By Jamey Dunn
In its ongoing quest to find savings in the state’s Medicaid system, a House committee today took up the issue of making sure those who receive benefits are eligible for them.
Legislators in both houses are looking for ways to trim the Medicaid budget and make the system more efficient. However, today’s hearing did not produce many options. The one change most agreed with was working to make records electronic and shareable between state agencies.
John Bouman, president of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Policy Law, said the state should take advantage of federal funding associated with the health care reform law. “For example, if we are going to save $200 million in managed care ideas, save $190 million, take $10 million and turn that it into $100 million pot for information technology upgrades, which adds that much money to the state budget to do tasks we should be doing anyhow.”
Legislators on the committee painted a grim picture of the administrative oversight and technological systems Medicaid operates under.
“Everything is still in paper files. Computer systems crash. The whole office is shut down. Nothing works and it’s not only undignified for recipients of our human …services but also ridiculous when it comes to being able to efficiently manage this,” said Rep. Sarah Feigenholtz, a Chicago Democrat.
“In my local office … each one of the case management people have 2,500 cases. ... This is what one of them told us: They’re just told not to answer the phone because they can’t handle it,” said Rep. Patricia Bellock, a Hinsdale Republican.
Bouman said if legislators want to crack down on verifying whether patients are eligible for Medicaid assistance, new technology is needed. He said a “staff-heavy, paper-heavy” verification system is slow, costly and has more potential for mistakes.
However, Bouman cautioned against kicking people off of Medicaid coverage — even if their eligibility lapses — if the committee’s overall goal is to provide preventative health care rather than expensive treatment for chronic medical problems. “This is not traditional cash welfare assistance where we have a stern gatekeeping function. This is health policy. And we have to pay attention to connection to care, and not interrupting care and getting the cheap sensible prevention going on and continuing.”
Members of Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration were not receptive to the idea of knocking such people out of the program as undocumented children and people whose coverage is paid for solely by the state.
“We see the issue of serving undocumented children as a policy issue, one that we’re proud of and this governor supports. So we are not proposing changes in reducing eligibility for undocumented children,” said Julie Hamos, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
Hamos said the pool of single adults that Illinois covers with no help from the feds costs the state around $16.9 million. “This is a relatively small amount of money, relatively, but it’s still money … If we don’t provide for some kind of payment for these very low-income people either they’re going to get very sick and end up in emergency rooms, and then the hospitals will be eating the cost one way or another, or they won’t even get primary health care, and they’ll by default get sicker.”
Hamos said her agency would present plans for new technology and information sharing to the General Assembly in the spring. She also said she would support stricter enforcement of eligibility standards; however, the federal government may not allow such changes. To receive federal matching dollars, Illinois cannot change the standards used to determine who is eligible for Medicaid assistance. “We will try to make the best case for why verification is different than [changes in] eligibility. …But we don’t know how [the federal government] will react.”
The committee is scheduled to meet again tomorrow. A Senate committee is also taking up the issue of Medicaid reform.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Commission wants to cut poverty by 2015
By Jamey Dunn
Illinois can help to raise some of its most vulnerable residents out of crushing poverty by 2015, according to a new plan released today.
The Illinois Commission on the Elimination of Poverty released recommendations for the state to cut the number of those living in extreme poverty — those earning up to half or the federal poverty level — in half by 2015.
According to the group's report, about 1.6 million Illinoisans live below the poverty line, which is an income of $22,050 or less for a family of four, and almost 760,000 fit the category of extreme poverty, an income of $11,025 or less for a family of four. About half of those living in extreme poverty belong to groups that are unable to work, such as children, the elderly and the disabled. The report says the number of impoverished Illinois residents has been slowly growing over the last decade:
Our support system is failing those who need it most, and as a result, the number of individuals and families living in poverty in Illinois continues to rise.
The commission operated under the principle that “the absence of human rights is the cause of poverty.”
The commission was charged with finding ways to help people in need find affordable housing, health care and childcare. They also addressed accessibility to nutritious foods, reliable transportation and adequate education and training.
Here of some of several suggestions the group made in its report:
With the state’s current fiscal situation, the commission recognizes that its recommendations need to be sensitive to the state’s current revenue constraints and spending obligations. Initial changes should not add to the state’s budget difficulties. As the commission advocates for the incremental adoption of its recommendations until 2015, it will make adjustments in the implementation of this plan that reflect the changes and opportunities that will be encountered during that time.
Maywood Democratic Rep. Karen Yarbrough, who sponsored the legislation that created the commission, said the state can no longer ignore its growing poverty numbers. “While there will be a cost to provide this help, the cost of doing nothing is so expensive that it could bankrupt society as we know it,” she said at a Chicago news conference.
Yarbrough said the report should be a starting point for action on the issue from the General Assembly. “This puts a real face on who we’re trying to help. But we must not lose sight of the fact that by helping them, we are helping everyone in Illinois. This plan is an important step toward addressing the needs of the most vulnerable in Illinois. Because it’s such a large step forward, no longer can we say that this issue must have more study. We’ve done the study.”
Illinois can help to raise some of its most vulnerable residents out of crushing poverty by 2015, according to a new plan released today.
The Illinois Commission on the Elimination of Poverty released recommendations for the state to cut the number of those living in extreme poverty — those earning up to half or the federal poverty level — in half by 2015.
According to the group's report, about 1.6 million Illinoisans live below the poverty line, which is an income of $22,050 or less for a family of four, and almost 760,000 fit the category of extreme poverty, an income of $11,025 or less for a family of four. About half of those living in extreme poverty belong to groups that are unable to work, such as children, the elderly and the disabled. The report says the number of impoverished Illinois residents has been slowly growing over the last decade:
Our support system is failing those who need it most, and as a result, the number of individuals and families living in poverty in Illinois continues to rise.
The commission operated under the principle that “the absence of human rights is the cause of poverty.”
The commission was charged with finding ways to help people in need find affordable housing, health care and childcare. They also addressed accessibility to nutritious foods, reliable transportation and adequate education and training.
Here of some of several suggestions the group made in its report:
- A statewide transitional jobs program that would help up to 40,000 people return to the workforce each year.
- Eliminating categories of workers not covered by minimum wage — such as restaurant servers, who receive tips.
- Educational programs to make sure those eligible for federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, commonly referred to as welfare, are receiving benefits. This group also recommends increased TANF benefits because it is possible to receive TANF funds and still be below the extreme poverty line.
- Legislation to prohibit the state from asking job applicants about their criminal histories, as well as encouraging private employers to hire people with criminal backgrounds.
- Increased scholarships to community colleges for low-income students.
- Tripling the earned income tax credit, which is meant to reward employment and assist low-income families
- Increased rental subsidies for individuals living in poverty.
- Simplifying the application process for Medicaid and food stamps, allowing residents to sign up for all aid programs they are eligible for with one application.
With the state’s current fiscal situation, the commission recognizes that its recommendations need to be sensitive to the state’s current revenue constraints and spending obligations. Initial changes should not add to the state’s budget difficulties. As the commission advocates for the incremental adoption of its recommendations until 2015, it will make adjustments in the implementation of this plan that reflect the changes and opportunities that will be encountered during that time.
Maywood Democratic Rep. Karen Yarbrough, who sponsored the legislation that created the commission, said the state can no longer ignore its growing poverty numbers. “While there will be a cost to provide this help, the cost of doing nothing is so expensive that it could bankrupt society as we know it,” she said at a Chicago news conference.
Yarbrough said the report should be a starting point for action on the issue from the General Assembly. “This puts a real face on who we’re trying to help. But we must not lose sight of the fact that by helping them, we are helping everyone in Illinois. This plan is an important step toward addressing the needs of the most vulnerable in Illinois. Because it’s such a large step forward, no longer can we say that this issue must have more study. We’ve done the study.”
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
State will pay off FY2010 bills by end of December - updated
By Jamey Dunn
UPDATE: Gov Pat Quinn confirmed Thursday that the state will pay off its fiscal year 2010 bills by the end of the month, largely through the sale of bonds against the state's tobacco settlement money.
Quinn said the backlog for FY2010 is about $1.4 billion and that service providers and vendors should expect payments soon. “They’ll get their money by the end of this year. Probably in the next week or so," he told reporters in Chicago.
Quinn also emphasized the importance of working on budget solutions when the legislature returns in January. “We also have to pay [FY2011] and beyond — [FY2012], [FY2013] and you name it. So we have to have a plan in Illinois that gets us back on sure footing when it comes to our finances, and that’s what I’m working on now with legislators of both parties.”
Illinois will make the deadline for paying off its bills by the end of this month. A new survey indicates, however, that the slow payment schedule, coupled with budget cuts, has hurt social service providers.
According to Alan Henry, director of communications for Comptroller Dan Hynes, the state will pay off all of its overdue bills from fiscal year 2010 — which ended June 30 — by the end of this month. Legislators moved the cutoff date for payments from August 31 to December as part of the budget plan passed in May.
The state prioritized paying off last year’s bills before paying for costs incurred in FY 2011. Illinois also sold $1.5 billion in bonds against the state’s money from a court settlement with tobacco companies and brought in $546 million from the tax amnesty period. Hynes warned in his quarterly report released in October that the state would have to get at least $1.2 billion from the tobacco money and $200 million from deadbeat taxpayers to make the end-of-the-year deadline.
But the results of a survey from the Illinois Partners for Human Services, a lobbying coalition that represents social service providers throughout Illinois, show that the state’s financial crisis has already taken a toll.
The group surveyed more than 200 Illinois social service providers. More than 70 percent of respondents said their efforts were affected by the late payments, with more than half cutting hours of operation or levels of services. More than 40 percent saw increased waiting lists, and more than one quarter turned clients away and/or closed programs. More than a quarter saw no changes to their services.
More than half of the organizations upped their fundraising efforts. Nearly half sought credit, and nearly half cut staff.
The report describes the compounded problem of staff cuts and an increased need for remaining staff to try to find money where they can:
Sixty percent of responding organizations sought additional funding sources, often requiring program staff to refocus efforts away from service provision. Combined with the 49% that laid off employees, these organizations are severely hampered by both direct cuts and service reductions, as well as reallocating staff to non-service specific functions.
UPDATE: Gov Pat Quinn confirmed Thursday that the state will pay off its fiscal year 2010 bills by the end of the month, largely through the sale of bonds against the state's tobacco settlement money.
Quinn said the backlog for FY2010 is about $1.4 billion and that service providers and vendors should expect payments soon. “They’ll get their money by the end of this year. Probably in the next week or so," he told reporters in Chicago.
Quinn also emphasized the importance of working on budget solutions when the legislature returns in January. “We also have to pay [FY2011] and beyond — [FY2012], [FY2013] and you name it. So we have to have a plan in Illinois that gets us back on sure footing when it comes to our finances, and that’s what I’m working on now with legislators of both parties.”
Illinois will make the deadline for paying off its bills by the end of this month. A new survey indicates, however, that the slow payment schedule, coupled with budget cuts, has hurt social service providers.
According to Alan Henry, director of communications for Comptroller Dan Hynes, the state will pay off all of its overdue bills from fiscal year 2010 — which ended June 30 — by the end of this month. Legislators moved the cutoff date for payments from August 31 to December as part of the budget plan passed in May.
The state prioritized paying off last year’s bills before paying for costs incurred in FY 2011. Illinois also sold $1.5 billion in bonds against the state’s money from a court settlement with tobacco companies and brought in $546 million from the tax amnesty period. Hynes warned in his quarterly report released in October that the state would have to get at least $1.2 billion from the tobacco money and $200 million from deadbeat taxpayers to make the end-of-the-year deadline.
But the results of a survey from the Illinois Partners for Human Services, a lobbying coalition that represents social service providers throughout Illinois, show that the state’s financial crisis has already taken a toll.
The group surveyed more than 200 Illinois social service providers. More than 70 percent of respondents said their efforts were affected by the late payments, with more than half cutting hours of operation or levels of services. More than 40 percent saw increased waiting lists, and more than one quarter turned clients away and/or closed programs. More than a quarter saw no changes to their services.
More than half of the organizations upped their fundraising efforts. Nearly half sought credit, and nearly half cut staff.
The report describes the compounded problem of staff cuts and an increased need for remaining staff to try to find money where they can:
Sixty percent of responding organizations sought additional funding sources, often requiring program staff to refocus efforts away from service provision. Combined with the 49% that laid off employees, these organizations are severely hampered by both direct cuts and service reductions, as well as reallocating staff to non-service specific functions.
House considers Medicaid reforms
By Jamey Dunn
In a move that parallels the Senate’s reform efforts, a House committee heard testimony in Chicago today on possible changes to Illinois’ Medicaid system.
A special Senate committee held a hearing on Medicaid last week. Both that hearing and today’s House hearing focused on cutting costs while giving patients more comprehensive treatment.
Much of the conversation was about potential savings that could be found in managed care programs. The state has a voluntary managed care program and is working on a mandatory managed care pilot program in the Chicago suburbs, which would provide care to elderly and disabled patients.
“Our approach towards managed care is one of using it as a means to an end, and the end that we’re trying to achieve is higher health status, better health care outcomes and the use of integrated care delivery systems to get us there,” said Michael Gelder, a health care policy adviser to Gov. Pat Quinn.
However, James Parker, deputy administrator of medical programs for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, said the voluntary program is not producing big savings for the state. “Somebody enrolling in that program saves the state nothing. It actually costs us money.”
Chicago Democratic Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie suggested that requiring Medicaid patients to enroll in managed care might bring down costs. “If the provider doesn’t know what numbers that company is going to deal with, its very hard for them to figure what’s a rate that makes sense for them. … It maybe that you get a better rate bid from a provider if there is some mandatory enrollment because they have a better sense as to what the population is.”
Parker agreed. “We need a rate cut for that program to make sense. But if we did a mandatory program … and gave them enough [patients], it would make up for the rate cut that would be needed to save money.”
Parker added that because there are not many cases of people receiving unnecessary care, the best way to save money on Medicaid would be to try to keep patients healthier in general so they do not require as much treatment.
“Our rates don’t entice specialists to see our patients unless they really need to be seen. … We don’t have an overuse of expensive specialists, mainly because there’s no such thing as an expensive specialist in our Medicaid program because we don’t pay that much. … The only way to really get the costs down is to reduce the need for care.”
Parker said the state could also save by pushing for a reduction in the dispensing fees pharmacies charge for filling Medicaid prescriptions. Illinois currently pays $3.40 for each brand name prescription and $4.60 for each generic, in an attempt to encourage pharmacies to use generic drugs for Medicaid. That is compared with a $1.50 fee for any prescription for state employees.
He cautioned, that savings would not come in the form of cuts to a budget line. They are instead expressed in terms of savings compared with the estimates of what the state would spend in the future if no action were taken. “When anybody is talking about saving from any of these managed care programs, any one of them … whenever they talk about savings, they are never, never talking about spending less money this year than we spent last year or less money next year than we’re spending this year. It is all based on slowing the growth.”
The House committee is scheduled to meet again on December 13 and 14. Rep. Chapin Rose, a Mahomet Republican, said the committee would likely consider legislation on December 14. The Senate Medicaid Reform Committee is scheduled to make final recommendations to the full Senate on January 3.
In a move that parallels the Senate’s reform efforts, a House committee heard testimony in Chicago today on possible changes to Illinois’ Medicaid system.
A special Senate committee held a hearing on Medicaid last week. Both that hearing and today’s House hearing focused on cutting costs while giving patients more comprehensive treatment.
Much of the conversation was about potential savings that could be found in managed care programs. The state has a voluntary managed care program and is working on a mandatory managed care pilot program in the Chicago suburbs, which would provide care to elderly and disabled patients.
“Our approach towards managed care is one of using it as a means to an end, and the end that we’re trying to achieve is higher health status, better health care outcomes and the use of integrated care delivery systems to get us there,” said Michael Gelder, a health care policy adviser to Gov. Pat Quinn.
However, James Parker, deputy administrator of medical programs for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, said the voluntary program is not producing big savings for the state. “Somebody enrolling in that program saves the state nothing. It actually costs us money.”
Chicago Democratic Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie suggested that requiring Medicaid patients to enroll in managed care might bring down costs. “If the provider doesn’t know what numbers that company is going to deal with, its very hard for them to figure what’s a rate that makes sense for them. … It maybe that you get a better rate bid from a provider if there is some mandatory enrollment because they have a better sense as to what the population is.”
