 "Years of partisan infighting have brought the legislative process
to a veritable standstill, which means the new General Assembly has
a lot of work to do to find answers to the many problems facing
Illinois," said Brady, who was sworn in to a new term Jan. 14. "One
of our first responsibilities will be the impeachment trial of Gov.
Rod Blagojevich. When that issue has been resolved, we have an
opportunity to forge a new path for our state."The 44th District
senator said Illinois faces a number of tough challenges, which are
the result of years of state government gridlock and the resulting
neglect.
"We have battled for six years to keep our state on course in a
rudderless ship. We have a lot of ground to cover, a lot of wrongs
to right, a lot of cleaning up to do," Brady said. "We need to
straighten out the terrible financial mess created by six years of
the 'borrow-and-spend' abuses by the Blagojevich administration. Our
state's business climate has been under constant siege by this
governor, and we need to restore the confidence of employers who
provide jobs for our citizens. Without a strong economic base, the
future of our state is shaky at best."
The 44th District senator is analyzing several key issues that
affect Illinois citizens -- workers' compensation, medical
malpractice, charter schools, taxes and tax structure, pension
systems, immigration, and legislative redistricting -- in
preparation for drafting the kind of common-sense laws that will
help the families of Illinois.
The senator is also working on specific bills, based on
recommendations by state agencies or by citizens.
One bill would encourage the implementation of ImPACT, a
concussion management program that would provide more information
for students who suffer concussions as a result of school athletic
activities.
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Another bill, suggested by a constituent, would allow individuals
ages 18-21 to get a FOID card without parental consent.
Another measure would clarify conflict-of-interest guidelines
about secondary employment by state employees, as part of greater
ethics reforms.
Brady also noted that because of the nature of charges pending
against the governor, many of the decisions made by his
administration should be re-examined -- including the closure of
Illinois' parks and historic sites, the proposed closure of the
Pontiac Correctional Facility, and the proposed move of the Illinois
Department of Transportation's traffic safety division from
Springfield to Harrisburg.
"These proposals have been heavily criticized, and the
administration has failed to offer any convincing evidence that the
decisions were made for sound public policy reasons," Brady said.
"We protested his reasoning when these decisions were made, and we
think they need a second and even a third look."
[Text from file sent on behalf
of
Sen.
Bill Brady by
Illinois Senate Republican staff]
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