB 174 so her organization can continue to provide programs such as foster care, job training for public aid recipients and a clothing and food pantry. She said the state is behind on its payments to ABJ for the social services it offers in the community.
“We feel possibly that the income tax needs to be raised if that’s what it’s going to take to help keep those programs open for our clients,” she said.
“We have to have a balanced budget, and we passed an income tax over in the Senate, which is now in the House, which provides $4.3 billion. So we hope that they would take a second look,” Senate President John Cullerton said of HB 174. “We passed the bill. And that’s the solution to a lot of our problems.”
However, Republicans in both chambers do not seem any closer to supporting a tax increase.
“I like having [the rally participants] come here because there is not better way for me to explain my position on what’s going in this building and the way I think this state works its way out of its fiscal mess than to talk one-on-one individually with those people,” said Sen. Dale Righter, a Mattoon Republican.
Righter said many of his constituents were at the rally but the message of chants such as “Raise our taxes” did not echo the opinions of the majority of the people he represents. “I don’t know that that kind of theater is necessarily representative of most the people in my district.”
Righter voted against HB 174 last year and said he will not consider a tax increase until there are cuts and reforms to Medicaid, which he says is growing in an unsustainable way.
“If you don’t fix those two things first … it’s all but a guarantee [that] a tax increase comes, you layer a whole bunch, billions of dollars of new taxpayer money, on top of what’s happening here and then it all seeps through the cracks that they’ve created in the last eight years and then … we start over in a couple years.”
Righter said that he doesn’t think the rally will change the minds of many legislators who are opposed to a tax increase. He also doesn't think Democrats are willing to take the political risk to pass a tax increase before the November general elections.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
No tax increase and slower payments
By Jamey Dunn
The day before thousands of citizens descend on the Capitol to call for an income tax increase, Gov. Pat Quinn met with legislative leaders to talk about the budget for the first time since he laid out his plan in March.
The Responsible Budget Coalition, made up of educators, union members, social services providers, religious organizations and others, estimates that more than 14,000 people will attend the rally it is holding tomorrow in Springfield. If that happens, it would be one of the biggest rallies at the Capitol in recent history — perhaps three times as large as last year’s rally when social service providers and unions packed the building to capacity advocating a tax increase.
“The Illinois General Assembly must stop the irresponsible behavior that led us into this crisis,” William McNary, co-director of Citizen Action Illinois, said in a written statement. “Instead of doing nothing and walking away, they must act now to save our state. That means passing comprehensive revenue reform like House Bill 174.”
However there is no talk of calling HB 174, which passed in the Senate last year, for a vote in the House this session. There also seems to be little hope for Quinn’s 1 percentage point income tax increase, which he says is needed to avoid $ 1.3 billion in education cuts, passing before the November election.
Quinn himself put emphasis today on his “surcharge for education” being called for a vote more than he pushed the idea of actually passing it. “They should vote. I think it’s important to have votes in a democracy. The representatives and senators are elected to come here to vote on important subjects.”
However, Quinn said he has no plans to pass a bridge budget to get through election season. “I don’t understand what a six-month is. It’s a fiscal year, that’s 12 months, so that’s the only way I’m going. I don’t see any good purpose to having anything short of a full-year budget that’s fiscally sound. … We can’t have elected representatives not addressing the most difficult challenges we have and postponing them. We have to deal with things right now to make Illinois stronger.”
Both House Minority Leader Tom Cross and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno said the meeting lacked specific details.
“The focus continues to be on borrowing and increasing taxes and very little focus on cutting. One of the questions we asked again, and we’ve asked for this a number of times, is specifically what cuts have been made. There’s been a lot of talk about potential cuts, and a lot of those things just haven’t happened,” Radogno said.
As the budget is being sorted out there is talk of extending the lapse spending period, the amount of time after a fiscal year ends that the state has to pay off any leftover debts. The current lapse period, with an August 31 deadline, gives the state two months to catch up on late bills.
The change would allow the state to legally push off paying its pile of overdue bills to schools, social service providers and vendors. Quinn’s budget director David Vaught said it would keep those owed money from having to go though the Court of Claims to get their money Illinois after the end of the lapse period.
“I think there’s a recognition that we’re way behind. And it does not make sense to send our really involuntary creditors — these are people that loaned us money that didn’t sign up to loan us money. They signed up to deliver a service — to send them to the Court of Claims after they’ve been patient … and have been waiting on their money. I think would be a major problem. I think there’s a recognition of that. … I think there’s an understanding that we have to do something,” he said.
Thousands of those owed money or directly affected by the backlog of bills will be coming to the Capitol tomorrow to make their case for a tax increase.
“Tomorrow’s rally will show there’s a lot of people in Illinois, a great majority, that don’t want draconian cuts in education,” Quinn said of tomorrow's rally.
