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"The governor assured
voters in this area that he would reopen LDC, and he promised me the
same last week," said Bomke, R-Springfield. "The governor has
certainly followed through on many of his promises with this speech,
and I trust he will also follow through on his plans to reopen LDC,
and he has indicated as much to me today."
The governor pledged
to Bomke in writing last week to provide funds to reopen LDC, a
promise Bomke is confident the governor will meet this year. In
addition to reopening LDC, the governor also indicated he would not
cut education funding and would not lay off any additional state
employees -- both concerns of families within the 50th District.
The budget outline
meets the state's commitment to education, providing an additional
$250 per student in state funds to public schools, more early
childhood grants, increased funding for bilingual education, more
local control and flexibility for school districts, increased parent
involvement through new technology, and prompt payment of state
funds to schools.
The governor's plan
also calls for rehiring of only 39 percent of the nearly 10,000
state jobs freed by early retirement. At the end of fiscal 2002, the
state had just more than 69,000 employees. Blagojevich's plan
budgets for just more than 63,000 employees on payroll, in line with
his promise to Bomke.
Still, Bomke is
troubled that the budget eliminates employer contributions for state
employee pensions, a benefit that helps the state compete with
private sector employers for top-quality employees. The plan also
freezes salaries for mid-level employees and management, leaving
many area families with no way to meet the rising cost of living.
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"I am worried that
this provision will jeopardize the state's ability to retain and
attract top employees," said Bomke. "While the state cannot compete
with private sector salaries in specialized jobs, the benefits often
put the state ahead when hiring employees with specific expertise.
And the salary freeze on top of this will have a negative impact on
many area families already hit hard by the state's economic
condition."
Bomke intends to
discuss this matter further with the governor and budget negotiators
to ensure that the state's benefits for all employees remain
competitive and to make certain that the state has the flexibility
to at least offer cost-of-living increases to all employees when
needed.
Bomke also indicated the timing is poor
to increase user fees that may or may not impact business.
"Businesses have also been hit hard by the economy, and with the
state unable to pay its own bills on time, many businesses in my
district and throughout Illinois are struggling to keep their doors
open," Bomke said. "Now is not the time to put a further strain on
business. I think we can work together during the remainder of the
budget process to find another solution. This is not a Republican
problem and it's not a Democrat problem -- it's a budget problem and
we need to work together to solve it."
[News
release] |
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Senate Bill 3, the Senior Citizen
Prescription Drug Discount Plan, gained approval in the Senate April
8.
"Helping senior citizens access the
medicine they need will help the state and families save money on
higher cost health care, such as long-term care and hospitalization
costs, for those seniors who spend down their life's savings just to
pay for their medication," said Bomke, R-Springfield.
"Prescription drugs can quickly put a
strain on fixed incomes. When that happens, senior citizens often
put off seeking medical attention or are forced to turn to their
families or to the state for assistance. Making sure they can afford
the medication as soon as they need it will help senior citizens
stay healthy and financially independent longer."
Under Senate Bill 3, the new drug
discount program would be open to all senior citizens at least 65
years old -- with no income limitations, unlike the state's existing
programs -- and would provide discounts for all prescription
medications.
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The new program would provide
discounted medicines at participating pharmacies beginning Jan. 1,
2004. The discounts would be made possible through rebate agreements
with the pharmaceutical companies, similar to "buying clubs" where
members of the club get discounts because the item is purchased in
bulk.
To enroll, senior citizens simply
complete an application and pay a $25 fee to cover the
administrative costs of the program. Those already enrolled in
Circuit Breaker would automatically be enrolled in the new program
and could use their Circuit Breaker card to pay for medicines not
covered by that program.
Senate Bill
3 now awaits consideration by the House of Representatives.
[News
release] |