Parker agreed. “We need a rate cut for that program to make sense. But if we did a mandatory program … and gave them enough [patients], it would make up for the rate cut that would be needed to save money.”
Parker added that because there are not many cases of people receiving unnecessary care, the best way to save money on Medicaid would be to try to keep patients healthier in general so they do not require as much treatment.
“Our rates don’t entice specialists to see our patients unless they really need to be seen. … We don’t have an overuse of expensive specialists, mainly because there’s no such thing as an expensive specialist in our Medicaid program because we don’t pay that much. … The only way to really get the costs down is to reduce the need for care.”
Parker said the state could also save by pushing for a reduction in the dispensing fees pharmacies charge for filling Medicaid prescriptions. Illinois currently pays $3.40 for each brand name prescription and $4.60 for each generic, in an attempt to encourage pharmacies to use generic drugs for Medicaid. That is compared with a $1.50 fee for any prescription for state employees.
He cautioned, that savings would not come in the form of cuts to a budget line. They are instead expressed in terms of savings compared with the estimates of what the state would spend in the future if no action were taken. “When anybody is talking about saving from any of these managed care programs, any one of them … whenever they talk about savings, they are never, never talking about spending less money this year than we spent last year or less money next year than we’re spending this year. It is all based on slowing the growth.”
The House committee is scheduled to meet again on December 13 and 14. Rep. Chapin Rose, a Mahomet Republican, said the committee would likely consider legislation on December 14. The Senate Medicaid Reform Committee is scheduled to make final recommendations to the full Senate on January 3.
Saturday, December 04, 2010
This week's CapitolView
From civil unions to gambling to pensions, a wrap up of the week in Illinois government. Panelists Mike Lawrence, former director of Paul Simon Public Policy Institute; Charlie Wheeler, director of the Public Affairs Reporting Program at UIS, and Scott Reeder, statehouse bureau chief for Illinois Statehouse News. Guest moderator, Amanda Vinicky from WUIS-FM/NPR in Springfield. A production of WSEC-TV/PBS Springfield.
Friday, December 03, 2010
Finer points
By Jamey Dunn
There was a flurry of legislative action this week as the General Assembly considered civil unions, medical marijuana, gaming expansion and more. With so much happening in just four days, some details of the legislation tend to fall through the cracks:
Civil unions
If Gov. Pat Quinn makes good on his pledge to sign, Senate Bill 1716, which he says he will do in the new year, same-sex, as well as heterosexual couples, would have the option for civil unions.
Rights such as hospital visitation, medical and end-of-life decisions were often bandied about during the debate. While those are important protections, the bill provides for many more rights, as well.
“Every state entitlement or right that comes with marriage will now apply to civil unions,” said Jason Pierceson, a legal studies professor at the University of Illinois Springfield and author of Same-Sex Marriage in the Americas: Policy Innovation for Same-Sex Relationships.
The legislation would apply to family law issues, such as court intervention in divorce proceedings and child custody cases and protection under domestic violence laws.
However, Pierceson pointed out that there are more than 1,000 federal benefits and protections that the state legislature cannot grant couples, no matter what legislation it passes. For example, a couple in a civil union could file a joint state income tax return but not a joint federal return.
He said he does not anticipate that a large number of lawsuits would be needed to enforce the new law. While some may deny rights intentionally as a political stand, Pierceson said most officials and private institutions would just need a “transition period” to adapt. He added that other states have provided examples for how to implement such laws.
For instance, businesses may have to rethink family benefits they offer, such as a gym membership or a family cell phone plan, because the options would now be available to same-sex couples and their children. “There are so many small things that married couples take for granted,” Pierceson said.
There is also a possibility that some religious groups that oppose recognizing same sex couples may stop administering certain social services, such as adoption and foster care. Catholic Charities has stopped administering foster care in some places that recognize same-sex couples, such as Washington, D.C., to avoid having to place children with gay or lesbian couples.
If Quinn signs the bill, county clerks would issue licenses for civil unions, and in most counties, the fee would be about $30. The license would have to be certified by a judge or other eligible public official. No religious ceremony is required. And no church that is opposed to civil unions would be required to hold ceremonies to recognize them.
Illinois will also recognize out-of-state civil unions, same-sex marriages and domestic partnerships as civil unions in this state. Like marriages, civil unions must be dissolved by a court.
Medical marijuana
A measure to allow residents with “chronic” or “debilitating” diseases access to medical marijuana failed to gain the votes needed to pass on Tuesday. However, the sponsor, Skokie Democratic Rep. Lou Lang, said he plans to make a push to pass SB 1381 in January, before a new legislative session begins
The bill lists the conditions that could potentially be treated with medical cannabis: cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, nail patella, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, wasting syndrome. It could also be used to treat severe pain or nausea that is persistent and has not responded to other treatments, and to counteract the side effects of some treatments, such as chemotherapy. The Department of Public Health could add to the list.
The aspect of the plan that has been somewhat confusing is how a seriously ill person would be able to tend to the six marijuana plants the bill would allow patients to own.
This week, Lang spelled out the options. The first would be to designate another person as a primary caregiver. This individual could grow and keep marijuana for a sick person who was using it for treatment. However, whatever they may have between the two of them could not exceed the limit of two ounces of dried cannabis and six plants — only three of them mature.
The other option would be dispensaries, though Lang says the limits would be much tighter than the ones imposed California. That state has legal medical marijuana, and the perception that it also has a pot store that may or may not check prescriptions on every corner has made dispensaries infamous in recent years.
“A dispensary is a place where you can go buy three plants, or six plants — three of which can be mature. But if you’re too sick to deal with it yourself, and you don’t have a caregiver to name — perhaps you’re 90 years old, and all of your friends and all of your family are no longer with you, unfortunately — the dispensary would be allowed to be your caregiver,” Lang said.
So a business could take care of the plants for patients and then give them the dried marijuana produced from them. Dispensaries could take on multiple clients as long as they don't exceed the limits set for each patient.
“You might see storefronts, but not the same way you would see them in California. The California law was so loose, storefronts sprung up like Starbucks. … In this case there would be far less of them. … There will be industries created. There will be dispensaries, but they’re not going to be huge lucrative businesses,” Lang said.
Any patient or caregiver who sells or gives cannabis to someone not licensed to use it would be subject to criminal charges. The measure allows for up to two years in prison or a $2,000 fine to be tacked onto their sentence.
Gaming
With little debate on the Senate floor, lawmakers also passed a large gaming expansion Wednesday. It would allow for five new casinos, slots at horse racing tracks and more gaming positions at existing casinos. Some Republicans said they were supporting the bill to move it along in the process because they expected the House to make changes and send it back for another Senate vote. However, the bill’s sponsor, Waukegan Democratic Sen. Terry Link, said Wednesday night, after his chamber approved the measure, that he had already talked with Lang, the House sponsor, and he expects the Senate’s version of the bill to pass in the House.
But they may have had a communication breakdown. “I congratulate the Illinois Senate on its successful effort to push the bill through the chamber, but I intend to thoroughly review their plan, and I expect to be making some changes,” Lang said in a written statement. Trying to appease all interested parties on a touchy subject such as gambling is usually what sinks a massive bill like SB 737.
Amendatory veto
The legislature failed to take up Quinn’s amendatory veto to House Bill 4842, which would have created an open primary election system. Quinn’s changes would have allowed voters to participate in primaries without having to publicly declare a party affiliation. Since lawmakers did not act on the veto during veto session, the governor’s changes die along with the bill.
The original measure would have required the State Board of Elections to post profiles of candidates before the primary election. Since lieutenant governor and governor candidates now must run as a team in the primary, it stands to reason that lieutenant governor candidates would get more attention, so such voter guidance would be less necessary. Both HB 4842 and the new law, which joins the governor and lieutenant governor candidates in the primary, were reactions to former lieutenant governor candidate Scott Lee Cohen’s surprise win — and subsequent later fall from grace — in this year's Democratic primary. Lawmakers likely were happy to let the bill slide rather than take up the sticky issue of Illinois’ primary system.
There was a flurry of legislative action this week as the General Assembly considered civil unions, medical marijuana, gaming expansion and more. With so much happening in just four days, some details of the legislation tend to fall through the cracks:
Civil unions
If Gov. Pat Quinn makes good on his pledge to sign, Senate Bill 1716, which he says he will do in the new year, same-sex, as well as heterosexual couples, would have the option for civil unions.
Rights such as hospital visitation, medical and end-of-life decisions were often bandied about during the debate. While those are important protections, the bill provides for many more rights, as well.
“Every state entitlement or right that comes with marriage will now apply to civil unions,” said Jason Pierceson, a legal studies professor at the University of Illinois Springfield and author of Same-Sex Marriage in the Americas: Policy Innovation for Same-Sex Relationships.
The legislation would apply to family law issues, such as court intervention in divorce proceedings and child custody cases and protection under domestic violence laws.
However, Pierceson pointed out that there are more than 1,000 federal benefits and protections that the state legislature cannot grant couples, no matter what legislation it passes. For example, a couple in a civil union could file a joint state income tax return but not a joint federal return.
He said he does not anticipate that a large number of lawsuits would be needed to enforce the new law. While some may deny rights intentionally as a political stand, Pierceson said most officials and private institutions would just need a “transition period” to adapt. He added that other states have provided examples for how to implement such laws.
For instance, businesses may have to rethink family benefits they offer, such as a gym membership or a family cell phone plan, because the options would now be available to same-sex couples and their children. “There are so many small things that married couples take for granted,” Pierceson said.
There is also a possibility that some religious groups that oppose recognizing same sex couples may stop administering certain social services, such as adoption and foster care. Catholic Charities has stopped administering foster care in some places that recognize same-sex couples, such as Washington, D.C., to avoid having to place children with gay or lesbian couples.
If Quinn signs the bill, county clerks would issue licenses for civil unions, and in most counties, the fee would be about $30. The license would have to be certified by a judge or other eligible public official. No religious ceremony is required. And no church that is opposed to civil unions would be required to hold ceremonies to recognize them.
Illinois will also recognize out-of-state civil unions, same-sex marriages and domestic partnerships as civil unions in this state. Like marriages, civil unions must be dissolved by a court.
Medical marijuana
A measure to allow residents with “chronic” or “debilitating” diseases access to medical marijuana failed to gain the votes needed to pass on Tuesday. However, the sponsor, Skokie Democratic Rep. Lou Lang, said he plans to make a push to pass SB 1381 in January, before a new legislative session begins
The bill lists the conditions that could potentially be treated with medical cannabis: cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, nail patella, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, wasting syndrome. It could also be used to treat severe pain or nausea that is persistent and has not responded to other treatments, and to counteract the side effects of some treatments, such as chemotherapy. The Department of Public Health could add to the list.
The aspect of the plan that has been somewhat confusing is how a seriously ill person would be able to tend to the six marijuana plants the bill would allow patients to own.
This week, Lang spelled out the options. The first would be to designate another person as a primary caregiver. This individual could grow and keep marijuana for a sick person who was using it for treatment. However, whatever they may have between the two of them could not exceed the limit of two ounces of dried cannabis and six plants — only three of them mature.
The other option would be dispensaries, though Lang says the limits would be much tighter than the ones imposed California. That state has legal medical marijuana, and the perception that it also has a pot store that may or may not check prescriptions on every corner has made dispensaries infamous in recent years.
“A dispensary is a place where you can go buy three plants, or six plants — three of which can be mature. But if you’re too sick to deal with it yourself, and you don’t have a caregiver to name — perhaps you’re 90 years old, and all of your friends and all of your family are no longer with you, unfortunately — the dispensary would be allowed to be your caregiver,” Lang said.
So a business could take care of the plants for patients and then give them the dried marijuana produced from them. Dispensaries could take on multiple clients as long as they don't exceed the limits set for each patient.
“You might see storefronts, but not the same way you would see them in California. The California law was so loose, storefronts sprung up like Starbucks. … In this case there would be far less of them. … There will be industries created. There will be dispensaries, but they’re not going to be huge lucrative businesses,” Lang said.
Any patient or caregiver who sells or gives cannabis to someone not licensed to use it would be subject to criminal charges. The measure allows for up to two years in prison or a $2,000 fine to be tacked onto their sentence.
Gaming
With little debate on the Senate floor, lawmakers also passed a large gaming expansion Wednesday. It would allow for five new casinos, slots at horse racing tracks and more gaming positions at existing casinos. Some Republicans said they were supporting the bill to move it along in the process because they expected the House to make changes and send it back for another Senate vote. However, the bill’s sponsor, Waukegan Democratic Sen. Terry Link, said Wednesday night, after his chamber approved the measure, that he had already talked with Lang, the House sponsor, and he expects the Senate’s version of the bill to pass in the House.
But they may have had a communication breakdown. “I congratulate the Illinois Senate on its successful effort to push the bill through the chamber, but I intend to thoroughly review their plan, and I expect to be making some changes,” Lang said in a written statement. Trying to appease all interested parties on a touchy subject such as gambling is usually what sinks a massive bill like SB 737.
Amendatory veto
The legislature failed to take up Quinn’s amendatory veto to House Bill 4842, which would have created an open primary election system. Quinn’s changes would have allowed voters to participate in primaries without having to publicly declare a party affiliation. Since lawmakers did not act on the veto during veto session, the governor’s changes die along with the bill.
The original measure would have required the State Board of Elections to post profiles of candidates before the primary election. Since lieutenant governor and governor candidates now must run as a team in the primary, it stands to reason that lieutenant governor candidates would get more attention, so such voter guidance would be less necessary. Both HB 4842 and the new law, which joins the governor and lieutenant governor candidates in the primary, were reactions to former lieutenant governor candidate Scott Lee Cohen’s surprise win — and subsequent later fall from grace — in this year's Democratic primary. Lawmakers likely were happy to let the bill slide rather than take up the sticky issue of Illinois’ primary system.
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Police and fire pension reforms head to the governor
By Jamey Dunn
Police officers and firefighters hired after January 1 may get fewer benefits when they retire.
The Senate passed a bill today that would lower benefits for new hires and require local governments to consistently fund the pension system.
Retirees would have to spend 30 years on the job and work to age 55, instead of the current 50, to earn full benefits. They could receive partial benefits at age 50 if they have worked for 10 years. Pension benefits would be based on a retiree’s salary from the last eight years of service. Currently it is based on the final year, so a large raise near the end of a career can have a substantial impact on benefits. The top salary that benefits could be based on would be $106,800. Employee contribution levels would not increase.
Senate Bill 3538 also requires a ramped up schedule starting in 2015 that would make municipalities fund pensions at 90 percent by the end of their 2040 fiscal year.
The reforms come in the wake of changes to pensions for state employees, which passed on one day in the spring legislative session.
“Everybody hollers at the state and say[s] we haven’t been paying our pension funds, and we haven’t. We were violators for a lot of years. And we took that task on in the spring, and we altered our pension system,” Waukegan Sen. Terry Link, a sponsor of the police and firefighter pension bill.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has warned that the mandated pension payments would cost the city, which is facing its own budget crisis, $550 million a year after 2015.
Both Link and Senate President John Cullerton have vowed to make changes to address the city’s concerns with another bill they say will come up for a vote in January. But for some lawmakers, such assurances where not enough.
“I know we need this bill for reform…[but] as of right now, if we pass this bill and the governor signs it, the city of Chicago homeowners and businessmen are on the hook for over $500 million,” said Sen. Antonio Munoz, a Chicago Democrat.
Labor representatives for police officers and firefighters support the payment requirements. “We were very pleased with the contribution enforcement that was placed in the bill. … With the facts of pension underfunding, the need for pension reform is very clear,” said Pat Devaney, president of the Associated Firefighters of Illinois — which opposes the measure overall.
Devaney said the pensions are underfunded primarily because of the economic downturn and local governments failing to hold up their obligations. However, he said labor groups realized that cuts to benefits would be part of the equation. “That was our goal, to shore up this system and to make sure that these plans would remain solvent. … We understood that even though they weren’t warranted, that benefit reductions were going to take place.”
However, he said the reductions in the bill went too far, and the legislation was unclear in some areas.
There was confusion over whether overtime pay would be included when pensions were being calculated, Link said it was his intention that it would be.
Devaney said he hopes local governments use some of the savings from the cuts to equip police and fire departments with more resources to hire more first responders when the new benefits system would go into effect in January.