The day before thousands of citizens descend on the Capitol to call for an income tax increase, Gov. Pat Quinn met with legislative leaders to talk about the budget for the first time since he laid out his plan in March.
The Responsible Budget Coalition, made up of educators, union members, social services providers, religious organizations and others, estimates that more than 14,000 people will attend the rally it is holding tomorrow in Springfield. If that happens, it would be one of the biggest rallies at the Capitol in recent history — perhaps three times as large as last year’s rally when social service providers and unions packed the building to capacity advocating a tax increase.
“The Illinois General Assembly must stop the irresponsible behavior that led us into this crisis,” William McNary, co-director of Citizen Action Illinois, said in a written statement. “Instead of doing nothing and walking away, they must act now to save our state. That means passing comprehensive revenue reform like House Bill 174.”
However there is no talk of calling HB 174, which passed in the Senate last year, for a vote in the House this session. There also seems to be little hope for Quinn’s 1 percentage point income tax increase, which he says is needed to avoid $ 1.3 billion in education cuts, passing before the November election.
Quinn himself put emphasis today on his “surcharge for education” being called for a vote more than he pushed the idea of actually passing it. “They should vote. I think it’s important to have votes in a democracy. The representatives and senators are elected to come here to vote on important subjects.”
However, Quinn said he has no plans to pass a bridge budget to get through election season. “I don’t understand what a six-month is. It’s a fiscal year, that’s 12 months, so that’s the only way I’m going. I don’t see any good purpose to having anything short of a full-year budget that’s fiscally sound. … We can’t have elected representatives not addressing the most difficult challenges we have and postponing them. We have to deal with things right now to make Illinois stronger.”
Both House Minority Leader Tom Cross and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno said the meeting lacked specific details.
“The focus continues to be on borrowing and increasing taxes and very little focus on cutting. One of the questions we asked again, and we’ve asked for this a number of times, is specifically what cuts have been made. There’s been a lot of talk about potential cuts, and a lot of those things just haven’t happened,” Radogno said.
As the budget is being sorted out there is talk of extending the lapse spending period, the amount of time after a fiscal year ends that the state has to pay off any leftover debts. The current lapse period, with an August 31 deadline, gives the state two months to catch up on late bills.
The change would allow the state to legally push off paying its pile of overdue bills to schools, social service providers and vendors. Quinn’s budget director David Vaught said it would keep those owed money from having to go though the Court of Claims to get their money Illinois after the end of the lapse period.
“I think there’s a recognition that we’re way behind. And it does not make sense to send our really involuntary creditors — these are people that loaned us money that didn’t sign up to loan us money. They signed up to deliver a service — to send them to the Court of Claims after they’ve been patient … and have been waiting on their money. I think would be a major problem. I think there’s a recognition of that. … I think there’s an understanding that we have to do something,” he said.
Thousands of those owed money or directly affected by the backlog of bills will be coming to the Capitol tomorrow to make their case for a tax increase.
“Tomorrow’s rally will show there’s a lot of people in Illinois, a great majority, that don’t want draconian cuts in education,” Quinn said of tomorrow's rally.
Illinois returns most census forms
By Jamey Dunn
Almost two thirds of Illinois residents returned the 2010 U.S. census forms they received in the mail.
“We are off to a good start. Seventy-three percent is a good start, but we have a long way to go,” Gov. Pat Quinn said. The national response rate is 71 percent.
Census workers will visit households of people who failed to mail back their forms before the April 16 deadline. Gov. Quinn encouraged citizens to respond to the surveys those workers will be conducting.
“We wish and hope that everyone in Illinois will be cooperative and helpful because this is a very important financial issue for the people of our state. For folks who depend on education funding, and health care funding, human service funding and public safety funding, all the important things in life. We want to make sure that Illinois has an accurate count of everyone who lives here,” he said.
The federal government uses information gathered in the census, which is required in the U.S. Constitution, to dole out more than $400 billion in funds to state and local governments. The count also determines how many seats each state holds in the U.S. House of Representatives. Illinois lost a seat after the 2000 census and is in danger of losing another after this one. Individual information collected by census workers is confidential for 72 years, after which it can be publicly released.
Almost two thirds of Illinois residents returned the 2010 U.S. census forms they received in the mail.
“We are off to a good start. Seventy-three percent is a good start, but we have a long way to go,” Gov. Pat Quinn said. The national response rate is 71 percent.
Census workers will visit households of people who failed to mail back their forms before the April 16 deadline. Gov. Quinn encouraged citizens to respond to the surveys those workers will be conducting.
“We wish and hope that everyone in Illinois will be cooperative and helpful because this is a very important financial issue for the people of our state. For folks who depend on education funding, and health care funding, human service funding and public safety funding, all the important things in life. We want to make sure that Illinois has an accurate count of everyone who lives here,” he said.
