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Governor
not facing state's economic reality
Gov. Rod Blagojevich presented his
State of the State address Feb. 3 to Illinois lawmakers. The
governor has some ambitious goals for the 2005 legislative session
but does not seem to be facing the reality of the problems being
faced by our citizens.
I think, to some extent, the
governor is still living in never-never land. To sit there and say
"the state of Illinois is strong," is avoiding the real world. To
suggest that he has cut $3 billion in state spending is hypocrisy.
This is the only governor, throughout the nation, who has increased
state spending in deficit proportions. Somehow we're going to have
to give him a reality check.
I was pleased to see the governor
did face up to the fact the Illinois has a crisis in the area of
medical malpractice and a crisis in the area of workers'
compensation. With that, I'll do everything I can to remove the
barrier of partisan politics to work toward a solution. I must tell
you, though; the proof will be in the pudding. The governor had the
opportunity over the last two years to lead on both these issues,
and he has failed. But, if he's willing to make it part of his State
of the State address, I'm willing to work with him to make Illinois
a better place.
During his budget address Feb. 16,
Blagojevich will outline plans to fund his agenda.
Diverted
funds weaken efforts to fight insurance fraud
The insurance industry in Illinois
is one of the largest white-collar employers statewide, contributing
more than $6 billion per year to our state's economy and employing
more than 200,000 people. An industry of this magnitude requires the
kind of oversight that will protect it and its consumers from
fraudulent activity.
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of second column in this article]
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For some time, I have been concerned
that Gov. Rod Blagojevich's dramatic cuts in funding have undermined
the state Division of Insurance's ability to properly perform its
function as a watchdog for the insurance industry in Illinois. I
also think the public has a right to know why insurance industry
fees raised by the governor are not being used for their intended
purposes -- to shield consumers from the kind of insurance fraud
that has been found in other states.
As a spokesman for the Senate
Insurance Committee, I have submitted a freedom of information
request to the Division of Insurance and will work with Sen. Bill
Haine of Alton, chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee, to hold
public hearings on these matters around the state.
Gay
rights bill needs religious exemption
My role as a state lawmaker requires
me to make decisions that affect hundreds of thousands of people in
the 44th Senate District and throughout Illinois. My decisions are
based on the personal convictions I have conveyed over my 12 years
of public service as well as input from all citizens, and they
generally reflect the common good.
Such is the basis of my vote Jan. 11
against
Senate Bill 3186, which has been defined as special legislation
for gays and lesbians. I firmly believe that all people should be
treated with respect and human dignity. I am a strong advocate of
laws that protect people from discrimination on the basis of clearly
defined guidelines of race, religion, gender and ancestry.
However, Senate Bill 3186 does not
contain a provision that allows exemptions for religious
organizations, thus raising some constitutional questions. As such,
I plan to introduce legislation that will allow an exemption to the
provisions of Senate Bill 3186, for religious organizations.
[From
Sen. Bill Brady]
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