 Area lawmakers will review effects of governor's budget cuts
Area lawmakers will meet on Wednesday and Thursday at two regional
budget hearings to discuss the effects of the governor's budget
veto.
The first meeting will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Decatur
Civic Center, in the city council chambers. The second meeting will
be at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Pekin Public Library, in the Community
Room.
The focus of the discussion will be on the governor's politically
motivated budget cuts -- $463 million from a state budget that was
passed with bipartisan support. The funds were to go to schools,
road improvements, nursing homes and hospitals.
The governor is attempting to use the money to create a universal
health care program, which has not been approved by lawmakers and
will eventually cost the state more than $2 billion when fully
implemented. Interestingly enough, the governor does not think he
needs legislative approval and is trying to implement his universal
health care program through other means. However to do that, he
would need the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. In a rather
blatant attempt to curry favor, the governor did not cut funding for
projects in the districts of lawmakers who serve on the JCAR.
Sen. Brady receives civil justice honor
The Illinois Civil Justice League has released its midsession
scorecard tracking state lawmakers' voting records on civil justice
issues. The league has honored me as a "Friend of Fairness" -- one
of just 10 Illinois senators so honored.
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 "It is important that Illinois voters know where their
legislators stand on issues relating to the reform of our state's
troubled legal system," said Edward Murnane, president of the
league. "For too long, the personal injury trial lawyers have held
too much clout in Springfield, advancing their stealth agenda of
increasing their profits at the expense of hardworking Illinois
citizens. This scorecard enables the average voter to know if his or
her legislator stands with them -- or with the trial lawyers."
Established in 1992, the Illinois
Civil Justice League is a coalition of Illinois citizens, small
and large businesses, associations, professional societies,
not-for-profit organizations, and local governments that have joined
together to work for fairness in the Illinois civil justice system.
The legislative session that will not end
The House of Representatives returned to the state Capitol Sept.
4 to consider a plan to restructure and steer additional funding to
Chicago and suburban mass transit.
The measure, which included a local sales tax hike, failed to
receive enough votes in that chamber, and a parliamentary maneuver
was used to keep it alive for a possible future vote. Mass transit
agencies say they are poised to make significant cuts in service and
eliminate transit routes if new funding sources are not approved by
the General Assembly.
The Senate has scheduled a similar session for Monday and
Tuesday, when mass transit and a possible infrastructure plan to
improve roads and bridges could be debated.
[Text from file received from
Sen.
Bill Brady] |