The federal government uses information gathered in the census, which is required in the U.S. Constitution, to dole out more than $400 billion in funds to state and local governments. The count also determines how many seats each state holds in the U.S. House of Representatives. Illinois lost a seat after the 2000 census and is in danger of losing another after this one. Individual information collected by census workers is confidential for 72 years, after which it can be publicly released.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Citizens' initiative needs more signatures
By Jamey Dunn
Advocacy groups need to collect more signatures from voters to get a redistricting plan on the ballot in November.
An effort to put a constitutional amendment before voters in the general election, spearheaded by the League of Women Voters, has collected fewer than half of the signatures needed to get the proposal on the ballot.
The league needs 288,000 people to sign petitions, and so far, Jan Czarnik, its executive director, estimates it has collected about 120,000. The signatures must be turned in to the secretary of state’s office by May 3.
“There are lots and lots of petitions still out there,” Czarnik said.
The amendment, which is identical to Republican-backed legislation that stalled in a Senate committee last week, would create a commission, appointed by legislative leaders, to draw the map. The Democrats' plan allows legislators the first shot at creating voter districts.
Backers of the citizens' initiative say letting lawmakers draw the map is a conflict of interest, while Democrats say the so-called Fair Map Amendment, supported by Republicans, does not do enough to protect minority populations.
Czarnik said that if the effort fails, it might be because of a lack of volunteers and time.
“It’s two weeks before we have to file, and if we do fall short, it’s only because we haven’t had enough people circulating petitions in such a short period of time. We are having absolutely no trouble getting people to sign the petitions,” she said.
If enough voters sign the petitions, the Illinois State Board of Elections and local election officials would then have to verify the signatures. Supporters of the amendment expect legal challenges to the validity of the signatures, as well as to the constitutionality of the proposal.
Advocacy groups need to collect more signatures from voters to get a redistricting plan on the ballot in November.
An effort to put a constitutional amendment before voters in the general election, spearheaded by the League of Women Voters, has collected fewer than half of the signatures needed to get the proposal on the ballot.
The league needs 288,000 people to sign petitions, and so far, Jan Czarnik, its executive director, estimates it has collected about 120,000. The signatures must be turned in to the secretary of state’s office by May 3.
“There are lots and lots of petitions still out there,” Czarnik said.
The amendment, which is identical to Republican-backed legislation that stalled in a Senate committee last week, would create a commission, appointed by legislative leaders, to draw the map. The Democrats' plan allows legislators the first shot at creating voter districts.
Backers of the citizens' initiative say letting lawmakers draw the map is a conflict of interest, while Democrats say the so-called Fair Map Amendment, supported by Republicans, does not do enough to protect minority populations.
Czarnik said that if the effort fails, it might be because of a lack of volunteers and time.
“It’s two weeks before we have to file, and if we do fall short, it’s only because we haven’t had enough people circulating petitions in such a short period of time. We are having absolutely no trouble getting people to sign the petitions,” she said.
If enough voters sign the petitions, the Illinois State Board of Elections and local election officials would then have to verify the signatures. Supporters of the amendment expect legal challenges to the validity of the signatures, as well as to the constitutionality of the proposal.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Evidence released in Blagojevich case
The judge for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's corruption case released a document outlining the prosecution's evidence today, despite objections from Blagojevich's lawyers that it could taint the potential jury pool.
U.S. District Judge James Zagel ordered the release of the document, which expands upon the original federal indictment.
“There is nothing new. It’s the same old false allegations and lies. I’m looking forward to trial so the truth comes out and everyone will see that I am innocent," Blagojevich said in a written statement.
U.S. District Judge James Zagel ordered the release of the document, which expands upon the original federal indictment.
“There is nothing new. It’s the same old false allegations and lies. I’m looking forward to trial so the truth comes out and everyone will see that I am innocent," Blagojevich said in a written statement.
Senate passes remap plan
By Jamey Dunn
A constitutional amendment that would change the way Illinois draws its legislative districts passed in the Senate today with only Democratic support.
The legislative leaders from the House and Senate would be charged with naming a 10-member committee for their respective chambers. These commissions, which would presumably consist of five Democrats and five Republicans each, would hold hearings throughout the state to take input and inform the public.
However, the General Assembly would have the first shot at drawing the voter districts. A map that includes both chambers could pass just like any other bill and then go to the governor’s desk. If that doesn’t happen by June 20 of the year after the census, each chamber could draw its own map through a resolution, which requires a three-fifths majority vote but doesn’t have to be signed by the governor.
If the legislature cannot agree on a map or maps, the redraw would fall to the commissions. Each commission would approve a map for its respective chamber. Six members out of the 10 would have to agree.
If the commissions cannot pass a map, the senior Illinois Supreme Court justices from each party would appoint special masters to do the job. If they do not choose maps by October 5, the task would go back to the General Assembly.