However, Joe McCoy, a lobbyist for the Illinois Municipal League, fears the changes could do just the opposite.
“The [Illinois Municipal League] is concerned that the compliance language will inadvertently result in service cuts, personnel reductions and fewer first responders in our communities. … The lack of local support for increased taxes, as well as the existence of tax caps and other revenue limitations in many communities, will place tremendous strains on local budgets in future years,” McCoy said in a written statement.
Veto Override
The Senate overrode Gov. Pat Quinn’s amendatory veto to House Bill 5206, which would have created a citizen’s initiative process to allow Illinoisans to bring ethics reform legislation before the General Assembly.
The original version of the bill, which allows county clerks to electronically clear dead voters from their rolls, becomes law.
Executive Appointees
State government appointees whose terms have expired may soon be tossed out of their positions.
The Senate approved HB5057, which would remove any holdover appointees 30 days after becoming law. Quinn would have the opportunity to reappoint whomever he chooses, but they his appointees would have to go through the Senate confirmation process. According the Senate President John Cullerton, the sponsor of the bill, the measure would apply to almost 700 positions at this time.
“We want to have these people who are in the governor’s cabinet, who we haven’t seen in four or five years, have them come back and have us consider their qualifications,” Cullerton said.
According to a written statement from Quinn’s office, he is reviewing the bill. “The governor will work with the Senate to build upon his efforts to increase transparency in the appointment process.”
Police officers and firefighters hired after January 1 may get fewer benefits when they retire.
The Senate passed a bill today that would lower benefits for new hires and require local governments to consistently fund the pension system.
Retirees would have to spend 30 years on the job and work to age 55, instead of the current 50, to earn full benefits. They could receive partial benefits at age 50 if they have worked for 10 years. Pension benefits would be based on a retiree’s salary from the last eight years of service. Currently it is based on the final year, so a large raise near the end of a career can have a substantial impact on benefits. The top salary that benefits could be based on would be $106,800. Employee contribution levels would not increase.
Senate Bill 3538 also requires a ramped up schedule starting in 2015 that would make municipalities fund pensions at 90 percent by the end of their 2040 fiscal year.
The reforms come in the wake of changes to pensions for state employees, which passed on one day in the spring legislative session.
“Everybody hollers at the state and say[s] we haven’t been paying our pension funds, and we haven’t. We were violators for a lot of years. And we took that task on in the spring, and we altered our pension system,” Waukegan Sen. Terry Link, a sponsor of the police and firefighter pension bill.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has warned that the mandated pension payments would cost the city, which is facing its own budget crisis, $550 million a year after 2015.
Both Link and Senate President John Cullerton have vowed to make changes to address the city’s concerns with another bill they say will come up for a vote in January. But for some lawmakers, such assurances where not enough.
“I know we need this bill for reform…[but] as of right now, if we pass this bill and the governor signs it, the city of Chicago homeowners and businessmen are on the hook for over $500 million,” said Sen. Antonio Munoz, a Chicago Democrat.
Labor representatives for police officers and firefighters support the payment requirements. “We were very pleased with the contribution enforcement that was placed in the bill. … With the facts of pension underfunding, the need for pension reform is very clear,” said Pat Devaney, president of the Associated Firefighters of Illinois — which opposes the measure overall.
Devaney said the pensions are underfunded primarily because of the economic downturn and local governments failing to hold up their obligations. However, he said labor groups realized that cuts to benefits would be part of the equation. “That was our goal, to shore up this system and to make sure that these plans would remain solvent. … We understood that even though they weren’t warranted, that benefit reductions were going to take place.”
However, he said the reductions in the bill went too far, and the legislation was unclear in some areas.
There was confusion over whether overtime pay would be included when pensions were being calculated, Link said it was his intention that it would be.
Devaney said he hopes local governments use some of the savings from the cuts to equip police and fire departments with more resources to hire more first responders when the new benefits system would go into effect in January.
However, Joe McCoy, a lobbyist for the Illinois Municipal League, fears the changes could do just the opposite.
“The [Illinois Municipal League] is concerned that the compliance language will inadvertently result in service cuts, personnel reductions and fewer first responders in our communities. … The lack of local support for increased taxes, as well as the existence of tax caps and other revenue limitations in many communities, will place tremendous strains on local budgets in future years,” McCoy said in a written statement.
Veto Override
The Senate overrode Gov. Pat Quinn’s amendatory veto to House Bill 5206, which would have created a citizen’s initiative process to allow Illinoisans to bring ethics reform legislation before the General Assembly.
The original version of the bill, which allows county clerks to electronically clear dead voters from their rolls, becomes law.
Executive Appointees
State government appointees whose terms have expired may soon be tossed out of their positions.
The Senate approved HB5057, which would remove any holdover appointees 30 days after becoming law. Quinn would have the opportunity to reappoint whomever he chooses, but they his appointees would have to go through the Senate confirmation process. According the Senate President John Cullerton, the sponsor of the bill, the measure would apply to almost 700 positions at this time.
“We want to have these people who are in the governor’s cabinet, who we haven’t seen in four or five years, have them come back and have us consider their qualifications,” Cullerton said.
According to a written statement from Quinn’s office, he is reviewing the bill. “The governor will work with the Senate to build upon his efforts to increase transparency in the appointment process.”
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Civil unions bill heads to the governor
By Jamey Dunn
Same-sex couples are a mere pen stroke away from having the option for civil unions in Illinois.
The Illinois Senate passed Senate Bill 1716 today,after a long debate about family, religion, insurance and pension benefits.
Sen. David Koehler, a Peoria Democrat, said he wanted to sponsor the bill because his lesbian daughter does not have the same rights in Illinois as his other two daughters. “I see this issue now through the eyes of a father who has a gay child.”
Koehler’s daughter, Maggie, watched from the gallery with her partner, Brennan Kramer. The couple are engaged and plan to hold a ceremony next September.
“I am one of the proudest children in Illinois today,” Maggie Koehler said after the vote.
Sen. Koehler said couples who enter into civil unions would get all the “legal obligations, responsibilities, protections and benefits as afforded or recognized by the law of Illinois that relates to spouses.”
The measure is intended to give same-sex and heterosexual couples who opt for civil unions rights such as the ability to be involved in their partners’ health and end-of-life decisions, as well as hospital visitation and shared property rights.
Some opponents argued that the legislation was same-sex marriage by another name. Sen. John Sullivan, a Democrat from Rushville, said he voted against the bill because many of his constituents do not support it, and he couldn’t determine a difference between the civil unions described in the measure and marriage.
Others said it was morally wrong and would damage marriage as an institution between a man and a woman for the purpose of creating a stable environment for children.
“The reason marriage exists is that sexual intercourse between men and women … produces children. If intercourse did not actually produce vulnerable children who add to the population of a country, neither society nor the government would have much reason, let alone a valid reason, to regulate people’s emotional unions,” said Sen. Chris Lauzen, and Aurora Republican.
He added: “What the institution and policy of marriage aims to regulate is the sex, not love and commitment. Marriage exists to solve the major challenge that arises from sexual intercourse between men and women but not from sex between partners of the same gender — what to do about its potential generation of vulnerable children. ”
Sen. Dan Rutherford from Chenoa was the only Republican to cross the aisle and support the bill. “The people of Illinois, they don’t want discrimination. There’s going to be a bunch said about this legislation, I understand that. But one thing that I do know, it’s the right thing to do,” said Rutherford, who is leaving the Senate to take office as state treasurer in January.
Some Republicans said they support the concept but could not back the bill because it would require the state to give same-sex couples pension benefits and may require insurance companies to offer spousal coverage to gay and lesbian couples. “Our cup of debt is full, and we cannot take one more drop of financial strain,” said Sen. Dan Duffy, a Lake Barrington Republican.
However, Koehler said Illinois already offers health care benefits to domestic partners. He also said people pay a small amount into the pension system to potentially cover a spouse, and if they are not married when they retire, they get the money back. “In a sense, everybody has been paying into that all along.”
“The fiscal impact … I don’t see it,” said Kathryn Eisenhart, a professor of legal studies at the University of Illinois Springfield and a member of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee for the Illinois State Bar Association. “The state budget is a horrible mess. It was a horrible mess before this got passed. It will remain a horrible mess after this got passed.”
Eisenhart said that from a legal point of view, the bill would likely not result in drastic changes for same-sex couples. She said she would advise all couples to take some of the steps that same-sex couples have — in lieu of being granted explicit recognition — to access legal protection, such as getting power of attorney or a living will, to protect themselves in emergency situations.
She added that same-sex couples may still find themselves in the situation of having to “show their papers” to visit their partners in the hospital or make medical decisions — a situation that was used as an example of unfair treatment during the debate in the House.
“If you [are part of a heterosexual couple] and show up and say, "I am Mrs. so-and-so," they aren’t going to ask you for a marriage license,” she said. “If you are of the same sex, they can still say, ‘Where’s your papers?’ … It’s much more likely to happen.”
Eisenhart characterized the bill as a first-step toward equality for same-sex couples. “It’s a beginning. … [Some advocates are] pretty excited about the fact that we have a governor who will sign it and a Senate who is pretty strongly willing to support it.”
She added, “The fight starts again on Monday, and the reality is that this is just a beginning.”
Gov. Pat Quinn has pledged to sign the bill. If he does, it would go into effect June 1.
Public Employee Evaluations
The Senate overrode Quinn’s veto on House Bill 5154, which would seal public employee evaluations. Quinn changed the bill so only evaluations for law enforcement personnel would be sealed, citing safety and security reasons.
Maywood Democrat Kimberly Lightford, the sponsor of the bill, said she supports making employment information such as salaries available to the public. But she thinks open evaluations go too far.
Proponents of the original legislation have said that opening the evaluations will make managers hesitant to be honest in evaluations, for fear of negative comments making it into the public sphere. Opponents say they legislature is already chipping away at newly enacted transparency laws.
The House already overrode the measure, so the original version of the bill, which exempts public employee evaluations from the Freedom of Information Act, becomes law.
Gaming Expansion
With virtually no floor debate, the Senate passed a large gaming expansion package before it adjourned this evening.
If it becomes law, the measure would allow for new casinos in Chicago, Rockford, Danville, Park City and a yet-to-be-named location in the suburbs south of Chicago. Operating casinos would be able to increase the number of gaming positions to 1,600 each and 2,000 each in 2013. Horse racing tracks would also be allowed to have slot machines.
Sen. President John Cullerton said SB 737 would bring in $424 million immediately and higher levels of gaming revenue in the future.
The money would go to pay down the state’s backlog of overdue bills and capital projects. The legalization of video poker throughout the state, which was one of the major funding mechanisms of the capital bill, has stalled in getting off the ground and may not bring the revenues that were originally projected.
Sen. Kirk Dillard, a Republican from Hinsdale, said he supported the bill because putting slots in at race tracks would help the agricultural sector — specifically horse breeding and training. “When these jobs are lost, they are next to impossible to replace in rural Illinois.”
Dillard added that he thinks the bill is still being negotiated and will not pass in the House without some changes. “This is not the final product. This thing is going to be back.”
Waukegan Democratic Sen. Terry Link, the sponsor of the bill, characterized it as a “huge” expansion but said something needs to be done to address the state’s “huge deficit.”
Gov. Pat Quinn said at a news conference earlier in the day that he did not support “top-heavy” gaming expansion. He said he has yet read the bill but that is strikes him as “top heavy.”
Redistricting
The Senate also passed SB 3976, which would change the redistricting process used to reconfigure legislative and congressional boundaries after each census.
The measure, which passed with bipartisan support, would add protection for minority populations and require public hearings on the process throughout the state. These provisions were included in the Democrats' redistricting bill, which failed to pass in April. The lack of those provisions is also the reason Democrats cited for voting down the “Fair Map” amendment, which was backed by Republicans and the League of Women Voters.
On Thursday, the Senate plans to take up a measure to reform police and firefighter pensions. The House in not scheduled to return until January.
Same-sex couples are a mere pen stroke away from having the option for civil unions in Illinois.
The Illinois Senate passed Senate Bill 1716 today,after a long debate about family, religion, insurance and pension benefits.
Sen. David Koehler, a Peoria Democrat, said he wanted to sponsor the bill because his lesbian daughter does not have the same rights in Illinois as his other two daughters. “I see this issue now through the eyes of a father who has a gay child.”
Koehler’s daughter, Maggie, watched from the gallery with her partner, Brennan Kramer. The couple are engaged and plan to hold a ceremony next September.
“I am one of the proudest children in Illinois today,” Maggie Koehler said after the vote.
Sen. Koehler said couples who enter into civil unions would get all the “legal obligations, responsibilities, protections and benefits as afforded or recognized by the law of Illinois that relates to spouses.”
The measure is intended to give same-sex and heterosexual couples who opt for civil unions rights such as the ability to be involved in their partners’ health and end-of-life decisions, as well as hospital visitation and shared property rights.
Some opponents argued that the legislation was same-sex marriage by another name. Sen. John Sullivan, a Democrat from Rushville, said he voted against the bill because many of his constituents do not support it, and he couldn’t determine a difference between the civil unions described in the measure and marriage.
Others said it was morally wrong and would damage marriage as an institution between a man and a woman for the purpose of creating a stable environment for children.
“The reason marriage exists is that sexual intercourse between men and women … produces children. If intercourse did not actually produce vulnerable children who add to the population of a country, neither society nor the government would have much reason, let alone a valid reason, to regulate people’s emotional unions,” said Sen. Chris Lauzen, and Aurora Republican.
He added: “What the institution and policy of marriage aims to regulate is the sex, not love and commitment. Marriage exists to solve the major challenge that arises from sexual intercourse between men and women but not from sex between partners of the same gender — what to do about its potential generation of vulnerable children. ”
Sen. Dan Rutherford from Chenoa was the only Republican to cross the aisle and support the bill. “The people of Illinois, they don’t want discrimination. There’s going to be a bunch said about this legislation, I understand that. But one thing that I do know, it’s the right thing to do,” said Rutherford, who is leaving the Senate to take office as state treasurer in January.
Some Republicans said they support the concept but could not back the bill because it would require the state to give same-sex couples pension benefits and may require insurance companies to offer spousal coverage to gay and lesbian couples. “Our cup of debt is full, and we cannot take one more drop of financial strain,” said Sen. Dan Duffy, a Lake Barrington Republican.
However, Koehler said Illinois already offers health care benefits to domestic partners. He also said people pay a small amount into the pension system to potentially cover a spouse, and if they are not married when they retire, they get the money back. “In a sense, everybody has been paying into that all along.”
“The fiscal impact … I don’t see it,” said Kathryn Eisenhart, a professor of legal studies at the University of Illinois Springfield and a member of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee for the Illinois State Bar Association. “The state budget is a horrible mess. It was a horrible mess before this got passed. It will remain a horrible mess after this got passed.”
Eisenhart said that from a legal point of view, the bill would likely not result in drastic changes for same-sex couples. She said she would advise all couples to take some of the steps that same-sex couples have — in lieu of being granted explicit recognition — to access legal protection, such as getting power of attorney or a living will, to protect themselves in emergency situations.
She added that same-sex couples may still find themselves in the situation of having to “show their papers” to visit their partners in the hospital or make medical decisions — a situation that was used as an example of unfair treatment during the debate in the House.
“If you [are part of a heterosexual couple] and show up and say, "I am Mrs. so-and-so," they aren’t going to ask you for a marriage license,” she said. “If you are of the same sex, they can still say, ‘Where’s your papers?’ … It’s much more likely to happen.”
Eisenhart characterized the bill as a first-step toward equality for same-sex couples. “It’s a beginning. … [Some advocates are] pretty excited about the fact that we have a governor who will sign it and a Senate who is pretty strongly willing to support it.”
She added, “The fight starts again on Monday, and the reality is that this is just a beginning.”
Gov. Pat Quinn has pledged to sign the bill. If he does, it would go into effect June 1.
Public Employee Evaluations
The Senate overrode Quinn’s veto on House Bill 5154, which would seal public employee evaluations. Quinn changed the bill so only evaluations for law enforcement personnel would be sealed, citing safety and security reasons.
Maywood Democrat Kimberly Lightford, the sponsor of the bill, said she supports making employment information such as salaries available to the public. But she thinks open evaluations go too far.
