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Senators meet Feb. 9 deadline for introducing legislation
Senators worked last week to meet a Feb. 9 deadline for submitting
legislative proposals, including initiatives that would end state
contract abuses, reform the state budget process, promote health
care technology and enact pension reforms.
Among the budget reforms is a bill known as the "Seven Days of
Sunshine" proposal, which would prohibit any state budget measure
from being passed until the public had been given at least seven
days to review the final plan. This would give the public and the
media more time to review controversial proposals, and weigh in on
their merits, before they are called for a vote.
Lawmakers also submitted a plan to move Illinois toward more
long-term budget planning by requiring the governor to submit a
five-year budget outlook along with an annual budget. Also
introduced was a plan that would make it more difficult to hide the
actual cost of programs by pushing annual expenditures over into the
next budget year.
Senators also introduced a health care package that includes
Medicaid reform and premium assistance for low-income workers, and a
resolution calling on the Department of Healthcare and Family
Services and the Department of Human Services to provide better
prenatal care to expectant mothers on Medicaid by coordinating their
current technology.
Education reform and funding legislation, property tax reform,
and economic development initiatives are also among the measures set
to be considered. Legislation was also submitted to reform the
state's pension system. Some legislators called on the governor to
take a more active role in finding a solution to the state's rising
utility rates.
More "state of state" meetings scheduled
I will be traveling to communities around the 44th District in
the coming weeks for a series of "state of the state" meetings to
address challenges facing Illinois.
Upcoming meetings are set for:
McLean County -- Feb. 21, 7 a.m., at the Interstate Center,
2301 West Market St. in Bloomington. The meeting will be hosted by
the McLean County Farm Bureau. Reservations and payment are
requested prior to the breakfast and can be made by contacting the
McLean County Farm Bureau at 309-663-6497. The cost of the breakfast
is $10.
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 DeWitt County -- Feb. 22, 7:30 a.m., at the Clinton Country
Club, Route 51 South in Clinton. The meeting will be co-hosted by
the Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce and the DeWitt County Farm
Bureau. Reservations are needed and can be made by contacting either
Steve Vandiver at Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce, 217-935-3364, or
Ken Bjelland at DeWitt County Farm Bureau, 217-935-2126. The cost of
the breakfast is $12 per person and can be paid at the door.
Christian County -- March 1, 8 a.m., in the auditorium of St.
Vincent Memorial Hospital, 201 E. Pleasant St. in Taylorville. The
meeting will be hosted by the Christian County Farm Bureau.
Reservations are needed and can be made by contacting the Christian
County Farm Bureau at 217-824-2940. The cost of the breakfast is $6
per person and can be paid at the door.
Tazewell County -- An overflow crowd at the Kelly Avenue
Grill in Pekin on Jan. 19 during my first "state of the state"
presentation shared their concerns about the future of our state.
More than 145 people attended the luncheon meeting, which was
co-hosted by the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce and the Tazewell
County Farm Bureau. We unfortunately had to turn some attendees away
because we ran out of room, but it was exciting to see that so many
people are concerned about the direction state government is headed.
Medicaid, health care and pensions all are putting increasing
pressure on the state budget and our tax dollars -- so much so that
a group recently calculated that the state faces a whopping $106
billion in unfunded commitments. That debt amounts to $8,800 for
every man, woman and child in Illinois, and the problem is going to
get worse if we don't start finding the answers today and demanding
greater fiscal responsibility from all state officials.
The current administration has implemented sweeping new programs
with questionable, if any, revenue sources. Illinois needs to find
long-term, common-sense solutions to our budget challenges, and
Illinois needs to stop spending money it doesn't really have. I want
the citizens of the 44th District to understand the serious
challenges facing Illinois today, and I also want to hear the ideas
people have for giving Illinois a more secure financial foundation
and more promising future.
(Text from file received from
Sen. Bill Brady)
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