The act also contains protection for minority populations that exceed those in the federal Voting Rights Act.
Republicans argued that any plan that allows the legislature to draw its own districts is not a step in the right direction. A Senate committee voted down a Republican plan, backed by several reform groups, earlier this week.
“The people have made it very clear with increasing volume that they don’t trust the Springfield leaders,” said Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican.
Murphy said both parties have come together recently to pass positive changes, such as pension reform. However, he compared the legislative process surrounding redistricting to the partisan fight over reform that took place last year. That battle resulted in Democrats passing a plan that was opposed by many of the same organizations that are against this amendment.
“This redistricting proposal, like so-called campaign reform last year before it, is a cynical ploy to convince the people that real reform has arrived, while all that was really achieved is the continued consolidation of power in the hands of the few. This is a blatant incumbent protection plan,” he said.
Chicago Democrat Sen. Kwame Raoul, sponsor of the amendment, said that many of his Republican critics approved the last map that they are now saying was cut through backroom deals.
“The congressional map that people refer to that shows the gerrymandered districts was a map that was sponsored by you, not me. Had I been there, I would have voted against it. … I chose the people over the legislative leaders. The people would choose who would draw the map under this scenario, not the legislative leaders,” he said.
The amendment now goes over to the House. Speaker Michael Madigan has not said whether he supports it. However, he backed a similar plan that passed in that chamber in 2008. The measure has to pass by May 1 in order to appear on the ballot next November. If it does not or if voters reject it, the current plan would stay in place.
A constitutional amendment that would change the way Illinois draws its legislative districts passed in the Senate today with only Democratic support.
The legislative leaders from the House and Senate would be charged with naming a 10-member committee for their respective chambers. These commissions, which would presumably consist of five Democrats and five Republicans each, would hold hearings throughout the state to take input and inform the public.
However, the General Assembly would have the first shot at drawing the voter districts. A map that includes both chambers could pass just like any other bill and then go to the governor’s desk. If that doesn’t happen by June 20 of the year after the census, each chamber could draw its own map through a resolution, which requires a three-fifths majority vote but doesn’t have to be signed by the governor.
If the legislature cannot agree on a map or maps, the redraw would fall to the commissions. Each commission would approve a map for its respective chamber. Six members out of the 10 would have to agree.
If the commissions cannot pass a map, the senior Illinois Supreme Court justices from each party would appoint special masters to do the job. If they do not choose maps by October 5, the task would go back to the General Assembly.
The act also contains protection for minority populations that exceed those in the federal Voting Rights Act.
Republicans argued that any plan that allows the legislature to draw its own districts is not a step in the right direction. A Senate committee voted down a Republican plan, backed by several reform groups, earlier this week.
“The people have made it very clear with increasing volume that they don’t trust the Springfield leaders,” said Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican.
Murphy said both parties have come together recently to pass positive changes, such as pension reform. However, he compared the legislative process surrounding redistricting to the partisan fight over reform that took place last year. That battle resulted in Democrats passing a plan that was opposed by many of the same organizations that are against this amendment.
“This redistricting proposal, like so-called campaign reform last year before it, is a cynical ploy to convince the people that real reform has arrived, while all that was really achieved is the continued consolidation of power in the hands of the few. This is a blatant incumbent protection plan,” he said.
Chicago Democrat Sen. Kwame Raoul, sponsor of the amendment, said that many of his Republican critics approved the last map that they are now saying was cut through backroom deals.
“The congressional map that people refer to that shows the gerrymandered districts was a map that was sponsored by you, not me. Had I been there, I would have voted against it. … I chose the people over the legislative leaders. The people would choose who would draw the map under this scenario, not the legislative leaders,” he said.
The amendment now goes over to the House. Speaker Michael Madigan has not said whether he supports it. However, he backed a similar plan that passed in that chamber in 2008. The measure has to pass by May 1 in order to appear on the ballot next November. If it does not or if voters reject it, the current plan would stay in place.
Quinn signs pension reform
By Rachel Wells
Gov. Pat Quinn today signed pension reform legislation expected to provide $400 million in budget relief for next year and reduce the 2045 liability by $220 billion, according to the governor’s office.
Under the new law, teachers and state workers hired after January 1, 2011, will be required to work at least 10 years before they can retire at age 67, up from eight years at age 60, before they can collect full benefits. New employees will receive a lower cost-of-living adjustment, and the law will also lower the cap on earnings that can accrue benefits,. The new cap will be $106,800, down from $240,000.
Quinn’s original budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2011 assumed $300 million in immediate pension reform savings to help ease the $13 billion budget gap, but he said today he would be comfortable aligning the budget to $400 million in savings, the amount he says has been conservatively estimated by actuaries.
“I think it’s important, given the history of this issue, that we be conservative, that we not take … a front-loaded approach,” Quinn said. “This is a long journey to 2045.”