Proponents of the original legislation have said that opening the evaluations will make managers hesitant to be honest in evaluations, for fear of negative comments making it into the public sphere. Opponents say they legislature is already chipping away at newly enacted transparency laws.
The House already overrode the measure, so the original version of the bill, which exempts public employee evaluations from the Freedom of Information Act, becomes law.
Gaming Expansion
With virtually no floor debate, the Senate passed a large gaming expansion package before it adjourned this evening.
If it becomes law, the measure would allow for new casinos in Chicago, Rockford, Danville, Park City and a yet-to-be-named location in the suburbs south of Chicago. Operating casinos would be able to increase the number of gaming positions to 1,600 each and 2,000 each in 2013. Horse racing tracks would also be allowed to have slot machines.
Sen. President John Cullerton said SB 737 would bring in $424 million immediately and higher levels of gaming revenue in the future.
The money would go to pay down the state’s backlog of overdue bills and capital projects. The legalization of video poker throughout the state, which was one of the major funding mechanisms of the capital bill, has stalled in getting off the ground and may not bring the revenues that were originally projected.
Sen. Kirk Dillard, a Republican from Hinsdale, said he supported the bill because putting slots in at race tracks would help the agricultural sector — specifically horse breeding and training. “When these jobs are lost, they are next to impossible to replace in rural Illinois.”
Dillard added that he thinks the bill is still being negotiated and will not pass in the House without some changes. “This is not the final product. This thing is going to be back.”
Waukegan Democratic Sen. Terry Link, the sponsor of the bill, characterized it as a “huge” expansion but said something needs to be done to address the state’s “huge deficit.”
Gov. Pat Quinn said at a news conference earlier in the day that he did not support “top-heavy” gaming expansion. He said he has yet read the bill but that is strikes him as “top heavy.”
Redistricting
The Senate also passed SB 3976, which would change the redistricting process used to reconfigure legislative and congressional boundaries after each census.
The measure, which passed with bipartisan support, would add protection for minority populations and require public hearings on the process throughout the state. These provisions were included in the Democrats' redistricting bill, which failed to pass in April. The lack of those provisions is also the reason Democrats cited for voting down the “Fair Map” amendment, which was backed by Republicans and the League of Women Voters.
On Thursday, the Senate plans to take up a measure to reform police and firefighter pensions. The House in not scheduled to return until January.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Civil unions passes as House has a big day
By Jamey Dunn
Same-sex couples are one step closer to having the option of civil unions.
The Illinois House passed Senate Bill 1716, which would give gay and lesbian couples access to the same rights as married couples in Illinois. Legislators also considered other hot-button issues today, including legalizing medical cannabis and repealing the death penalty.
“This legislation is a fair, moderate center. It does not change the definition of marriage. It provides basic legal rights to our citizens. It’s a matter of fairness. It’s a matter of respect. It’s a matter of equality,” said Chicago Democratic Rep. Greg Harris, the sponsor of the civil unions bill.
The measure would grant same-sex couples rights such as the ability to be involved in their partners’ health and end-of-life decisions, hospital visitation, state tax benefits and protection under domestic violence laws.
Rep. Ron Stephens, a Greenville Republican, said Harris equated granting same-sex couples civil unions to the righting of an ethical wrong. “Many of us sincerely believe that that’s not true,” Stevens said.
However, not all Republicans agreed.
“I’m in my seventh decade of life," said Rep. Bill Black, a Republican from Danville. "People my age have difficulty with this. Younger people do not. For many of us in public life this is an issue that quite frankly, if we can speak honestly, we wish it would go away. It isn’t going to go away. ”
Black, who is leaving the General Assembly on December 22, then called on members of his side of the aisle to support the bill and follow in the footsteps of former Illinois U.S. Sen. Everett Dirksen when he supported the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Some opponents say the bill is just same-sex marriage by another name, and others say it is a foot-in-the-door to seek approval for same-sex marriage.
“If this should ever pass, the next bill will be legalizing marriage between … members of the same sex, and I just think that’s wrong. … Just call me an old-fashioned traditionalist,” Stevens said.
Harris said as much as he would support legalizing same-sex marriage, that is not what this bill does. He said he realizes there is not support for a marriage bill and that is why he is advocating for civil unions at this time. “Illinois law specifically prohibits same-sex couples from being married. That’s in statute. … That will always be the law in this state until this General Assembly sitting in this room at some point in the future casts its votes to change that law.”
Gov. Pat Quinn, who has been lobbying lawmakers to support the bill, stood by Harris on the House floor for part of the debate. After the vote, Quinn said he hopes the Senate will take up the bill tomorrow.
"Whatever it takes. We really want to make sure that we enact this important civil rights law."
Death penalty abolition
A House committee approved a bill that would abolish the death penalty in Illinois.
The state has not used the death penalty since former Gov. George Ryan called for a moratorium in 2000 after several death row inmates were exonerated. He cleared Illinois’ death row in 2003 when he pardoned four inmates and commuted more than 150 sentences to life without parole.
Those in favor of the repeal say the lengthy appeals process associated with death sentences is a waste of the state’s resources, especially during a budget crisis. Jeremy Schroeder, executive director of the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, says the state cannot afford the $20 million a year it spends on prosecutions and the appeals process in capital punishment cases.
SB 3539 requires that the money from the capital litigation fund, which was established to help defendants build their case when prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, would go to fund support for homicide victim’s families and police training.
Opponents say the issue has nothing to do with financial woes and say pitching the repeal as way to save money is a red herring. “The fact of the matter is, this is not a cost issue. It’s a question that [legislators have] to decide: Are there certain crimes that are just so horrific, that have such an affect on the community, that the death penalty is the only appropriate sentence? I submit to you that that is the case. There are some crimes that just cry out for it,” said Robert Berlin, chief of the criminal bureau under the DuPage County state’s attorney.
“After study, reforms and dialogue, we still have not fixed this system, nor have we ended it. It’s time to end state-sponsored homicide in Illinois. It’s not a deterrent. It risks executing the innocent,” said Maywood Democratic Rep. Karen Yarbrough, the sponsor of the bill.
Schroeder said the moratorium is convenient for politicians, who can support the death penalty while knowing that no inmates will be executed as long as it is in place. He said that is unfair to others involved, such as victims and those sentenced to death.
Cathy Crino, whose sister was murdered in Texas in 1995, said the death of her sister’s murderer, who committed suicide, was not a comfort to her, and the state can offer better options to help victims’ families. “The void doesn’t go away. The death of the perpetrator is never going to fill that void. … I can tell you there is no closure. You just learn to live with it, and it doesn’t end for you. And the death penalty drags victims’ families through between 13 and 15 years of court proceeding after court proceeding after court proceeding. That re-traumatizes them. … What would help victims are broad-based services that help people deal with the trauma of this kind of loss.”
Rep. Dennis Reboletti, an Elmhurst Republican, called on legislators to slow the process and hold hearings throughout the state on the issue.
Opponents of the repeal echoed Reboletti’s concern that it is being pushed through the General Assembly without an adequate amount of debate. They say recent reforms have gone far to rehabilitate a damaged system.
“The reforms that were put in place years ago are working,” Berlin said. “The defendants who are now on death row since those reforms have been put in place truly are the worst of the worst. … and they’re there because of horrendous crimes that they have committed.”
He added: “The fact of the matter is, this is not a cost issue. It’s a question that [legislators have] to decide. Are there certain crimes that are just so horrific, that have such an affect on the community, that the death penalty is the only appropriate sentence? I submit to you that that is the case. There are some crimes that just cry out for it.”
Medical marijuana
A measure that would allow residents with chronic or debilitating illnesses to gain access to medical marijuana failed today to gain the votes needed to move on to the governor’s desk.
Skokie Democratic Rep. Lou Lang, the sponsor of SB 1381, said people who are in pain should be able to consult with their doctors and consider the drug as a treatment option.
Under the bill, residents seeking the drug for medical treatment would have to be approved and registered with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).
A registered patient would not be allowed to posses more than two ounces of dried cannabis and six marijuana plants—only three of which could be mature plants. A primary caregiver could be licensed along with a patient, but the same limit would apply, so if a patient were not well enough to grow plants, the caregiver could do it. However, they could not between the two of them have more plants or usable cannabis than the above limits.
Lang said that under the legislation, which passed in the Senate last year, licenses could be issued by IDPH for dispensaries that would sell plants.
Opponents said the bill is a precursor to fully legalizing the drug in Illinois.
“This … goes way beyond medical use, medical treatment. This is about the legalization of marijuana. … We’re sending the wrong message to our children,” said Rep. David Reis, a Willow Hill Republican.
Republicans raised concerns about how employers would deal with a worker who is eligible to use medical marijuana and might be intoxicated at the workplace.
While no employer is allowed to bar an employee from using medical cannabis, Lang said the rules a business currently has about being under the influence of a substance on the job would apply. Lang used the example that a forklift driver who is now barred from operating machinery while on a prescription pain medicine would also not be allowed to drive a forklift while under the influence of marijuana.
Rep. John Fritchey, a Chicago Democrat who will not return to the House for the new session in January, said he had not planned to attend session this week but returned weigh in on some of the controversial issues up for a vote today.
“This is about people who are in debilitating pain, people that have minimal quality of life, people that are terminally ill looking for compassion, not a high — looking for relief, not a cheap high,” Fritchey said.
Both he and Lang believe a majority of House members support the measure in principle but that many are afraid that voting for the bill could hurt their chances when they are up for reelection. “Like the sponsor of the bill, I have talked to a number of people that said they support this bill wholeheartedly but they're afraid of the political fallout from voters.”
The bill needed 60 votes to pass. When voting was open, the “yes” votes climbed to as high as 56, finally setting at 53 “yes” votes, 50 “no” votes and one “present” vote.
“I thought I had close to 60 [votes], and I had lost a couple of people who were going to be yes and decided that it wasn’t going to get the 60 and just took their vote off the board. I lost a couple of people who didn’t tell me the truth. I lost a couple of people to cowardice,” Lang said.
Lang used a procedural move to hold the bill for a possible future vote. “I’m not ready to pass this today or tomorrow. I’ll have to take my chances in January, and if I don’t get to 60 votes then, I’ll have to start over [in the new legislative session].”
Police and firefighter pension reform
When the legislature passed pension reform for most government employees during the regular session, the pensions for police and firefighters were not included in the measure. Negotiations fell apart at the end of session, but they have picked back up this week. The House passed SB3538, which would make changes to the retirement benefits for law enforcement officers and firefighters hired after January 1.
The retirement age would move from 50 to 55, and 30 years on the job would be required to claim full benefits, though workers could receive a portion of benefits at age 50 if they had worked for at least 10 years. The maximum salary used to calculate pensions would be $106,800, and eight of the last 10 years of the employee’s service would be used to determine benefits.
Local municipalities have been lobbying for changes to the police and fire pension systems because they are responsible for most of the funding.
“[These changes] start addressing the most serious problem that affects all of our municipalities across the state,” said Orland Park Democratic Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the sponsor of the bill.
Tenaska
The Illinois House also approved plans for a so-called clean coal plant slated for construction in Taylorville. Under SB 2485, utilities Commonwealth Edison and Ameren would have to buy power from the plant.
Opponents say higher energy costs resulting from the plant could hurt the job market in the state. Supporters of the plan say the power generated by the new technology, which is intended to reduce carbon emissions, would cost more. But, they say it would probably be a negligible increase of less than $2 a year to households.
Same-sex couples are one step closer to having the option of civil unions.
The Illinois House passed Senate Bill 1716, which would give gay and lesbian couples access to the same rights as married couples in Illinois. Legislators also considered other hot-button issues today, including legalizing medical cannabis and repealing the death penalty.
“This legislation is a fair, moderate center. It does not change the definition of marriage. It provides basic legal rights to our citizens. It’s a matter of fairness. It’s a matter of respect. It’s a matter of equality,” said Chicago Democratic Rep. Greg Harris, the sponsor of the civil unions bill.
The measure would grant same-sex couples rights such as the ability to be involved in their partners’ health and end-of-life decisions, hospital visitation, state tax benefits and protection under domestic violence laws.
Rep. Ron Stephens, a Greenville Republican, said Harris equated granting same-sex couples civil unions to the righting of an ethical wrong. “Many of us sincerely believe that that’s not true,” Stevens said.
However, not all Republicans agreed.
“I’m in my seventh decade of life," said Rep. Bill Black, a Republican from Danville. "People my age have difficulty with this. Younger people do not. For many of us in public life this is an issue that quite frankly, if we can speak honestly, we wish it would go away. It isn’t going to go away. ”
Black, who is leaving the General Assembly on December 22, then called on members of his side of the aisle to support the bill and follow in the footsteps of former Illinois U.S. Sen. Everett Dirksen when he supported the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Some opponents say the bill is just same-sex marriage by another name, and others say it is a foot-in-the-door to seek approval for same-sex marriage.
“If this should ever pass, the next bill will be legalizing marriage between … members of the same sex, and I just think that’s wrong. … Just call me an old-fashioned traditionalist,” Stevens said.
Harris said as much as he would support legalizing same-sex marriage, that is not what this bill does. He said he realizes there is not support for a marriage bill and that is why he is advocating for civil unions at this time. “Illinois law specifically prohibits same-sex couples from being married. That’s in statute. … That will always be the law in this state until this General Assembly sitting in this room at some point in the future casts its votes to change that law.”
Gov. Pat Quinn, who has been lobbying lawmakers to support the bill, stood by Harris on the House floor for part of the debate. After the vote, Quinn said he hopes the Senate will take up the bill tomorrow.
"Whatever it takes. We really want to make sure that we enact this important civil rights law."
Death penalty abolition
A House committee approved a bill that would abolish the death penalty in Illinois.
The state has not used the death penalty since former Gov. George Ryan called for a moratorium in 2000 after several death row inmates were exonerated. He cleared Illinois’ death row in 2003 when he pardoned four inmates and commuted more than 150 sentences to life without parole.
Those in favor of the repeal say the lengthy appeals process associated with death sentences is a waste of the state’s resources, especially during a budget crisis. Jeremy Schroeder, executive director of the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, says the state cannot afford the $20 million a year it spends on prosecutions and the appeals process in capital punishment cases.
SB 3539 requires that the money from the capital litigation fund, which was established to help defendants build their case when prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, would go to fund support for homicide victim’s families and police training.
Opponents say the issue has nothing to do with financial woes and say pitching the repeal as way to save money is a red herring. “The fact of the matter is, this is not a cost issue. It’s a question that [legislators have] to decide: Are there certain crimes that are just so horrific, that have such an affect on the community, that the death penalty is the only appropriate sentence? I submit to you that that is the case. There are some crimes that just cry out for it,” said Robert Berlin, chief of the criminal bureau under the DuPage County state’s attorney.
“After study, reforms and dialogue, we still have not fixed this system, nor have we ended it. It’s time to end state-sponsored homicide in Illinois. It’s not a deterrent. It risks executing the innocent,” said Maywood Democratic Rep. Karen Yarbrough, the sponsor of the bill.
Schroeder said the moratorium is convenient for politicians, who can support the death penalty while knowing that no inmates will be executed as long as it is in place. He said that is unfair to others involved, such as victims and those sentenced to death.
Cathy Crino, whose sister was murdered in Texas in 1995, said the death of her sister’s murderer, who committed suicide, was not a comfort to her, and the state can offer better options to help victims’ families. “The void doesn’t go away. The death of the perpetrator is never going to fill that void. … I can tell you there is no closure. You just learn to live with it, and it doesn’t end for you. And the death penalty drags victims’ families through between 13 and 15 years of court proceeding after court proceeding after court proceeding. That re-traumatizes them. … What would help victims are broad-based services that help people deal with the trauma of this kind of loss.”
Rep. Dennis Reboletti, an Elmhurst Republican, called on legislators to slow the process and hold hearings throughout the state on the issue.
Opponents of the repeal echoed Reboletti’s concern that it is being pushed through the General Assembly without an adequate amount of debate. They say recent reforms have gone far to rehabilitate a damaged system.
“The reforms that were put in place years ago are working,” Berlin said. “The defendants who are now on death row since those reforms have been put in place truly are the worst of the worst. … and they’re there because of horrendous crimes that they have committed.”
