44th District update         

From Sen. Bill Brady

[JAN. 31, 2006]  The following is a weekly column provided by state Sen. Bill Brady, District 44:

Program skirts legislature, immigration laws

Gov. Blagojevich has once again skirted the legislative process and is flouting federal immigration laws by creating a program that provides special loan assistance to illegal immigrants.

Created without legislative approval, the Opportunity I-Loan program allows the state to guarantee below-market-rate loans for people who have no Social Security number, no bank account, and little or no credit history.

The money to fund the program comes from a lump-sum appropriation in the state's current budget to the Illinois Housing Development Authority. The agency will partner with local banks that will provide the loans to the consumers. Because the loans are backed by the state housing agency, the state will be required to pay off the balance on defaulted loans.

I support immigration reforms that help those who have been living and working here to earn legal status, but the government should not be creating special programs for immigrants who are here illegally. I have introduced legislation, Senate Bill 2234, to prohibit the Illinois Housing Development Authority from creating or participating in such programs. Citizens who support my legislation should contact the governor's office at 207 State House, Springfield, IL 62706; [phone].

Free tax assistance available for income-eligible citizens

The Center for Economic Progress is offering free tax preparation services for income-eligible citizens through April 15.

The Tax Counseling Project is one of the nation's largest community-based programs, providing free tax preparation and tax counseling for families with incomes less than $38,000 and individuals with incomes less than $15,000. Last year, the project prepared more than 25,000 federal income tax returns across Illinois, resulting in more than $35 million in federal refunds to working families and individuals.

Participants are asked to bring the following: all W-2s and 1099s, Social Security cards or individual taxpayer identification numbers for all family members, a copy of 2004 tax return, bank account number and routing number, and a valid picture ID.

The tax preparation services are being offered at the following locations:

Bloomington

• Bloomington Housing Authority
  104 E. Wood St.
  Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
  Saturdays, 10 a.m.-noon

• Miller Park Pavilion
  1020 South Morris Ave.
  Mondays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Normal

• Seniors Program Community Activity Center
  1 Normal Plaza (1110 Douglas)
  Fridays, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
  By appointment only.

• Normal Public Library
  206 W. College Ave.
  Mondays, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

For other locations or more information about the program, visit www.centerforprogress.org or call [phone] or TTY [phone].

Lack of support for capital plan generates other road proposal

The governor's plan to fund capital projects through more bond sales and legalized keno gambling is lacking in support from both Democrats and Republicans. The attorney general has also ruled that the governor cannot expand keno without legislative approval.

In the event a statewide plan is not passed, Sen. Dave Syverson of Rockford is proposing the Transportation Fast Growth Grant program. The plan would use the increase in sales tax receipts generated by high gas prices over the last several years to fund a grant program that would distribute transportation funding to Illinois counties experiencing the most significant population growth.

Patterned after the formula used for the Fast-Growth Grants for school districts, this program would allow the county highway departments to proceed on congestion mitigation projects in eight counties in Illinois, permitting projects such as adding lanes, improving intersections and constructing new roads, or for projects designed to enhance business development.

The program is necessary because rapid population growth in these counties, coupled with the governor's continued practice of diverting road funds for spending on non-road-construction purposes, has resulted in worsened traffic congestion problems, with barely enough funds to maintain the existing road infrastructure, let alone expand the road system to relieve new traffic congestion.

[Column from Sen. Bill Brady]