While the governor’s office said the reforms will result in future payment savings of $67 billion through 2045, the reforms don’t apply to current employees or help diminish the amount currently owed to those employees’ systems.
The year 2045 is significant because that’s when, by law, pension liability funding must be at least 90 percent funded. In 1995, to make up for skipped or inadequate pension payments, the legislature devised a payment system that forced the state to make larger and larger payments for each of 15 years, followed by 35 more years of payments at a level rate. But over the years, lawmakers have opted to continue to push payments off, creating even larger obligations in future years.
“This is really a good first step in setting our state finances on the right track,” said Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, a Lemont Republican. She added, “I think we can still do some more with pension reform.” She said the state owes it to its residents to find out whether pension reforms can be applied to current employees’ benefits.
However, Quinn, Senate President John Cullerton and the Illinois State Bar Association agree that changes to current employee benefits would be unconstitutional.
Gov. Pat Quinn today signed pension reform legislation expected to provide $400 million in budget relief for next year and reduce the 2045 liability by $220 billion, according to the governor’s office.
Under the new law, teachers and state workers hired after January 1, 2011, will be required to work at least 10 years before they can retire at age 67, up from eight years at age 60, before they can collect full benefits. New employees will receive a lower cost-of-living adjustment, and the law will also lower the cap on earnings that can accrue benefits,. The new cap will be $106,800, down from $240,000.
Quinn’s original budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2011 assumed $300 million in immediate pension reform savings to help ease the $13 billion budget gap, but he said today he would be comfortable aligning the budget to $400 million in savings, the amount he says has been conservatively estimated by actuaries.
“I think it’s important, given the history of this issue, that we be conservative, that we not take … a front-loaded approach,” Quinn said. “This is a long journey to 2045.”
While the governor’s office said the reforms will result in future payment savings of $67 billion through 2045, the reforms don’t apply to current employees or help diminish the amount currently owed to those employees’ systems.
The year 2045 is significant because that’s when, by law, pension liability funding must be at least 90 percent funded. In 1995, to make up for skipped or inadequate pension payments, the legislature devised a payment system that forced the state to make larger and larger payments for each of 15 years, followed by 35 more years of payments at a level rate. But over the years, lawmakers have opted to continue to push payments off, creating even larger obligations in future years.
“This is really a good first step in setting our state finances on the right track,” said Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, a Lemont Republican. She added, “I think we can still do some more with pension reform.” She said the state owes it to its residents to find out whether pension reforms can be applied to current employees’ benefits.
However, Quinn, Senate President John Cullerton and the Illinois State Bar Association agree that changes to current employee benefits would be unconstitutional.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Redistricting: Politics vs. reform
By Jamey Dunn
While the Senate Democrats’ proposed constitutional amendment may not be perfect reform, some who have tackled the issue of redistricting before say it could be the most politically viable option.
The Senate's Redistricting Committee heard about three hours of testimony on the Republican proposal last night. Multiple reform groups spoke out in favor of the so-called Fair Map plan, but no witnesses testified explicitly in favor of the Democrat’s plan, which passed on partisan lines.
The biggest point of contention was, of course, who gets to draw the new legislative map after the results of the 2010 census come in.
Brad McMillan, a former member of Gov. Pat Quinn’s Illinois Reform Commission, testified in favor of Fair Map. He said that putting an end to the legislature directly drawing the map is a national trend among states that are reforming the way they create voter districts. He said letting lawmakers draw the map creates a “direct conflict of interest.”
“We’re not asking for perfection. We just think we can do a whole lot better for the people of the state of Illinois,” McMillan.
The Republican amendment, as well as the identical voter’s initiative spearheaded by the League of Women Voters, calls for a commission named by the legislative leaders to draw the map. The eight-member group would vote to pick a ninth member who would likely cast the tie-breaking vote. Members could not be legislators or lobbyists for four years before the plan or 10 years after to avoid involvement from anyone who could benefit from the map.
The Democrat plan, known as the Citizen’s First Amendment, lets the legislature get a shot at drawing the map, and if lawmakers cannot agree, it next moves on to a commission. Both plans call for open hearings, and both parties say they want to encourage input from the public.
Both plans also eliminate the luck-of the-draw provision currently in place. The framers of the 1970 Illinois Constitution put in a last resort for redistricting if an agreement cannot be reached. Two names are put forth by the legislative leaders, and one is randomly selected. Currently the method is the secretary of state drawing a name out of an Abraham Lincoln stovepipe hat. The winner gets to cast the tie-breaking and presumably partisan vote.
The convention delegates thought that no party would want to risk that winner-take-all situation, so it would force compromise. However, it had the opposite effect and that method for drawing the district map has been used more often than not since its creation.