He added: “The fact of the matter is, this is not a cost issue. It’s a question that [legislators have] to decide. Are there certain crimes that are just so horrific, that have such an affect on the community, that the death penalty is the only appropriate sentence? I submit to you that that is the case. There are some crimes that just cry out for it.”
Medical marijuana
A measure that would allow residents with chronic or debilitating illnesses to gain access to medical marijuana failed today to gain the votes needed to move on to the governor’s desk.
Skokie Democratic Rep. Lou Lang, the sponsor of SB 1381, said people who are in pain should be able to consult with their doctors and consider the drug as a treatment option.
Under the bill, residents seeking the drug for medical treatment would have to be approved and registered with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).
A registered patient would not be allowed to posses more than two ounces of dried cannabis and six marijuana plants—only three of which could be mature plants. A primary caregiver could be licensed along with a patient, but the same limit would apply, so if a patient were not well enough to grow plants, the caregiver could do it. However, they could not between the two of them have more plants or usable cannabis than the above limits.
Lang said that under the legislation, which passed in the Senate last year, licenses could be issued by IDPH for dispensaries that would sell plants.
Opponents said the bill is a precursor to fully legalizing the drug in Illinois.
“This … goes way beyond medical use, medical treatment. This is about the legalization of marijuana. … We’re sending the wrong message to our children,” said Rep. David Reis, a Willow Hill Republican.
Republicans raised concerns about how employers would deal with a worker who is eligible to use medical marijuana and might be intoxicated at the workplace.
While no employer is allowed to bar an employee from using medical cannabis, Lang said the rules a business currently has about being under the influence of a substance on the job would apply. Lang used the example that a forklift driver who is now barred from operating machinery while on a prescription pain medicine would also not be allowed to drive a forklift while under the influence of marijuana.
Rep. John Fritchey, a Chicago Democrat who will not return to the House for the new session in January, said he had not planned to attend session this week but returned weigh in on some of the controversial issues up for a vote today.
“This is about people who are in debilitating pain, people that have minimal quality of life, people that are terminally ill looking for compassion, not a high — looking for relief, not a cheap high,” Fritchey said.
Both he and Lang believe a majority of House members support the measure in principle but that many are afraid that voting for the bill could hurt their chances when they are up for reelection. “Like the sponsor of the bill, I have talked to a number of people that said they support this bill wholeheartedly but they're afraid of the political fallout from voters.”
The bill needed 60 votes to pass. When voting was open, the “yes” votes climbed to as high as 56, finally setting at 53 “yes” votes, 50 “no” votes and one “present” vote.
“I thought I had close to 60 [votes], and I had lost a couple of people who were going to be yes and decided that it wasn’t going to get the 60 and just took their vote off the board. I lost a couple of people who didn’t tell me the truth. I lost a couple of people to cowardice,” Lang said.
Lang used a procedural move to hold the bill for a possible future vote. “I’m not ready to pass this today or tomorrow. I’ll have to take my chances in January, and if I don’t get to 60 votes then, I’ll have to start over [in the new legislative session].”
Police and firefighter pension reform
When the legislature passed pension reform for most government employees during the regular session, the pensions for police and firefighters were not included in the measure. Negotiations fell apart at the end of session, but they have picked back up this week. The House passed SB3538, which would make changes to the retirement benefits for law enforcement officers and firefighters hired after January 1.
The retirement age would move from 50 to 55, and 30 years on the job would be required to claim full benefits, though workers could receive a portion of benefits at age 50 if they had worked for at least 10 years. The maximum salary used to calculate pensions would be $106,800, and eight of the last 10 years of the employee’s service would be used to determine benefits.
Local municipalities have been lobbying for changes to the police and fire pension systems because they are responsible for most of the funding.
“[These changes] start addressing the most serious problem that affects all of our municipalities across the state,” said Orland Park Democratic Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the sponsor of the bill.
Tenaska
The Illinois House also approved plans for a so-called clean coal plant slated for construction in Taylorville. Under SB 2485, utilities Commonwealth Edison and Ameren would have to buy power from the plant.
Opponents say higher energy costs resulting from the plant could hurt the job market in the state. Supporters of the plan say the power generated by the new technology, which is intended to reduce carbon emissions, would cost more. But, they say it would probably be a negligible increase of less than $2 a year to households.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Senators weigh Medicaid and workers' comp reforms
By Jamey Dunn
Senate committees took their first rounds of testimony today on two reform issues that seem to be perpetually up for debate in the Illinois Statehouse. They face a tight deadline to propose solutions to lawmakers.
Workers' compensation and Medicaid reforms are high on the list of things Republican leaders say they want to see addressed before they would consider putting votes on a plan to borrow $4 billion to make the state’s required employee pension payment for this fiscal year or support an income tax increase.
Julie Hamos, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, laid out some proposed short-term reforms to Medicaid. She said Illinois should raise the bar for verification of eligibility for Medicaid. Hamos said that now, patients only have to prove they have been residents in the state for one month and show one pay stub to show that they qualify for Medicaid assistance. She added that to receive the elevated federal match that came along with the federal stimulus package, the state cannot change the requirements for assistance, but it should do more to confirm that applicants meet them.
She also suggested that the department combat waste and fraud by tracking improper or fraudulent use by patients. In some cases, people may be seeking the wrong kind of treatment, or they may be gaining access to care in an inefficient way.
Hamos wants the state to have the power to recoup revenues sapped by fraud by taking offenders to civil court. She also suggested pushing some of the cost for those eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare to the federal program, shifting to electronic health records and focusing on measurable goals while setting budgets.
“The issue is whether or not [we] are going to be able to forge a consensus. … Whether or not the Democrat leaders, who have been resistant to Medicaid change for the better part of the last decade, are now going to sign on to some of these proposals,” said Dale Righter, a co-chair of the committee.
Righter, a Mattoon Republican, added, “The nice thing about the short timeline we were given: We don’t have to wait very long to find out whether or not they are serious.”
During the committee hearing addressing the workers' compensation system, Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno said there “are only two things” that she thinks “matter.”
“What we need to do is to lower the cost of workers' comp insurance [in Illinois]. It’s one of the highest in the nation. ... That’s a huge concern. But the other primary concern is we need to make sure workers' comp does what it supposed to do, and that’s protect injured workers.”
Radogno said if lawmakers could find ways to lower the cost to businesses and still protect workers, such reforms would bring more jobs to Illinois.
Mark Flannery, a corporate lawyer for Peoria-based Caterpillar Inc., said permanent disability awards and the “any cause” standard for payment — if the employer is partially responsible for an employee’s need for medical care the employer must pay — drive up costs for Illinois businesses. He also said employers should have a say in where employees receive medical treatment.
Flannery used the case of a worker needing knee surgery as an example of what he says are elevated costs in Illinois. “In Illinois, the disability award [in this case] is four to five times higher than what the medical profession under the [American Medical Association] guides judges the disability to be.”
Michael Carrigan, president of the Illinois American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), said that in the desire to make Illinois more business friendly, lawmakers should not lose sight of what is fair for workers
“Working families deserve to be protected under strong Illinois workers’ compensation law. Those who are injured on the job deserve quality accessible health care from the best physicians and surgeons in the state. They deserve rehabilitation and post-surgery care. And if they cannot return to work, they deserve extended benefits to protect themselves and, most importantly, their families,” Carrigan said.
He added that reform should be achieved through a so-called agreed bill process, which would involve labor and business groups signing off on compromise legislation before the General Assembly votes on it. That is how changes to the workers' compensation system have been made in the past in Illinois.
Both the Special Committee on Medicaid Reform and the Special Committee on Workers' Compensation Reform are scheduled to give their final recommendations to the Senate on January 3.
Senate committees took their first rounds of testimony today on two reform issues that seem to be perpetually up for debate in the Illinois Statehouse. They face a tight deadline to propose solutions to lawmakers.
Workers' compensation and Medicaid reforms are high on the list of things Republican leaders say they want to see addressed before they would consider putting votes on a plan to borrow $4 billion to make the state’s required employee pension payment for this fiscal year or support an income tax increase.
Julie Hamos, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, laid out some proposed short-term reforms to Medicaid. She said Illinois should raise the bar for verification of eligibility for Medicaid. Hamos said that now, patients only have to prove they have been residents in the state for one month and show one pay stub to show that they qualify for Medicaid assistance. She added that to receive the elevated federal match that came along with the federal stimulus package, the state cannot change the requirements for assistance, but it should do more to confirm that applicants meet them.
She also suggested that the department combat waste and fraud by tracking improper or fraudulent use by patients. In some cases, people may be seeking the wrong kind of treatment, or they may be gaining access to care in an inefficient way.
Hamos wants the state to have the power to recoup revenues sapped by fraud by taking offenders to civil court. She also suggested pushing some of the cost for those eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare to the federal program, shifting to electronic health records and focusing on measurable goals while setting budgets.
“The issue is whether or not [we] are going to be able to forge a consensus. … Whether or not the Democrat leaders, who have been resistant to Medicaid change for the better part of the last decade, are now going to sign on to some of these proposals,” said Dale Righter, a co-chair of the committee.
Righter, a Mattoon Republican, added, “The nice thing about the short timeline we were given: We don’t have to wait very long to find out whether or not they are serious.”
During the committee hearing addressing the workers' compensation system, Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno said there “are only two things” that she thinks “matter.”
“What we need to do is to lower the cost of workers' comp insurance [in Illinois]. It’s one of the highest in the nation. ... That’s a huge concern. But the other primary concern is we need to make sure workers' comp does what it supposed to do, and that’s protect injured workers.”
Radogno said if lawmakers could find ways to lower the cost to businesses and still protect workers, such reforms would bring more jobs to Illinois.
Mark Flannery, a corporate lawyer for Peoria-based Caterpillar Inc., said permanent disability awards and the “any cause” standard for payment — if the employer is partially responsible for an employee’s need for medical care the employer must pay — drive up costs for Illinois businesses. He also said employers should have a say in where employees receive medical treatment.
Flannery used the case of a worker needing knee surgery as an example of what he says are elevated costs in Illinois. “In Illinois, the disability award [in this case] is four to five times higher than what the medical profession under the [American Medical Association] guides judges the disability to be.”
Michael Carrigan, president of the Illinois American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), said that in the desire to make Illinois more business friendly, lawmakers should not lose sight of what is fair for workers
“Working families deserve to be protected under strong Illinois workers’ compensation law. Those who are injured on the job deserve quality accessible health care from the best physicians and surgeons in the state. They deserve rehabilitation and post-surgery care. And if they cannot return to work, they deserve extended benefits to protect themselves and, most importantly, their families,” Carrigan said.
He added that reform should be achieved through a so-called agreed bill process, which would involve labor and business groups signing off on compromise legislation before the General Assembly votes on it. That is how changes to the workers' compensation system have been made in the past in Illinois.
Both the Special Committee on Medicaid Reform and the Special Committee on Workers' Compensation Reform are scheduled to give their final recommendations to the Senate on January 3.
Smokers may get to light up in casinos
By Jamey Dunn
Legislators are considering two bills that would carve out exemptions in the state’s smoking ban for casinos in an attempt to recoup lost gaming revenue.
The House Executive Committee today approved House Bill 1850, which would allow smoking in specific ventilated rooms built inside casinos. The same committee approved HB1846 earlier in the veto session. That legislation would allow smoking inside casinos that are in direct competition with gambling facilities in states without a ban. If neighboring states passed a ban, the nearby Illinois casinos would lose their exemption from the smoking ban.
Rep. Andre Thapedi, the sponsor of the bill to allow smoking rooms in casinos, said he is trying to bring in money at a time when the state is facing a daunting financial crisis. Thapedi, a Chicago Democrat, said the state is losing $200 million a year from gaming revenues because gamblers are going to states that allow smoking. “I’m a nonsmoker. I’m also asthmatic. But I can count. And in my short time here, I know that we are $13.5 billion in debt. I’ve identified $200 million in lost revenue, and I’m trying to seize that revenue.”
Opponents say smoking and secondhand smoke cost the state billions because of health care expenses and lost productivity. They say discouraging smoking would actually do more to help Illinois’ bottom line.
Kathy Drea, public policy director for the American Lung Association of Illinois, said her organization has tested the air inside the East St. Louis Casino Queen, which claimed to have state-of-the-art air filtration systems. She said the air quality was still dangerous both times her group ran tests and only became safe after the smoking ban. She said workers should not be subjected to secondhand smoke inside the proposed smoking rooms, which has been proven to be dangerous and often deadly. Drea added that the quality of the casino itself has a lot more to do with its success than whether its patrons can smoke.
Rep. Dan Brady, a Bloomington Republican who cast the only vote against the bill, was critical of offering an exemption to casino owners who claim their business is damaged by barring smoking but continuing the ban on bars and restaurants, whose owners make the same claim.
Legislators are considering two bills that would carve out exemptions in the state’s smoking ban for casinos in an attempt to recoup lost gaming revenue.
The House Executive Committee today approved House Bill 1850, which would allow smoking in specific ventilated rooms built inside casinos. The same committee approved HB1846 earlier in the veto session. That legislation would allow smoking inside casinos that are in direct competition with gambling facilities in states without a ban. If neighboring states passed a ban, the nearby Illinois casinos would lose their exemption from the smoking ban.
Rep. Andre Thapedi, the sponsor of the bill to allow smoking rooms in casinos, said he is trying to bring in money at a time when the state is facing a daunting financial crisis. Thapedi, a Chicago Democrat, said the state is losing $200 million a year from gaming revenues because gamblers are going to states that allow smoking. “I’m a nonsmoker. I’m also asthmatic. But I can count. And in my short time here, I know that we are $13.5 billion in debt. I’ve identified $200 million in lost revenue, and I’m trying to seize that revenue.”
Opponents say smoking and secondhand smoke cost the state billions because of health care expenses and lost productivity. They say discouraging smoking would actually do more to help Illinois’ bottom line.
Kathy Drea, public policy director for the American Lung Association of Illinois, said her organization has tested the air inside the East St. Louis Casino Queen, which claimed to have state-of-the-art air filtration systems. She said the air quality was still dangerous both times her group ran tests and only became safe after the smoking ban. She said workers should not be subjected to secondhand smoke inside the proposed smoking rooms, which has been proven to be dangerous and often deadly. Drea added that the quality of the casino itself has a lot more to do with its success than whether its patrons can smoke.
Rep. Dan Brady, a Bloomington Republican who cast the only vote against the bill, was critical of offering an exemption to casino owners who claim their business is damaged by barring smoking but continuing the ban on bars and restaurants, whose owners make the same claim.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Jerry Stermer back with Quinn
By Jamey Dunn
After resigning in the midst of an ethics controversy during election season, Gov. Pat Quinn’s former chief of staff, Jerry Stermer, is once again working in the Quinn administration.
Stermer sent campaign-related e-mails from his state account. He reported the incidents to the Office of the Executive Inspector General.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported Inspector General James Wright was removed from his position the day Quinn was briefed on the report his office made on Stermer’s violations.
Quinn claimed his replacement of Wright, who was appointed by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, and the report were not connected. “Ricardo Meza was appointed by Governor Quinn to head the Office of the Executive Inspector General on August 15, 2010 after a lengthy search process, which began in the Summer of 2009. Ricardo Meza replaced an Inspector General appointed by the previous administration whose term expired in 2008. The replacement was not in response to this or any other specific OEIG report, and these events are in no way connected,” a statement from the governor’s office said.
Quinn said it was Stermer’s decision to leave and he had no plans to fire him. From statement from the governor’s office on Stermer’s return: “Jerry Stermer will serve as a senior advisor to Governor Quinn starting on Monday, November 29. He will advise Governor Quinn on a variety of subject areas where he has had a lifetime of experience, including human services, health care and the state budget. He will be a Governor’s Office employee and will be paid $125,000 annually.”
After resigning in the midst of an ethics controversy during election season, Gov. Pat Quinn’s former chief of staff, Jerry Stermer, is once again working in the Quinn administration.
Stermer sent campaign-related e-mails from his state account. He reported the incidents to the Office of the Executive Inspector General.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported Inspector General James Wright was removed from his position the day Quinn was briefed on the report his office made on Stermer’s violations.
Quinn claimed his replacement of Wright, who was appointed by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, and the report were not connected. “Ricardo Meza was appointed by Governor Quinn to head the Office of the Executive Inspector General on August 15, 2010 after a lengthy search process, which began in the Summer of 2009. Ricardo Meza replaced an Inspector General appointed by the previous administration whose term expired in 2008. The replacement was not in response to this or any other specific OEIG report, and these events are in no way connected,” a statement from the governor’s office said.
