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Blagojevich raids might
be hurting federal funds The state of Illinois may be losing
out on federal road dollars because of decisions by the Blagojevich
administration to divert millions from the state's Road Fund.
I was in Washington, D.C., July 19 to meet with U.S. Speaker
Dennis Hastert's staff about issues of concern of Illinois
residents, such as road funding. The governor has taken more than
$1.1 billion from the Road Fund over three years, and that puts at
great risk whether or not we will be able to secure federal matching
dollars.
I was also briefed about Medicaid and health issues. There seems
to be some concern that the governor's discontinuation of managed
care in the area of Medicaid will cost us additional federal
resources. We are one of the only states that did not have some sort
of managed care in Medicaid. The federal government is wisely moving
toward managed care, like the private sector, so I hope this will
send a strong message to Gov. Blagojevich.
Workers' comp reform good first step
A historic workers' compensation reform agreement was signed into
law last week.
House Bill 2137 is the first reform of the state's Workers'
Compensation Act since 1989 and the most far-reaching since the mid
1970s. Illinois' workers' compensation premiums are among the
highest in the country, and Illinois businesses pay 40 percent more
for workers' compensation than businesses in neighboring states.
Republicans have been fighting for workers' compensation reform
for years, and House Bill 2137 is a major step toward reducing the
costs of doing business in Illinois while improving workers' rights.
The new law sets up a unit to investigate fraud, enacts a schedule
of fees for medical office visits, increases compensation for lost
wages by 7.5 percent, speeds up review of workers' comp disputes and
increases penalties for fraudulent claims.
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 New laws help veterans
The men and women who serve in the military -- now and in years
past -- have made many sacrifices to defend freedom. The courage
they have displayed deserves our gratitude and thanks. Several new
state laws will help soldiers, veterans and their families.
House Bill 156 allows children of parents on active military
duty to continue their schooling without having to transfer between
schools.
House Bill 270 increases the amount of the homestead exemption
for disabled veterans from $58,000 to $70,000.
House Bill 544 exempts Gold Star recipients from paying the fee
to apply for the Gold Star plate, aside from the registration fee.
House Bill 551 provides active duty Guard members and reservists
an extended interest-free grace period for paying their property
taxes.
House Bill 2550 exempts Illinois residents who have been on
active duty abroad from paying camping fees and fees for fishing or
hunting licenses.
All bills take effect immediately except for the bill that
reduces fees for Gold Star license plates, which takes effect Jan.
1.
[From
Sen. Bill Brady]
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