“Anything is better than a hand inside the Lincoln hat,” said Andy Shaw, executive director of the Better Government Association.
Mike Lawrence and John Jackson, who worked on a redistricting plan for the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute under initiatives that passed in the House in 2008, agree that the random drawing is the biggest problem with the current system.
“We saw a need, and we thought that the current constitutional requirement of the random tie breaker was just not working because of course we had three straight decades of it not working,” said Jackson, a political scientist and visiting professor at the institute.
So they called together staff members from both parties, people who had dealt with the issue before and who had ties to both Democratic and Republican party leadership. Lawrence, former director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, called the group the “alumni of redistricting.” Its goal was to create reform that could pass in the legislature
Jackson said that the issue of letting the legislature draw the map was politically tricky. “We thought practical politics dictated that we just acknowledge the legislature has the right to redistrict itself if it can.”
“You always are caught on the horns of the dilemma of needing change, and how much change can you get before the thing collapses on itself. And we stopped short of the mark where we thought the thing would collapse politically,” he added.
Lawrence said the current Republican plan “represents significant reform.” However, he said a commission selected by the leaders to draw the map would not completely remove political considerations or legislative influence from the process, either.
He said the goal of the group he worked with was to encourage the legislature to reform itself. “I still believe in the legislative process, even though it tests my patience and that of others.”
Shaw said it is important to consider the impression that the public has of redistricting. He called on lawmakers to try the Republican plan for the next map, pointing out that they could go back to the drawing board if the plan proves to be too flawed to use again in 10 years. “[Legislators], collectively as a profession, have lost the faith of the people,” he said.
Lawrence agrees that the people of Illinois have an important role to play.
“I am pessimistic that anything will come of it without the public being fiercely engaged, much more engaged than if it has been up until now,” he said. He added the process might change if there was “a grass roots uprising, and people flooded the offices of legislators with phone calls.”
While the Senate Democrats’ proposed constitutional amendment may not be perfect reform, some who have tackled the issue of redistricting before say it could be the most politically viable option.
The Senate's Redistricting Committee heard about three hours of testimony on the Republican proposal last night. Multiple reform groups spoke out in favor of the so-called Fair Map plan, but no witnesses testified explicitly in favor of the Democrat’s plan, which passed on partisan lines.
The biggest point of contention was, of course, who gets to draw the new legislative map after the results of the 2010 census come in.
Brad McMillan, a former member of Gov. Pat Quinn’s Illinois Reform Commission, testified in favor of Fair Map. He said that putting an end to the legislature directly drawing the map is a national trend among states that are reforming the way they create voter districts. He said letting lawmakers draw the map creates a “direct conflict of interest.”
“We’re not asking for perfection. We just think we can do a whole lot better for the people of the state of Illinois,” McMillan.
The Republican amendment, as well as the identical voter’s initiative spearheaded by the League of Women Voters, calls for a commission named by the legislative leaders to draw the map. The eight-member group would vote to pick a ninth member who would likely cast the tie-breaking vote. Members could not be legislators or lobbyists for four years before the plan or 10 years after to avoid involvement from anyone who could benefit from the map.
The Democrat plan, known as the Citizen’s First Amendment, lets the legislature get a shot at drawing the map, and if lawmakers cannot agree, it next moves on to a commission. Both plans call for open hearings, and both parties say they want to encourage input from the public.
Both plans also eliminate the luck-of the-draw provision currently in place. The framers of the 1970 Illinois Constitution put in a last resort for redistricting if an agreement cannot be reached. Two names are put forth by the legislative leaders, and one is randomly selected. Currently the method is the secretary of state drawing a name out of an Abraham Lincoln stovepipe hat. The winner gets to cast the tie-breaking and presumably partisan vote.
The convention delegates thought that no party would want to risk that winner-take-all situation, so it would force compromise. However, it had the opposite effect and that method for drawing the district map has been used more often than not since its creation.
“Anything is better than a hand inside the Lincoln hat,” said Andy Shaw, executive director of the Better Government Association.
Mike Lawrence and John Jackson, who worked on a redistricting plan for the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute under initiatives that passed in the House in 2008, agree that the random drawing is the biggest problem with the current system.
“We saw a need, and we thought that the current constitutional requirement of the random tie breaker was just not working because of course we had three straight decades of it not working,” said Jackson, a political scientist and visiting professor at the institute.
So they called together staff members from both parties, people who had dealt with the issue before and who had ties to both Democratic and Republican party leadership. Lawrence, former director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, called the group the “alumni of redistricting.” Its goal was to create reform that could pass in the legislature
Jackson said that the issue of letting the legislature draw the map was politically tricky. “We thought practical politics dictated that we just acknowledge the legislature has the right to redistrict itself if it can.”
“You always are caught on the horns of the dilemma of needing change, and how much change can you get before the thing collapses on itself. And we stopped short of the mark where we thought the thing would collapse politically,” he added.
