Bomke: Senate votes unanimously to support teachers' insurance fund           

[NOV. 4, 2005]  SPRINGFIELD -- On Wednesday, the Illinois Senate demonstrated its support for the state's retired teachers by unanimously voting to override an amendatory veto that would have allowed Gov. Blagojevich to drain additional revenue from the Illinois Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund to fund the state's day-to-day operating expenses.

State Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, explained that the legislation, House Bill 3272, will add the Teachers Health Insurance Security Fund to the list of funds from which the governor is prohibited from authorizing money to be withdrawn. Bomke said that the bill was introduced to protect the fund from future sweeps, in response to a $4.5 million plunder of the fund that the governor authorized in 2004.

"Obviously everyone from the Teachers Health Insurance Fund is breathing a sigh of relief," Bomke said. "Not only would the governor's amendatory veto have allowed him to siphon money from the Teachers Health Insurance Fund, but he would have had access to every state fund not protected by law. In essence, the governor's amendments significantly altered the fundamental purpose of the legislation and put all Illinois funds in jeopardy. I commend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for voting in support of Illinois' retired educators." 

Bomke said that overriding the veto was particularly important, citing information from Jim Bachman, executive director of the Illinois Retired Teachers Association, who had been recently informed by the governor's office of plans to sweep an additional $1.3 million out of the Teachers Health Insurance Security Fund if the Legislature upheld the governor's proposed changes.

[News release from Sen. Larry Bomke]