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Pritchard’s Perspective 3/4/13

Mar. 07 Gov Watch, Representative Robert Pritchard no comments

Observations and comments about state government by State Representative Robert W. Pritchard.

March 4, 2013

In this issue:

DCEO Acting Director Adam Pollet shows Rep.Pritchard areas of growth and job creation in Illinois economy.

· Political Games Plague Concealed Carry Debate

· Republican Caucus Refuses to Participate in Pension “Charade”

· Plan Unveiled to Foster Job Creation

· Prison Closures Lead to Overcrowding

· Committees Hear Ideas to Reduce College Costs

· Handheld Cell Phones Banned While Driving

· Committee Accepts Revenue Projection for FY14 Budget

· Director Provides Bright Side to Illinois Economy

Political Games Plague Concealed Carry Debate

Although two comprehensive concealed carry gun bills awaited action, the House spent nearly 8 hours last Tuesday debating amendments to a bill that would preclude the right to carry nearly everywhere. In my opinion, the amendments from Chicago legislators did nothing more than pay lip service to a recent federal court ruling directing Illinois to legalize concealed carry.

The amendments produced an incoherent jumble of conflicting and unclear restrictions that would have allowed concealed carry in name, but not in practice. In some cases, citizens could have been arrested just for having a weapon “near” a prohibited facility, with no definition of what was considered “near.” It was not a serious proposal; it was a publicity stunt.

In contrast, I joined with a bipartisan group of legislators in supporting House Bill 997, which legalizes concealed carry for trained, licensed, law-abiding citizens. It would put in place reasonable background checks and restrictions such as bans on carrying guns in airports, schools and courthouses. This legislation would respect the Constitutional rights set forth in the 2nd Amendment and reaffirmed by the recent federal court ruling.

Pritchard’s Perspective 2/25/13

Feb. 26 Gov Watch, Representative Robert Pritchard no comments

Observations and comments about state government by State Representative Robert W. Pritchard.

February 25, 2013

In this issue:

· Budget Balancing Grows More Challenging with Inaction

· Federal Government Approves Illinois Health Insurance Exchange

· Tantalizing Expansion of Medicaid Could be Costly

· Gun Control Hearings Reveal a Great Divide

· Thousands Lobby for Traditional Marriage

· Bipartisan Coalition Works to Regulate Fracking in Illinois

· Join me for Discussion over Coffee this Saturday

Budget Balancing Grows More Challenging with Inaction

Governors and legislatures are wise to be cautious about taking actions that could damage the economy. Inaction in Illinois, however, is having the same effect. As Governor Quinn prepares for his annual budget address on March 6, he will have to face the increased costs from his inaction–and that of his party–on implementing reforms in the FY2013 budget and passing pension reforms.

Information from the House Revenue and Finance Committee points to over $1 billion of increased costs in this budget year due to the failure of the Governor to implement reforms directed by the legislature. Add another $1 billion in projected spending due to the failure to pass pension reform.

The 30th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge

The comprehensive Medicaid reforms in the SMART Act provided a blueprint for the Governor to reduce spending by $1.6 billion this year. His failure to implement the plan will cause the state to spend over $400 million more than budgeted for Medicaid and $323 million more for the Community Care program. In addition his failure to reach a collective bargaining agreement with the state’s largest union will result in increased spending for health insurance.

Finally, failure to reform the pension system will force state payments to increase by $1 billion next year. Altogether, these actions will add $2 billion in budget pressure next year and force significant reductions in education, safety and other priorities.

Perhaps Governor Quinn should read the book The Coolidge Lesson on Taxes and Spending about how our 30th President cut spending, reduced debt after the First World War, stimulated economic activity and lowered taxes in the process.

Federal Government Approves Illinois Health Insurance Exchange

Illinois has received conditional approval from the federal government for a health insurance exchange partnership associated with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). With the federal approval in place, an estimated 500,000 Illinois citizens and owners of small businesses will be able to shop for federally-subsidized insurance beginning October 1.

Pritchard’s Perspective 2/11/13

Feb. 11 Gov Watch, Representative Robert Pritchard no comments

Observations and comments about state government by State Representative Robert W. Pritchard.