Quinn said it was Stermer’s decision to leave and he had no plans to fire him. From statement from the governor’s office on Stermer’s return: “Jerry Stermer will serve as a senior advisor to Governor Quinn starting on Monday, November 29. He will advise Governor Quinn on a variety of subject areas where he has had a lifetime of experience, including human services, health care and the state budget. He will be a Governor’s Office employee and will be paid $125,000 annually.”
Monday, November 22, 2010
Ryan continues bid for freedom
A federal judge heard arguments to today about whether former Gov. George Ryan should be freed from prison.
Ryan was convicted on corruption charges in 2006 and has been incarcerated in a federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind., since 2007. He is due for release in 2013.
Ryan’s lawyers argued that a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision rolling back a category of fraud would apply to Ryan’s mail fraud and racketeering convictions. They argue that the time Ryan has served so far is fair punishment for other convictions, such as tax violations and lying to federal agents.
Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer did not reach a decision on the case today and said she plans to issue a written statement.
Ryan was convicted on corruption charges in 2006 and has been incarcerated in a federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind., since 2007. He is due for release in 2013.
Ryan’s lawyers argued that a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision rolling back a category of fraud would apply to Ryan’s mail fraud and racketeering convictions. They argue that the time Ryan has served so far is fair punishment for other convictions, such as tax violations and lying to federal agents.
Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer did not reach a decision on the case today and said she plans to issue a written statement.
Friday, November 19, 2010
This week's CapitolView
Panelists Kevin McDermott, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Benjamin Yount, Illinois Statehouse News and Dave Dahl, Illinois Radio Network. Join moderator Jamey Dunn from Illinois Issues magazine to discuss what did, and didn't, happen during the week's veto session.
A production of WSEC-TV/PBS Springfield
Tune in on-air Friday/7:30pm & Sunday/noon, or online Friday after 12:00pm:
youtube.com/networkknowledge
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Little action in first week of veto session
By Jamey Dunn
In their first week back after the general elections, Illinois lawmakers did not take up many of the issues statehouse watchers expected to be on the table for the veto legislative session.
Legislators were lobbied this week by activists asking for the repeal of the death penalty, local government officials asking for reforms to the pension system for police and firefighters, mayors asking for casinos to combat unemployment, anti-gambling groups hoping to fight the spread of casinos and slot machines and citizens asking for civil unions rights for same-sex couples, to name a few.
However, the General Assembly failed to act on any of these hot-button issues.
The House rejected two of governor Quinn’s amendatory vetoes with no debate. His changes to House Bill 5206 would create a citizen’s initiative program, which would allow voters to propose ethics legislation. The original bill, which was preserved in Quinn’s changes, allowed county officials to more easily purge deceased voters from their rolls. Rep. Dan Brady, a Republican from and the sponsor of the bill, said he did not oppose Quinn’s changed in theory, but he was concerned they might bog the bill down or make it unconstitutional.
The House also overrode Quinn’s changes to a controversial measure, which would seal state employee evaluations from the public. He wanted evaluations public expect for law enforcement, citing safety and security concerns.
A Senate committee heard testimony on a gaming expansion bill, and a House committee did the same on police and firefighter pension reform. But neither took a vote.
Speaker Michael Madigan made positive statements about civil unions to reporters and characterized passing the measure as an “appropriate” thing to do. But the bill did not come up for a vote or debate.
Senate President John Cullerton and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno formed two bipartisan legislative committees to research Medicaid and workers' compensation reforms, two issues Radogno has said she wants to see addressed before Republicans will vote in favor of borrowing or a tax increase. The groups are scheduled to present their findings to the Senate by January 3. Cullerton dropped a $4 billion borrowing plan to pay the state’s pension payment for this fiscal year from the schedule of a committee hearing, saying he would not move the bill without Republican support.
Cullerton also introduced HB 5057 that would boot over 700 appointed officials who have remained at their positions after the expiration of their terms. New nominations would have to be approved by the Senate, and those who were removed would be eligible for nomination again.
“This is not in any way passing judgment on those serving in these positions. Rather, it is an effort to return to the important system of checks and balances in the Illinois Constitution,” Cullerton said.
Many of the positions that would be affected by the bill are unpaid posts and some are vacant. However, some include members of the governor’s cabinet.
Cullerton expects lawmakers to take up the bill when they return to session after the Thanksgiving holiday. The Illinois House is scheduled to return November 29 and the Senate November 30.
In their first week back after the general elections, Illinois lawmakers did not take up many of the issues statehouse watchers expected to be on the table for the veto legislative session.
Legislators were lobbied this week by activists asking for the repeal of the death penalty, local government officials asking for reforms to the pension system for police and firefighters, mayors asking for casinos to combat unemployment, anti-gambling groups hoping to fight the spread of casinos and slot machines and citizens asking for civil unions rights for same-sex couples, to name a few.
However, the General Assembly failed to act on any of these hot-button issues.
The House rejected two of governor Quinn’s amendatory vetoes with no debate. His changes to House Bill 5206 would create a citizen’s initiative program, which would allow voters to propose ethics legislation. The original bill, which was preserved in Quinn’s changes, allowed county officials to more easily purge deceased voters from their rolls. Rep. Dan Brady, a Republican from and the sponsor of the bill, said he did not oppose Quinn’s changed in theory, but he was concerned they might bog the bill down or make it unconstitutional.
The House also overrode Quinn’s changes to a controversial measure, which would seal state employee evaluations from the public. He wanted evaluations public expect for law enforcement, citing safety and security concerns.
A Senate committee heard testimony on a gaming expansion bill, and a House committee did the same on police and firefighter pension reform. But neither took a vote.
Speaker Michael Madigan made positive statements about civil unions to reporters and characterized passing the measure as an “appropriate” thing to do. But the bill did not come up for a vote or debate.
Senate President John Cullerton and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno formed two bipartisan legislative committees to research Medicaid and workers' compensation reforms, two issues Radogno has said she wants to see addressed before Republicans will vote in favor of borrowing or a tax increase. The groups are scheduled to present their findings to the Senate by January 3. Cullerton dropped a $4 billion borrowing plan to pay the state’s pension payment for this fiscal year from the schedule of a committee hearing, saying he would not move the bill without Republican support.
Cullerton also introduced HB 5057 that would boot over 700 appointed officials who have remained at their positions after the expiration of their terms. New nominations would have to be approved by the Senate, and those who were removed would be eligible for nomination again.
“This is not in any way passing judgment on those serving in these positions. Rather, it is an effort to return to the important system of checks and balances in the Illinois Constitution,” Cullerton said.
Many of the positions that would be affected by the bill are unpaid posts and some are vacant. However, some include members of the governor’s cabinet.
Cullerton expects lawmakers to take up the bill when they return to session after the Thanksgiving holiday. The Illinois House is scheduled to return November 29 and the Senate November 30.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Illinois Senate talks gaming expansion
By Jamey Dunn
Illinois lawmakers rejected some changes made to bills by Gov. Pat Quinn and discussed a major gambling expansion on the first day of veto session.
The Illinois Senate is considering legislation to allow slot machines at horse racing tracks and new casinos in Chicago, the northern Illinois communities of Park City, Ford Heights and Rockford and the central Illinois town of Danville.
The Senate Gaming committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 3970 this afternoon. Sen. Terry Link, the bill’s sponsor and chairman of the committee, said he expects a committee vote on the measure soon, possibly as early as tomorrow.
The debate comes on the heels of a recent report by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, which found that Illinois gambling revenues are at a 10-year low.
Opponents of the bill say it would do little to help struggling horse tracks but would instead start a push to eliminate horse racing in favor of the cheaper and more profitable slots machines. “It will transform six race tracks into land-based casinos that will do gambling that is very different than the gambling that they currently have going on,” said Anita Bedell, executive director of the Illinois Church Action on Alcohol and Addiction Problems, an anti-gambling organization.
Critics say slot machines and video poker are more dangerous in terms of addiction because of the fast-paced nature of the games, which give players nearly constant psychological encouragement to continue playing.
Current casino owners say new locations would cut into their profits by stealing some of their customer base. However, Link, a Waukegan Democrat, said that new casinos would not put any current facilities out of business, and it would be unfair to discourage competition.
Charles Griffin, mayor of Ford Heights, told the committee that his town needs the jobs and revenue a casino could bring. Griffin said his town is one of the poorest in the nation,and lacks adequate basic services, such as well-maintained sewer systems and a police force. Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhauer also encouraged the committee to approve the legislation, saying his community needs to replace manufacturing jobs it has lost in recent years.
Veto votes
Meanwhile, the House overrode some of Gov. Pat Quinn’s amendatory vetoes with little debate. Legislators rejected Quinn’s changes to House Bill 5154, which would seal public employee evaluations from the public. Quinn said the evaluations should be open, with the exception of law enforcement personnel for security and safety reasons.
House members also overruled Quinn’s addition to HB 5206, which would allow citizens to present ethics legislation to the General Assembly if they can gather 100,000 petition signatures. HB 5206 originally was meant to allow county officials to electronically purge the names of deceased voters from voting rolls.
If the Senate approves the House’s overrides — which requires a 36-vote super majority — the bills will become law as originally passed.
Illinois lawmakers rejected some changes made to bills by Gov. Pat Quinn and discussed a major gambling expansion on the first day of veto session.
The Illinois Senate is considering legislation to allow slot machines at horse racing tracks and new casinos in Chicago, the northern Illinois communities of Park City, Ford Heights and Rockford and the central Illinois town of Danville.
The Senate Gaming committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 3970 this afternoon. Sen. Terry Link, the bill’s sponsor and chairman of the committee, said he expects a committee vote on the measure soon, possibly as early as tomorrow.
The debate comes on the heels of a recent report by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, which found that Illinois gambling revenues are at a 10-year low.
Opponents of the bill say it would do little to help struggling horse tracks but would instead start a push to eliminate horse racing in favor of the cheaper and more profitable slots machines. “It will transform six race tracks into land-based casinos that will do gambling that is very different than the gambling that they currently have going on,” said Anita Bedell, executive director of the Illinois Church Action on Alcohol and Addiction Problems, an anti-gambling organization.
Critics say slot machines and video poker are more dangerous in terms of addiction because of the fast-paced nature of the games, which give players nearly constant psychological encouragement to continue playing.
Current casino owners say new locations would cut into their profits by stealing some of their customer base. However, Link, a Waukegan Democrat, said that new casinos would not put any current facilities out of business, and it would be unfair to discourage competition.
Charles Griffin, mayor of Ford Heights, told the committee that his town needs the jobs and revenue a casino could bring. Griffin said his town is one of the poorest in the nation,and lacks adequate basic services, such as well-maintained sewer systems and a police force. Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhauer also encouraged the committee to approve the legislation, saying his community needs to replace manufacturing jobs it has lost in recent years.
Veto votes
Meanwhile, the House overrode some of Gov. Pat Quinn’s amendatory vetoes with little debate. Legislators rejected Quinn’s changes to House Bill 5154, which would seal public employee evaluations from the public. Quinn said the evaluations should be open, with the exception of law enforcement personnel for security and safety reasons.
House members also overruled Quinn’s addition to HB 5206, which would allow citizens to present ethics legislation to the General Assembly if they can gather 100,000 petition signatures. HB 5206 originally was meant to allow county officials to electronically purge the names of deceased voters from voting rolls.
If the Senate approves the House’s overrides — which requires a 36-vote super majority — the bills will become law as originally passed.
Innocence Project awarded $687,000 grant
By Maureen McKinney
The Downstate Innocence Project at the University of Illinois Springfield has received a $687,000 federal grant to work on cases where DNA testing might clear the accused.
The project, founded in 2001, has provided investigation and research help in efforts that helped lead to the exoneration of three wrongfully convicted Illinoisans. The project has identified about 30 cases to further investigate whether DNA testing could lead to exoneration, says Larry Golden, the Innocence Project's director. “The grant gives us the resources to go into these past cases.”
The Bloodsworth Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice pays for evaluation of cases, DNA laboratory tests, investigation and legal representation in post-conviction DNA testing motions. UIS’ project was one of four -- and the largest -- to receive a Bloodsworth Grant this year, Golden said. Specifically, UIS’ project will use the money to pay for testing; evaluating cases to determine which should be pursued further; providing legal assistance, including a lawyer, who would serve as project coordinator; and buying the time of Bill Clutter, the project’s director of investigations.
Students from the Southern Illinois University and University of Illinois law schools will work to narrow down which cases should be pursued further, Golden says.
In 1997, according to the project, Illinois became one of the first states in the country to adopt legislation giving convicted individuals access to DNA testing. A decade later, the state legislature allowed for DNA retesting, recognizing improvements in test methods.
Golden, who has worked pro bono as project’s director since he retired from UIS in 2004, says he estimates that in-kind contributions to the project are worth $200,000 to $250,000 and that the project has operated with $50,000 in “hard money.”
His greatest fear, he says, is that the grant money will dissuade future funders.
The Downstate Innocence Project at the University of Illinois Springfield has received a $687,000 federal grant to work on cases where DNA testing might clear the accused.
The project, founded in 2001, has provided investigation and research help in efforts that helped lead to the exoneration of three wrongfully convicted Illinoisans. The project has identified about 30 cases to further investigate whether DNA testing could lead to exoneration, says Larry Golden, the Innocence Project's director. “The grant gives us the resources to go into these past cases.”
The Bloodsworth Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice pays for evaluation of cases, DNA laboratory tests, investigation and legal representation in post-conviction DNA testing motions. UIS’ project was one of four -- and the largest -- to receive a Bloodsworth Grant this year, Golden said. Specifically, UIS’ project will use the money to pay for testing; evaluating cases to determine which should be pursued further; providing legal assistance, including a lawyer, who would serve as project coordinator; and buying the time of Bill Clutter, the project’s director of investigations.
Students from the Southern Illinois University and University of Illinois law schools will work to narrow down which cases should be pursued further, Golden says.
In 1997, according to the project, Illinois became one of the first states in the country to adopt legislation giving convicted individuals access to DNA testing. A decade later, the state legislature allowed for DNA retesting, recognizing improvements in test methods.
Golden, who has worked pro bono as project’s director since he retired from UIS in 2004, says he estimates that in-kind contributions to the project are worth $200,000 to $250,000 and that the project has operated with $50,000 in “hard money.”
His greatest fear, he says, is that the grant money will dissuade future funders.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Substance abuse programs see late payments increase by $12 million
By Jamey Dunn
The amount of overdue payments the state owes to providers of substance abuse prevention and treatment programs increased by $12 million in the span of a month.
According to the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association (IADDA), the state owed $34 million at the beginning of October, and it now owes $46 million — in some cases, on bills that are seven months overdue.
Sarah Howe, spokesperson for the IADDA, said providers throughout the state are in danger of soon being unable to pay employees. “The next payroll out, the one after that, they are potentially going to have to miss it.”
Howe said that many providers have stopped offering essential services, such as detox programs, sending individuals seeking help to local emergency rooms. She said specialized substance abuse treatment providers are more equipped to handle such procedures, and sending those in need to hospitals costs taxpayers more and clogs up emergency medical treatment facilities. “I cannot think of a provider that hasn’t had to do something as far as curtailing services,” Howe said.
She added that residents whose lives are not touched by addiction might not realize how much of an impact the state’s late payments have on treatment providers because treatment centers in their area may still be open.
However, Howe said they have likely cut offerings, such as residential care, and are running long waiting lists for treatment. ‘When someone comes and says they are ready for treatment today, you need to take them today. … When you have those moments, you really want to seize upon them.”
Instead, Howe said, “[getting inpatient treatment] could take six to eight weeks. That’s a whole different ball game.”
Howe added, “You may be driving by a provider that still has the lights on, but what’s behind that front door is less than what was there a year or two years ago.”
The amount of overdue payments the state owes to providers of substance abuse prevention and treatment programs increased by $12 million in the span of a month.
According to the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association (IADDA), the state owed $34 million at the beginning of October, and it now owes $46 million — in some cases, on bills that are seven months overdue.
Sarah Howe, spokesperson for the IADDA, said providers throughout the state are in danger of soon being unable to pay employees. “The next payroll out, the one after that, they are potentially going to have to miss it.”
