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From Sen. Bill Brady

[OCT. 25, 2005] 

Protecting teachers' insurance fund

One of the issues lawmakers will be asked to consider in the upcoming veto session is a move by Gov. Blagojevich to siphon additional revenue from the Illinois Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund to help pay the state's day-to-day bills.

During the spring, lawmakers passed House Bill 3272 to prohibit the governor from raiding money from the health insurance fund. The governor already took $4.5 million from the fund in 2004, so the General Assembly voted unanimously this spring to protect the fund from future sweeps.

In August, the governor amendatorily vetoed House Bill 3272 -- not only allowing himself to raid the insurance fund, but giving himself authority to sweep additional revenues from any state fund not currently protected by law.

Jim Bachman, executive director of the Illinois Retired Teachers Association, says that overriding the amendatory veto is crucial. According to Bachman, the governor's office has informed the association of plans to take an additional $1.3 million from the fund unless the legislature blocks the governor's changes to House Bill 3272.

I intend to vote against the governor's amendatory veto, and I urge my legislative colleagues to do the same.

The Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund is where the four funding sources for the Teachers' Retirement Insurance Program are deposited. The Teachers' Retirement Insurance Program is the health insurance plan for retired educators in Illinois. The program is already facing financial difficulties and cannot afford to have additional revenues funneled out of the system.

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Blagojevich borrowing close to level of prior 20 years

Another issue sure to be acted on during veto session is Comptroller Dan Hynes' request for a $1.1 billion short-term loan to pay Medicaid vendors who have been waiting many months for the state to pay its bills.

The public has every right to know why there is a need for such a huge loan just a few months into the new fiscal year. Was the budget balanced or wasn't it?

Even more alarming is the fact that if the $1.1 billion loan is approved, Blagojevich will have compiled $4.2 billion in short-term loans in less than three years. In the 20 years prior to Blagojevich taking office, the state of Illinois had a grand total of $5 billion in short-term loans.

Welcome, Sen. Axley

Welcome to new Sen. Cheryl Axley. The Mount Prospect attorney replaces Sen. Dave Sullivan of Park Ridge, who has retired from the northwest suburban district he had served for the last five years.

Axley was chosen by her fellow Republican township committeemen. She has been Elk Grove Township's clerk since 1991 and its GOP committeeman since 2002.

[From Sen. Bill Brady]

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