Lawrence said the current Republican plan “represents significant reform.” However, he said a commission selected by the leaders to draw the map would not completely remove political considerations or legislative influence from the process, either.
He said the goal of the group he worked with was to encourage the legislature to reform itself. “I still believe in the legislative process, even though it tests my patience and that of others.”
Shaw said it is important to consider the impression that the public has of redistricting. He called on lawmakers to try the Republican plan for the next map, pointing out that they could go back to the drawing board if the plan proves to be too flawed to use again in 10 years. “[Legislators], collectively as a profession, have lost the faith of the people,” he said.
Lawrence agrees that the people of Illinois have an important role to play.
“I am pessimistic that anything will come of it without the public being fiercely engaged, much more engaged than if it has been up until now,” he said. He added the process might change if there was “a grass roots uprising, and people flooded the offices of legislators with phone calls.”
Stakeholders air telecom rewrite concerns
By Rachel Wells
Lawmakers in the coming weeks will work to tweak legislation that would revamp a 25-year-old law, last updated in 2001, that regulates part of the rapidly evolving telecommunications industry. While consumer groups urge caution, most of the telecommunications industry and business sector call the rewrite a jobs creation measure.
HB 6425 would modernize Illinois’ Telecommunications Act and provide opportunities for investment both from the industry and businesses that rely on high-tech telecommunications, proponents of a rewrite say. And more investment means more jobs and more revenue for the state.
“How you resolve [the state’s budget crisis] is certainly paramount on everybody's mind,” said Jeff Mays, president of the Illinois Business Roundtable. “That's another reason that this should happen. This doesn't require the public sector to spend anything, and it also puts out a very strong message ... [It] puts the state out there that we want innovation, we want investment, we want to grow jobs in these areas.”
Paul La Schiazza, president of AT&T of Illinois, one of the major forces behind the call for a rewrite, said that 20 of the 22 states the company serves have already updated their telecommunications laws and that Illinois should do the same.
“[The 1985 law] focused, rightfully so at the time, on opening up markets to competition. It focused on breaking vestiges of a monopoly and providing choice to consumers,” La Schiazza said, adding that it was then “the most forward-thinking” telecommunications law in the nation.
But the world of telecommunications has changed dramatically since then, and competition is now robust, La Schiazza said. He cited AT&T’s decreased market share – from more than 91 percent in 2000 to its current share of 48 percent – in wire line phone service. Its share of emerging technology services is even lower, La Schiazza said.
“This is just a demonstration of the choice that consumers have in all segments of the market,” La Schiazza said. “To those who might say, ‘This is a risky proposition’ … the risk has already been taken out of the question. I believe the time is now. I believe we should stop losing jobs to neighboring states.”
But AARP Illinois says AT&T’s share of basic telecommunications services, those that the elderly and low-income populations are more reliant on than others, is still highly noncompetitive, and some areas only have a choice between the standard local telephone service and a cable service.
AT&T representatives said the Illinois Commerce Commission has twice declared the company’s landline services competitive. But AARP’s Mary Patton said the rewrite proposal’s definition of competitive – important because the state applies price protection measures where competition does not exist – sets the bar too low.
She said the bill would reduce the authority of the Illinois Commerce Commission, which currently regulates basic telecommunications services, and eliminate some reporting requirements she feels are necessary because telecommunications is one of the most complained-about services to consumer advocacy groups.
“The level of regulation and consumer protection must be appropriate to the actual level of competition in the market, including appropriate consumer protection to address … insufficient competition,” Patton said.
Other concerns from various stakeholders include:
Lawmakers in the coming weeks will work to tweak legislation that would revamp a 25-year-old law, last updated in 2001, that regulates part of the rapidly evolving telecommunications industry. While consumer groups urge caution, most of the telecommunications industry and business sector call the rewrite a jobs creation measure.
HB 6425 would modernize Illinois’ Telecommunications Act and provide opportunities for investment both from the industry and businesses that rely on high-tech telecommunications, proponents of a rewrite say. And more investment means more jobs and more revenue for the state.
“How you resolve [the state’s budget crisis] is certainly paramount on everybody's mind,” said Jeff Mays, president of the Illinois Business Roundtable. “That's another reason that this should happen. This doesn't require the public sector to spend anything, and it also puts out a very strong message ... [It] puts the state out there that we want innovation, we want investment, we want to grow jobs in these areas.”
Paul La Schiazza, president of AT&T of Illinois, one of the major forces behind the call for a rewrite, said that 20 of the 22 states the company serves have already updated their telecommunications laws and that Illinois should do the same.
“[The 1985 law] focused, rightfully so at the time, on opening up markets to competition. It focused on breaking vestiges of a monopoly and providing choice to consumers,” La Schiazza said, adding that it was then “the most forward-thinking” telecommunications law in the nation.