Howe said that many providers have stopped offering essential services, such as detox programs, sending individuals seeking help to local emergency rooms. She said specialized substance abuse treatment providers are more equipped to handle such procedures, and sending those in need to hospitals costs taxpayers more and clogs up emergency medical treatment facilities. “I cannot think of a provider that hasn’t had to do something as far as curtailing services,” Howe said.
She added that residents whose lives are not touched by addiction might not realize how much of an impact the state’s late payments have on treatment providers because treatment centers in their area may still be open.
However, Howe said they have likely cut offerings, such as residential care, and are running long waiting lists for treatment. ‘When someone comes and says they are ready for treatment today, you need to take them today. … When you have those moments, you really want to seize upon them.”
Instead, Howe said, “[getting inpatient treatment] could take six to eight weeks. That’s a whole different ball game.”
Howe added, “You may be driving by a provider that still has the lights on, but what’s behind that front door is less than what was there a year or two years ago.”
Wind power brings jobs to Chicago
By Jamey Dunn
A new report by the Environmental Law and Policy center found that wind power means job growth for Illinois, predominantly in the Chicago area.
The Environmental Law and Policy Center found that more than 100 businesses in Illinois are involved in the supply chain of the wind industry. About 60 of them are in or near Chicago. The city is home to 13 corporate headquarters of American and international wind energy companies.
“A major wind power project creates a lot of jobs. Everything from electric workers to construction workers to people who lay the concrete pads,” said Howard Learner, executive director of the ELPC. Learner said there is also potential for growth for financial and accounting firms, as well as Illinois’ stagnant manufacturing sector.
Learner added, “What we are seeing are old-line manufacturing firms retooling to make wind power components that are part of the clean energy economy future.”
Jerry Roper, president and chief executive officer of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, said federal stimulus funds helped to jump-start the wind sector in Illinois.
Ashley Craig, and environmental business expert for the ELPC, said public money helps, but it doesn’t beat out a friendly policy climate for stimulation growth. “More than the federal subsidy money, I think the thing that has positively impacted the business the most is the policy decisions, and that’s consistent, really, with any business innovation that our country has experienced — everything from the Internet from the car industry to air travel. You don’t launch a large industry like this without federal and state support, and that doesn’t have to come in the form of money. Policy is just as important.”
Learner said the Illinois Renewable Electricity Standard, which requires utilities to purchase 25 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2025, has been key to the growth of wind power in the state. Of the 25 percent, 75 percent of the energy must come from wind power. The report also attributes growth to sales tax breaks on materials used to build wind energy projects, tax-free bonds to help spread out initial investment costs, and a consistent system for wind farm property tax assessments across the state
Sen. Mike Jacobs, chair of the Senate energy committee, said alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar, may not yet be consistent enough to rely upon, and lawmakers should be judicious when considering tax breaks or subsidies. He is concerned about asking consumers, especially in a down economy, to pay more for power. Jacobs, an East Moline Democrat, said it is a constant balancing act to keep old power sources thriving while still encouraging development of renewable energy.
“Everybody is really interested in jobs. … I just don’t think weakening incumbent utilities who provide us cheaper power is a good trade-off for us,” Jacobs said.
Roper said it will take more than government support to make the state a leader in wind power. He said the business sector also needs to focus on the potential of wind energy in Illinois. “Illinois can own a big part of what they’re calling … green jobs in America. [Wind energy] is probably the best definition of green jobs, as far as I’m concerned, and it’s something that needs to be touted out there in the marketplace.”
A new report by the Environmental Law and Policy center found that wind power means job growth for Illinois, predominantly in the Chicago area.
The Environmental Law and Policy Center found that more than 100 businesses in Illinois are involved in the supply chain of the wind industry. About 60 of them are in or near Chicago. The city is home to 13 corporate headquarters of American and international wind energy companies.
“A major wind power project creates a lot of jobs. Everything from electric workers to construction workers to people who lay the concrete pads,” said Howard Learner, executive director of the ELPC. Learner said there is also potential for growth for financial and accounting firms, as well as Illinois’ stagnant manufacturing sector.
Learner added, “What we are seeing are old-line manufacturing firms retooling to make wind power components that are part of the clean energy economy future.”
Jerry Roper, president and chief executive officer of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, said federal stimulus funds helped to jump-start the wind sector in Illinois.
Ashley Craig, and environmental business expert for the ELPC, said public money helps, but it doesn’t beat out a friendly policy climate for stimulation growth. “More than the federal subsidy money, I think the thing that has positively impacted the business the most is the policy decisions, and that’s consistent, really, with any business innovation that our country has experienced — everything from the Internet from the car industry to air travel. You don’t launch a large industry like this without federal and state support, and that doesn’t have to come in the form of money. Policy is just as important.”
Learner said the Illinois Renewable Electricity Standard, which requires utilities to purchase 25 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2025, has been key to the growth of wind power in the state. Of the 25 percent, 75 percent of the energy must come from wind power. The report also attributes growth to sales tax breaks on materials used to build wind energy projects, tax-free bonds to help spread out initial investment costs, and a consistent system for wind farm property tax assessments across the state
Sen. Mike Jacobs, chair of the Senate energy committee, said alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar, may not yet be consistent enough to rely upon, and lawmakers should be judicious when considering tax breaks or subsidies. He is concerned about asking consumers, especially in a down economy, to pay more for power. Jacobs, an East Moline Democrat, said it is a constant balancing act to keep old power sources thriving while still encouraging development of renewable energy.
“Everybody is really interested in jobs. … I just don’t think weakening incumbent utilities who provide us cheaper power is a good trade-off for us,” Jacobs said.
Roper said it will take more than government support to make the state a leader in wind power. He said the business sector also needs to focus on the potential of wind energy in Illinois. “Illinois can own a big part of what they’re calling … green jobs in America. [Wind energy] is probably the best definition of green jobs, as far as I’m concerned, and it’s something that needs to be touted out there in the marketplace.”
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Illinois lags on solar jobs
By Jamey Dunn
A new study found Illinois is not keeping up with some neighboring states on job creation in the solar power industry.
The study to take stock of jobs created by the expansion of solar power across the country was conducted by the Solar Foundation, a non-profit group that funds solar research; Green LMI , which specializes in predicting the future of labor markets; and Cornell University .
According to the report, as of August 2010, more than 93,000 people nationwide work in solar power, and half of companies in that field expect to hire new employees in the next year. Those jobs include manufacturing, installation and sales. There are solar companies in every state, but the industry is mainly concentrated in the western and northeastern parts of the country. California leads the nation with 30 percent of all solar related businesses and more than 36,000 solar jobs.
Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana and Ohio all made it into the report’s top 20 states for solar job creation, but Illinois did not.
According to the research, Illinois has about 530 solar-related jobs with a projected growth to nearly 700 jobs by 2011. That compares with Indiana — ranked 10th in the country for solar employment and growth — with more than 1,600 jobs and projected growth to more than 1,800 by 2011.
Environment Illinois says the General Assembly can take steps to help Illinois catch up with its neighbors in the solar sector. Miranda Carter, a field associate with Environment Illinois, said a few key changes could help the state keep pace.
One plan is to allow larger solar operations to sell extra power that they create back to utilities. Now, smaller operations, such as private residences and small business, can generate power with solar panels or a wind turbine and sell back what they don’t use under a policy called net metering. Carter said larger operations, including warehouses and big-box stores, such as Walmart, need to be included in the policy.
Carter said 16 other states allow those larger energy producers to sell their surplus power. “Illinois will lose business to those states unless we change the law. Illinois is home to many flat-roofed industrial and commercial space that is ideal for solar installation, but these companies will not proceed unless they get the full worth of the energy they produce.”
She said reworking the Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (PACE) would also help to expand solar power in Illinois. Such programs allow homeowners nationwide to get municipal bonds to make their homes more energy efficient or install alternative energy improvements, such as solar panels. They pay off the loan with their future energy savings. “The price or upfront cost is what is so difficult for people,” Carter said.
However, Sen. Mike Jacobs, chair of the Senate Energy Committee, said solar power needs to be more reliable before the state starts setting such policies or subsidizing it. “I am still waiting for that big new idea that’s really going to get this off the ground."
Jacobs, a Democrat from East Moline, added, “Really I just think that we need to make sure that we take care of our current employers before we go chasing new ones.”
Jacobs said he is concerned about the expense, which could be associated with expanding net metering and PACE in Illinois. “Both of those put their hands in the pocket of consumers,” said Jacobs. “We may be behind a little on solar, but I don’t view that as a bad thing. Frankly it is very expensive to the customer. And somebody’s got to pay for this.”
Check back tomorrow for a report on Illinois job creation and development in the wind power sector.
A new study found Illinois is not keeping up with some neighboring states on job creation in the solar power industry.
The study to take stock of jobs created by the expansion of solar power across the country was conducted by the Solar Foundation, a non-profit group that funds solar research; Green LMI , which specializes in predicting the future of labor markets; and Cornell University .
According to the report, as of August 2010, more than 93,000 people nationwide work in solar power, and half of companies in that field expect to hire new employees in the next year. Those jobs include manufacturing, installation and sales. There are solar companies in every state, but the industry is mainly concentrated in the western and northeastern parts of the country. California leads the nation with 30 percent of all solar related businesses and more than 36,000 solar jobs.
Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana and Ohio all made it into the report’s top 20 states for solar job creation, but Illinois did not.
According to the research, Illinois has about 530 solar-related jobs with a projected growth to nearly 700 jobs by 2011. That compares with Indiana — ranked 10th in the country for solar employment and growth — with more than 1,600 jobs and projected growth to more than 1,800 by 2011.
Environment Illinois says the General Assembly can take steps to help Illinois catch up with its neighbors in the solar sector. Miranda Carter, a field associate with Environment Illinois, said a few key changes could help the state keep pace.
One plan is to allow larger solar operations to sell extra power that they create back to utilities. Now, smaller operations, such as private residences and small business, can generate power with solar panels or a wind turbine and sell back what they don’t use under a policy called net metering. Carter said larger operations, including warehouses and big-box stores, such as Walmart, need to be included in the policy.
Carter said 16 other states allow those larger energy producers to sell their surplus power. “Illinois will lose business to those states unless we change the law. Illinois is home to many flat-roofed industrial and commercial space that is ideal for solar installation, but these companies will not proceed unless they get the full worth of the energy they produce.”
She said reworking the Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (PACE) would also help to expand solar power in Illinois. Such programs allow homeowners nationwide to get municipal bonds to make their homes more energy efficient or install alternative energy improvements, such as solar panels. They pay off the loan with their future energy savings. “The price or upfront cost is what is so difficult for people,” Carter said.
However, Sen. Mike Jacobs, chair of the Senate Energy Committee, said solar power needs to be more reliable before the state starts setting such policies or subsidizing it. “I am still waiting for that big new idea that’s really going to get this off the ground."
Jacobs, a Democrat from East Moline, added, “Really I just think that we need to make sure that we take care of our current employers before we go chasing new ones.”
Jacobs said he is concerned about the expense, which could be associated with expanding net metering and PACE in Illinois. “Both of those put their hands in the pocket of consumers,” said Jacobs. “We may be behind a little on solar, but I don’t view that as a bad thing. Frankly it is very expensive to the customer. And somebody’s got to pay for this.”
Check back tomorrow for a report on Illinois job creation and development in the wind power sector.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Income tax talk heats up
By Jamey Dunn
As Gov. Pat Quinn gears up to lobby the legislature for an income tax increase during the upcoming veto session, former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar said Quinn’s election victory could make the job easier.
Quinn called on Republican and Democratic leadership in the General Assembly today to support his 1 percentage point increase in the income tax, which he says will be used to support education. He said he plans to start calling legislators about the plan this week and will be in Springfield when legislative session starts up again next week.
“I would say to all the legislative leaders of both parties and both houses that it’s high time that we work on that issue. The message of this election is: We have to fund our schools, and we have to do it in a proper way. And we’re going to keep that message going as long as necessary to make sure legislators keep their eye on the ball. … I am confident that reality will set in and the right thing to do will set in,” Quinn said at a Chicago news conference.
When the Illinois Senate was back in legislative session last week, Senate President John Cullerton reiterated his stance that it is up to the Illinois House to take up the tax issue because Democrats in his chamber passed a tax increase last year. He added that if the House passes a different tax increase, his members would consider it. During the same conversation with reporters, Cullerton said the Senate plans to consider a gambling expansion during veto session as a way to increase state revenues.
While Quinn did not say he would veto a gaming expansion bill, he said he was not excited about the idea. “You can’t gamble your way into prosperity in Illinois. … There’s no quick shortcut to prosperity. … I’m not enthused at all about gambling. Never have been.”
Quinn has made similar statements about gambling in the past, but he did approve legalizing video poker machines in some bars and restaurants across the state as a way to fund a capital construction bill.
Quinn has said that his election is a mandate from voters for a tax increase. While Edgar did not go so far as to agree with Quinn’s mandate claim, he said Quinn’s election should make approving a tax increase more “palatable” for legislators.
“Being for the income tax increase is not suicide in Illinois politics. Contrary to what all the pundits and everybody had thought for years. … You can be for an income tax, and you can be reelected,” Edgar said.
However, Edgar said an income tax increase should not be the only focus of debate because cuts are also necessary to address the state’s growing deficit.
“In many ways, those cuts are going to be probably more difficult to get agreement on than a tax increase. … I just hope that the debate doesn’t just continue to center on a tax increase, that we don’t ignore what I think is probably the more important of the two — and I think is going to be the more difficult — and that’s, ‘Where can we cut spending?’”
Edgar said if Quinn can come up with a comprehensive long-term plan that involves cuts along with an income tax increase, he would be willing to support it.
As Gov. Pat Quinn gears up to lobby the legislature for an income tax increase during the upcoming veto session, former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar said Quinn’s election victory could make the job easier.
Quinn called on Republican and Democratic leadership in the General Assembly today to support his 1 percentage point increase in the income tax, which he says will be used to support education. He said he plans to start calling legislators about the plan this week and will be in Springfield when legislative session starts up again next week.
“I would say to all the legislative leaders of both parties and both houses that it’s high time that we work on that issue. The message of this election is: We have to fund our schools, and we have to do it in a proper way. And we’re going to keep that message going as long as necessary to make sure legislators keep their eye on the ball. … I am confident that reality will set in and the right thing to do will set in,” Quinn said at a Chicago news conference.
When the Illinois Senate was back in legislative session last week, Senate President John Cullerton reiterated his stance that it is up to the Illinois House to take up the tax issue because Democrats in his chamber passed a tax increase last year. He added that if the House passes a different tax increase, his members would consider it. During the same conversation with reporters, Cullerton said the Senate plans to consider a gambling expansion during veto session as a way to increase state revenues.
While Quinn did not say he would veto a gaming expansion bill, he said he was not excited about the idea. “You can’t gamble your way into prosperity in Illinois. … There’s no quick shortcut to prosperity. … I’m not enthused at all about gambling. Never have been.”
Quinn has made similar statements about gambling in the past, but he did approve legalizing video poker machines in some bars and restaurants across the state as a way to fund a capital construction bill.
Quinn has said that his election is a mandate from voters for a tax increase. While Edgar did not go so far as to agree with Quinn’s mandate claim, he said Quinn’s election should make approving a tax increase more “palatable” for legislators.
“Being for the income tax increase is not suicide in Illinois politics. Contrary to what all the pundits and everybody had thought for years. … You can be for an income tax, and you can be reelected,” Edgar said.
However, Edgar said an income tax increase should not be the only focus of debate because cuts are also necessary to address the state’s growing deficit.
“In many ways, those cuts are going to be probably more difficult to get agreement on than a tax increase. … I just hope that the debate doesn’t just continue to center on a tax increase, that we don’t ignore what I think is probably the more important of the two — and I think is going to be the more difficult — and that’s, ‘Where can we cut spending?’”
Edgar said if Quinn can come up with a comprehensive long-term plan that involves cuts along with an income tax increase, he would be willing to support it.
Friday, November 05, 2010
Recall will be easier said than done
By Jamey Dunn
Illinois voters approved an amendment to the state Constitution this week that would allow for the recall of a sitting governor, so long as he or she has spent at least six months in office. Some say, however, that the hoops voters would have to jump through make the amendment relatively useless.
