 After months of working to
find agreement on possible reforms to
Illinois' workers' compensation system, southern Illinois state Rep
John Bradley, D-Marion, said he's scrapping the cooperative
approach."The workers' comp system in Illinois broken," he said.
"It's my belief that it's gotten to a point where the best thing to
do is just abolish it and send the cases back to circuit court."
Bradley's frustration was obvious at a Wednesday hearing in
Springfield when he broke the news that it is his intention to start
over with workers' comp.
"If at some point in the future we want to revisit, start a
workers' comp commission, fine. But we can start from scratch," he
said.
Workers' comp has become a focus for a number of groups at the
Illinois Capitol this spring. The costs, which rank Illinois among
the most expensive states for workers' comp, are blamed in part for
the state's "bad for business" reputation.
Bradley had been trying to negotiate between labor unions,
doctors and hospitals, insurance companies, trial lawyers, and
business groups. The different groups all want something different,
or they don't want many changes at all.
Bradley said he's had enough.
"Let's get rid of the system that we know isn't working. Let’s
try something new. ... Let's make a stand together as legislators
and say enough is enough," he said.
But enough may be too much for the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.
One of the state's largest business groups, the group said they want
changes to workers' comp, but not creating an entirely new system,
or having no system at all, said Jay Shattuck with the chamber.
"I would certainly agree that the workers' comp system is
broken," Shattuck said. "Now throwing out the structure without
(having) what we think is an adequate structure is not a solution
either."
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Bradley's burn-it-down strategy may be a sign of frustration, or it
may be a move to get recalcitrant Republicans toward an agreement.
It may be working as well. Metro East freshman Dwight Kay, R-Glenn
Carbon, said he's all for a bold plan but isn't sure if Bradley's
plan is the one.
"This system, as I see it, can be fixed," Kay said, "if we had
the political will and the determination, and frankly just the guts
to stand up and do it."
Gov. Pat Quinn, who has had to jump on the workers' comp reform
bandwagon after getting scolded for the state's business climate
recently, said he's not 100 percent behind Bradley's plan.
"We appreciate Rep. Bradley's active and constructive engagement
on this complex issue. Gov. Quinn has made workers' compensation
reform a priority and has taken the lead on this issue," said
spokeswoman Brie Callahan. "The governor has offered a proposal that
will bring meaningful reform, and we continue to work to achieve
workers’ compensation reform this session."
Bradley's proposal is headed for a vote in the Illinois House.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By BENJAMIN YOUNT]
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