But the world of telecommunications has changed dramatically since then, and competition is now robust, La Schiazza said. He cited AT&T’s decreased market share – from more than 91 percent in 2000 to its current share of 48 percent – in wire line phone service. Its share of emerging technology services is even lower, La Schiazza said.
“This is just a demonstration of the choice that consumers have in all segments of the market,” La Schiazza said. “To those who might say, ‘This is a risky proposition’ … the risk has already been taken out of the question. I believe the time is now. I believe we should stop losing jobs to neighboring states.”
But AARP Illinois says AT&T’s share of basic telecommunications services, those that the elderly and low-income populations are more reliant on than others, is still highly noncompetitive, and some areas only have a choice between the standard local telephone service and a cable service.
AT&T representatives said the Illinois Commerce Commission has twice declared the company’s landline services competitive. But AARP’s Mary Patton said the rewrite proposal’s definition of competitive – important because the state applies price protection measures where competition does not exist – sets the bar too low.
She said the bill would reduce the authority of the Illinois Commerce Commission, which currently regulates basic telecommunications services, and eliminate some reporting requirements she feels are necessary because telecommunications is one of the most complained-about services to consumer advocacy groups.
“The level of regulation and consumer protection must be appropriate to the actual level of competition in the market, including appropriate consumer protection to address … insufficient competition,” Patton said.
Other concerns from various stakeholders include:
- Preservation of quality standards for basic, copper line service, which according to the Illinois attorney general’s office is still desired by 40 percent of Illinoisans
- Continued maintenance of payphone networks which emergency responders often rely upon.
- Rural access.
- Guarantees that a rewrite will actually result in increased investment, or jobs, in Illinois.
Friday, April 09, 2010
Hamos to head DHFS and session preview
Gov. Pat Quinn named Rep. Julie Hamos, a Wilmette Democrat, to head the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
Hamos will replace former director Barry Maram, appointed by former Gov. Rod Balgojevich in 2003, who resigned last week.
Hamos has served in the House since 1999, where she has focused on healthcare and social service issues. She lost her bid for Congress in the Democratic primary last February.
“I want to make sure we have a person in that department like Julie Hamos, who really cares for families, cares about healthcare understands it’s important that we work with Washington, the federal government, all the time,” Quinn said at a Chicago press conference.
Quinn added that communication with the feds will be even more important now that President Barack Obama signed national health care reform into law. Hamos said she is eager to implement the changes in Illinois.
“This is an exciting time in the nation's history when we have an opportunity to really make a difference in peoples' lives. With the national health care reform now the law of the land, we will showcase Illinois as the place where we will get it right, and I am excited about building the system from scratch,” Hamos said in Chicago.
She also said that she is open to Republican suggestions for Medicaid reform, such as moving some patients to managed care programs.
Next Week
A Senate committee will take up several redistricting plans tomorrow evening. So check back for an update.
A hearing on a possible revamp of telecommunications regulation is scheduled for Tuesday.
Quinn said budget talks with legislators would begin next week. “It’s time to step on the gas pedal,” he said in regards to the budget.
Adjournment is scheduled for the relatively early date of May 2, and lawmakers will be motivated to hit the campaign trail for the November general election. So once the legislature returns from spring break next week, they should be moving bills and budget negotiations along at a pretty quick pace. Check here for updates and analysis.
Hamos will replace former director Barry Maram, appointed by former Gov. Rod Balgojevich in 2003, who resigned last week.
Hamos has served in the House since 1999, where she has focused on healthcare and social service issues. She lost her bid for Congress in the Democratic primary last February.
“I want to make sure we have a person in that department like Julie Hamos, who really cares for families, cares about healthcare understands it’s important that we work with Washington, the federal government, all the time,” Quinn said at a Chicago press conference.
Quinn added that communication with the feds will be even more important now that President Barack Obama signed national health care reform into law. Hamos said she is eager to implement the changes in Illinois.
“This is an exciting time in the nation's history when we have an opportunity to really make a difference in peoples' lives. With the national health care reform now the law of the land, we will showcase Illinois as the place where we will get it right, and I am excited about building the system from scratch,” Hamos said in Chicago.
She also said that she is open to Republican suggestions for Medicaid reform, such as moving some patients to managed care programs.
Next Week
A Senate committee will take up several redistricting plans tomorrow evening. So check back for an update.
A hearing on a possible revamp of telecommunications regulation is scheduled for Tuesday.
Quinn said budget talks with legislators would begin next week. “It’s time to step on the gas pedal,” he said in regards to the budget.
Adjournment is scheduled for the relatively early date of May 2, and lawmakers will be motivated to hit the campaign trail for the November general election. So once the legislature returns from spring break next week, they should be moving bills and budget negotiations along at a pretty quick pace. Check here for updates and analysis.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