To pass, the amendment needed support from 60 percent of those who voted on Tuesday. It received the backing 66 percent, or more than 2 million votes.
If voters want to remove a governor from office, they first must file an affidavit with signatures from 20 lawmakers from the Illinois House and 10 from the Illinois Senate. The signing members must be evenly split from both parties. If the State Board of Elections approves the request, voters would get 150 days to circulate petitions and gather signatures from enough people to equal 15 percent of the turnout for the last gubernatorial election.
For example, if the threshold was based on the turnout in this week’s election - 3.6 million - voters would have to get more than 525,000 signatures. Petitions must also have at least 100 signatures each from 25 counties in the state. (The American Civil Liberties Union in Illinois recently questioned the constitutionality of that requirement.) Once the petitions are turned in, the Board of Elections has 100 days to approve them.
If the board finds the signatures valid and gives the go-ahead, a special election would be held to ask voters if they want to remove the governor from office. Candidates who wanted to replace the governor would also appear on the ballot. So if voters approve the recall, the special election will also serve as a primary election. If the governor is recalled, the lieutenant governor will fill in until another election is held within 60 days to choose a replacement.
Kent Redfield, an emeritus professor at the University of Illinois Springfield and director of the Sunshine Project, described that process as a “screwy Rube Goldberg device.” He said the requirements voters would have to meet to unseat a governor makes the notion of recall power “largely symbolic.” However, he said it is difficult to strike a balance between making the requirements realistic for voters to reach, while still making it difficult enough that a governor would not be unseated unless there was true public outrage.
Emily Miller, who researched Illinois’ recall amendment for the Better Government Association, described the amendment as a “hybrid” between recall and impeachment because legislators must sign off to initiate the process. “Illinois is unique in that [among states that have recall], and it is that way because, frankly, it is another way to retain power in the Illinois legislature,” Miller said.
The sponsor of the bill in the House, Rep. Jack Franks, said he did not initially plan on including the requirement that legislators sign off. But it became a part of the bill through compromise with Gov. Pat Quinn. Franks, a Marengo Democrat, wanted recall to apply to all constitutional officers, but that was dropped from the final version, as well.
Franks said recall is rarely used in the state’s that have it, and he hopes Illinois won’t need it. He likened it to a "nuclear deterrent" against bad behavior from a governor. But if voters feel strongly enough to use it, he said they should be able to successfully remove a governor. “I trust the voters. … People have to have a passion for them to stand up and do a recall.”
While Franks did not include the legislature in his original plan, he says he thinks it is a good idea because voters can hold lawmakers accountable by asking them to sign on to a recall movement.
Illinois voters approved an amendment to the state Constitution this week that would allow for the recall of a sitting governor, so long as he or she has spent at least six months in office. Some say, however, that the hoops voters would have to jump through make the amendment relatively useless.
To pass, the amendment needed support from 60 percent of those who voted on Tuesday. It received the backing 66 percent, or more than 2 million votes.
If voters want to remove a governor from office, they first must file an affidavit with signatures from 20 lawmakers from the Illinois House and 10 from the Illinois Senate. The signing members must be evenly split from both parties. If the State Board of Elections approves the request, voters would get 150 days to circulate petitions and gather signatures from enough people to equal 15 percent of the turnout for the last gubernatorial election.
For example, if the threshold was based on the turnout in this week’s election - 3.6 million - voters would have to get more than 525,000 signatures. Petitions must also have at least 100 signatures each from 25 counties in the state. (The American Civil Liberties Union in Illinois recently questioned the constitutionality of that requirement.) Once the petitions are turned in, the Board of Elections has 100 days to approve them.
If the board finds the signatures valid and gives the go-ahead, a special election would be held to ask voters if they want to remove the governor from office. Candidates who wanted to replace the governor would also appear on the ballot. So if voters approve the recall, the special election will also serve as a primary election. If the governor is recalled, the lieutenant governor will fill in until another election is held within 60 days to choose a replacement.
Kent Redfield, an emeritus professor at the University of Illinois Springfield and director of the Sunshine Project, described that process as a “screwy Rube Goldberg device.” He said the requirements voters would have to meet to unseat a governor makes the notion of recall power “largely symbolic.” However, he said it is difficult to strike a balance between making the requirements realistic for voters to reach, while still making it difficult enough that a governor would not be unseated unless there was true public outrage.
Emily Miller, who researched Illinois’ recall amendment for the Better Government Association, described the amendment as a “hybrid” between recall and impeachment because legislators must sign off to initiate the process. “Illinois is unique in that [among states that have recall], and it is that way because, frankly, it is another way to retain power in the Illinois legislature,” Miller said.
The sponsor of the bill in the House, Rep. Jack Franks, said he did not initially plan on including the requirement that legislators sign off. But it became a part of the bill through compromise with Gov. Pat Quinn. Franks, a Marengo Democrat, wanted recall to apply to all constitutional officers, but that was dropped from the final version, as well.
Franks said recall is rarely used in the state’s that have it, and he hopes Illinois won’t need it. He likened it to a "nuclear deterrent" against bad behavior from a governor. But if voters feel strongly enough to use it, he said they should be able to successfully remove a governor. “I trust the voters. … People have to have a passion for them to stand up and do a recall.”
While Franks did not include the legislature in his original plan, he says he thinks it is a good idea because voters can hold lawmakers accountable by asking them to sign on to a recall movement.
Brady concedes
By Jamey Dunn
Republican Sen. Bill Brady conceded the governor's race to Gov. Pat Quinn this afternoon.
Late Tuesday night, the two were in a dead heat. On Wednesday, Brady said he wanted to wait until the State Board of Elections certified the results, which could take as long as 30 days.
But Quinn's lead continued to grow, reaching more than 19,000 votes, and the Associated Press called the race in his favor yesterday afternoon.
“After days of counting ballots and looking at potential outcomes, we came to the conclusion that Gov. Quinn won this race. He worked hard for it. And you can’t take away his effort in this endeavor,” Brady said at a Bloomington news conference.
Brady would not venture a guess as to what went wrong in his campaign, noting that recent polls had showed him with a slight lead. “We’ll leave it to the pundits to decide what happened.”
Brady said the debate he and Quinn had throughout the campaign about the best ways to solve the state's financial woes "moved Illinois forward." He said he plans to work with Quinn but remains committed to opposing an income tax increase. Brady said he and Quinn plan to meet soon to share a meal at Manny's Deli in Chicago.
Quinn reacted to Brady's concession at a Chicago news conference this afternoon, calling Brady "gracious." He called for Illinois voters and lawmakers of all political stripes to come together and confirmed he will sit down for a meal with Brady. “We may have differences — strong differences on policy issues — but we are all Americans and all Illinoisans.”
As for many polls calling the race incorrectly, Quinn said: “The people call the shots, not the experts and not the pollsters and not the insiders.”
Quinn also reiterated his call for new revenue for education.
Republican Sen. Bill Brady conceded the governor's race to Gov. Pat Quinn this afternoon.
Late Tuesday night, the two were in a dead heat. On Wednesday, Brady said he wanted to wait until the State Board of Elections certified the results, which could take as long as 30 days.
But Quinn's lead continued to grow, reaching more than 19,000 votes, and the Associated Press called the race in his favor yesterday afternoon.
“After days of counting ballots and looking at potential outcomes, we came to the conclusion that Gov. Quinn won this race. He worked hard for it. And you can’t take away his effort in this endeavor,” Brady said at a Bloomington news conference.
Brady would not venture a guess as to what went wrong in his campaign, noting that recent polls had showed him with a slight lead. “We’ll leave it to the pundits to decide what happened.”
Brady said the debate he and Quinn had throughout the campaign about the best ways to solve the state's financial woes "moved Illinois forward." He said he plans to work with Quinn but remains committed to opposing an income tax increase. Brady said he and Quinn plan to meet soon to share a meal at Manny's Deli in Chicago.
Quinn reacted to Brady's concession at a Chicago news conference this afternoon, calling Brady "gracious." He called for Illinois voters and lawmakers of all political stripes to come together and confirmed he will sit down for a meal with Brady. “We may have differences — strong differences on policy issues — but we are all Americans and all Illinoisans.”
As for many polls calling the race incorrectly, Quinn said: “The people call the shots, not the experts and not the pollsters and not the insiders.”
Quinn also reiterated his call for new revenue for education.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Senate again skips pension borrowing vote
By Jamey Dunn
Although the Illinois Senate returned today to discuss a $4 billion pension borrowing plan, legislators failed to take a vote on the issue.
Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno said she saw no reason for the Senate to be in legislative session today because the situation surrounding the bill had not changed. She said she thought it was a waste of money to bring lawmakers back to Springfield. “I think it’s unfortunate that we’re here.”
Some Republicans supported a similar borrowing plan last fiscal year to make the state’s required pension payment, but Radogno said they will not consider backing it again this year until they see evidence of cuts and reforms to the budgeting process.
Senate President John Cullerton said the face-to-face negotiation that can come out of bringing the chamber together was a positive aspect of having a session day. He also reiterated the need for bipartisan support on the bill.
Cullerton said he wants to work in coming weeks with Republicans to pinpoint some cuts that can be agreed on, and he hopes to pass the borrowing during the legislature's veto session, which begins November 16.
In the meantime, state pension systems are selling off assets to make benefit payments. Steve Zahn, a lobbyist for the State University Retirement System (SURS), said SURS and the Illinois State Board of Investment, which make up about 40 percent of the state retirement system, would have to sell off an estimated $2.3 billion in assets if the state cannot find a way to make its payment.
Although the Illinois Senate returned today to discuss a $4 billion pension borrowing plan, legislators failed to take a vote on the issue.
Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno said she saw no reason for the Senate to be in legislative session today because the situation surrounding the bill had not changed. She said she thought it was a waste of money to bring lawmakers back to Springfield. “I think it’s unfortunate that we’re here.”
Some Republicans supported a similar borrowing plan last fiscal year to make the state’s required pension payment, but Radogno said they will not consider backing it again this year until they see evidence of cuts and reforms to the budgeting process.
Senate President John Cullerton said the face-to-face negotiation that can come out of bringing the chamber together was a positive aspect of having a session day. He also reiterated the need for bipartisan support on the bill.
Cullerton said he wants to work in coming weeks with Republicans to pinpoint some cuts that can be agreed on, and he hopes to pass the borrowing during the legislature's veto session, which begins November 16.
In the meantime, state pension systems are selling off assets to make benefit payments. Steve Zahn, a lobbyist for the State University Retirement System (SURS), said SURS and the Illinois State Board of Investment, which make up about 40 percent of the state retirement system, would have to sell off an estimated $2.3 billion in assets if the state cannot find a way to make its payment.
Democrats stay low key about state wins
By Jamey Dunn
President Obama said at a Washington, D.C., news conference yesterday that a new Republican majority in the U.S. Congress means: “No one party will be able to dictate where we go from here.” But that does not seem to be the case in Illinois.
After speculation that the Illinois House could come under Republican control, it remains in the Democrats hands. The Associated Press this evening called Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn as the winner of the governor’s race. However, Bill Brady said today that he plans to wait for all the votes to be counted before he decides on concession.
While Republicans did not gain a majority in the House, they did unseat some long-time incumbents, such as Rep. Michael Smith, a 16 year veteran of the General Assembly from Canton; Rep. Jay Hoffman, who hails from Collinsville and has spent 20 years in the legislature; and Rep. Robert Flider;,who is from Mt. Zion and held his seat for eight years. Grayslake Sen. Michael Bond and Carlinville Sen. Deanna Demuzio were the only Democrats to lose their seats in the Senate.
But control of both the legislative chambers and the governor’s office will give Democrats almost all the cards when it comes to redrawing legislative districts. Republicans may be able to use votes on issues such as a tax increase or borrowing as leverage in the redistricting process.
Quinn also has to sign off on the map, and there are no guarantees that he will play ball with the legislative leaders. Even though Democrats appear to hold all the power on the remap, the issue will likely hang over any big votes that come up.
Senate President John Cullerton dodged a question about Democrats having the power to draw a partisan map, saying: “I think that’s kind of insider stuff. I think most people just care about the economy, and they care about what we’re going to do for our budget deficit.”
Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno said she is not concerned that the Democrats in her chamber will treat Republicans unfairly during the redistricting process. While her party did not gain as many seats as her projection last week of three to five, Radogno framed the election results as a victory. “It’s a win because we have more seats than we had before the election.”
She added that taking away the Democrats’ veto-proof supermajority gives her party more leverage.
Radogno also commented on Democrats keeping power at the state level while Republicans took control of the Illinois’ congressional delegation, gaining four seats with a fifth race still undecided. Republican Mark Kirk also won the close race against Democrat Alexi Giannoulias for Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat.
“The fact is, it is curious that there seems to be a lot of hopscotching between parties when you look at how the Statehouse did versus how [the U.S.] Congress did. That’s an interesting phenomenon. … I think there’s going to be a lot of analyzing of numbers going forward and looking to see why it came out the way it did,” she said.
Sen. John Sullivan, a Democrat from Rushville, said Senate Democrats are disappointed with the loss of two races. “It could have been worse. We had six seats that were competitive races. In theory, we could have lost all six of them, but we didn’t.”
However, he painted the results more as a wake-up call than a win. “It’s a tough environment out there. People are dissatisfied both at the state and federal level. The economy is still just barely chugging along,” Sullivan said. “I think that [this election] has sent a message to all of us here in Springfield — and I’m sure in Washington as well — that our focus needs to be on creating jobs. The economy is driving so much of the discussion that’s taking place right now."
President Obama said at a Washington, D.C., news conference yesterday that a new Republican majority in the U.S. Congress means: “No one party will be able to dictate where we go from here.” But that does not seem to be the case in Illinois.
After speculation that the Illinois House could come under Republican control, it remains in the Democrats hands. The Associated Press this evening called Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn as the winner of the governor’s race. However, Bill Brady said today that he plans to wait for all the votes to be counted before he decides on concession.
While Republicans did not gain a majority in the House, they did unseat some long-time incumbents, such as Rep. Michael Smith, a 16 year veteran of the General Assembly from Canton; Rep. Jay Hoffman, who hails from Collinsville and has spent 20 years in the legislature; and Rep. Robert Flider;,who is from Mt. Zion and held his seat for eight years. Grayslake Sen. Michael Bond and Carlinville Sen. Deanna Demuzio were the only Democrats to lose their seats in the Senate.
But control of both the legislative chambers and the governor’s office will give Democrats almost all the cards when it comes to redrawing legislative districts. Republicans may be able to use votes on issues such as a tax increase or borrowing as leverage in the redistricting process.
Quinn also has to sign off on the map, and there are no guarantees that he will play ball with the legislative leaders. Even though Democrats appear to hold all the power on the remap, the issue will likely hang over any big votes that come up.
Senate President John Cullerton dodged a question about Democrats having the power to draw a partisan map, saying: “I think that’s kind of insider stuff. I think most people just care about the economy, and they care about what we’re going to do for our budget deficit.”
Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno said she is not concerned that the Democrats in her chamber will treat Republicans unfairly during the redistricting process. While her party did not gain as many seats as her projection last week of three to five, Radogno framed the election results as a victory. “It’s a win because we have more seats than we had before the election.”
She added that taking away the Democrats’ veto-proof supermajority gives her party more leverage.
Radogno also commented on Democrats keeping power at the state level while Republicans took control of the Illinois’ congressional delegation, gaining four seats with a fifth race still undecided. Republican Mark Kirk also won the close race against Democrat Alexi Giannoulias for Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat.
“The fact is, it is curious that there seems to be a lot of hopscotching between parties when you look at how the Statehouse did versus how [the U.S.] Congress did. That’s an interesting phenomenon. … I think there’s going to be a lot of analyzing of numbers going forward and looking to see why it came out the way it did,” she said.
Sen. John Sullivan, a Democrat from Rushville, said Senate Democrats are disappointed with the loss of two races. “It could have been worse. We had six seats that were competitive races. In theory, we could have lost all six of them, but we didn’t.”
However, he painted the results more as a wake-up call than a win. “It’s a tough environment out there. People are dissatisfied both at the state and federal level. The economy is still just barely chugging along,” Sullivan said. “I think that [this election] has sent a message to all of us here in Springfield — and I’m sure in Washington as well — that our focus needs to be on creating jobs. The economy is driving so much of the discussion that’s taking place right now."
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