February 11, 2013

In this issue:

· Supplemental Budget Mushrooms

· Address Reflected a State of Mind

· Economic Recovery Continues to Lag

· Committee Hears Testimony on FY14 Revenue

· Governments Levy Hefty Taxes on Cell Phone Consumers

· Fund Sweeps Cause Medical Crisis

· Join me for coffee

Supplemental Budget Mushrooms

Anytime a supplemental budget is rushed through the legislature you can assume either the sponsor wants to prevent amendments for more spending or fears hidden spending will be revealed. Since what started out as a modest spending proposal in the millions of dollars had grown to $2.1 billion by the time of the vote last week, it’s obvious that the sponsor was not limiting spending growth.

I had been involved in negotiations about the supplemental budget into the weekend before the vote. Appropriation chairs from both parties had lots of questions about the amount of available revenue, the moving target over what spending authority was in and what was out of the bill, and the lack of spending details. Nevertheless, the Speaker drafted a bill over the weekend, ran it through committee quickly and then allowed several amendments which changed the bill just hours before the vote. The Senate also quickly passed the bill and the Governor signed the bill into law within hours.

HB190 was designed to fill some funding holes in the budget, and some of the bill’s allocations had merit. The legislation included $25 million to hire 140 more child abuse investigators for the Department of Children and Family Services, $12 million for mental health grants unintentionally cut in the budget last spring, $25 million for rental housing assistance, and $5 million toward a veterans’ home to be built in Chicago.

An additional $550 million was added for the state employee group health insurance program which was intentionally underfunded in the budget. Another big piece of the appropriation went for accelerating road projects on the five-year plan, using additional revenue, and reassigning projects.

The supplemental budget was woven with items that were not essential and seemed to be special member projects. The East St. Louis school district received $9 million so it could make payroll through the end of the year but the mismanaged district needs to be totally reorganized.

The vote on the issue sadly indicated that legislators were more interested in spending than on fiscal restraint and reforms.

Address Reflected a State of Mind

On the eve of the 2014 campaign for Governor I can empathize with Governor Quinn for wanting to paint a rosy picture in his annual State of the State address last week. However, his view of conditions in Illinois and the reality most people see was like a “Tale of Two States.”

For the sake of our citizens looking for bold leadership, I was hoping to hear a speech that focused on growing the Illinois economy, protecting the hard-working taxpayers and preserving services for our state’s most vulnerable citizens. He mentioned many initiatives the legislature has passed to improve education for our children, reduce the growth in Medicaid costs and increase opportunities for veterans so I wondered why his administration has been slow to implement them.

Everyone knows the state is broke, faces mountains of debt and is bleeding jobs so you’d think the Governor would have drawn from the ideas of President Franklin Roosevelt or Prime Minister Winston Churchill who united their nations in the depths of despair. The Governor had an opportunity to pull our state together, ask for common sacrifice, focus on a few strategies to recover and ignite hope for a better future.

Instead, the plan he outlined continued the drive off the fiscal cliff, recycled dead-end ideas, and further pushed jobs out of the state. His desire to increase the minimum wage came completely out of “left field.” Illinois’ current minimum wage is already significantly higher than the minimum wage in surrounding states and also higher than the minimum wage in California, New York, Florida and Michigan.

Pritchard’s Report 2/4/13

Feb. 05 Gov Watch, Representative Robert Pritchard no comments

Observations and comments about state government by State Representative Robert W. Pritchard.

February 4, 2013

In this issue:

· House Establishes Rules, Committees
· Visit My Website for Information and Assistanc
· Credit Rating Downgrade has Quick Impact
· Pension Crisis Must be Addressed
· Pressure Builds for Supplemental Budget to Restore Cuts
· Educational Leaders Encouraged to be Innovative with Budget Pressures

House Establishes Rules, Committees

With the start of each General Assembly, the chambers adopt rules that will govern their actions for the next two years, reorganize their committees and accept legislative bills from members. You can monitor the progress of bills as they are debated and acted upon by each chamber through the www.ilga.gov web site. The site allows you to search bills by legislative sponsor, topic or bill number. There are already over 1200 bills filed for consideration in the House.

Citizens have told me they hope the new legislature will deal with the critical issues facing our state—and of particular local interest—in a bipartisan and prompt manner. They are tired of the bickering and delays. My Republican colleagues sponsored House rules and procedures that would do that.

Rather than consider our bill, the Speaker and majority leader put forth a set of rules in House Resolution 34 that will erode individual representative rights and further consolidate power into the hands of House Speaker Mike Madigan.

The rules allow the Speaker to block any legislation from committee discussion for up to a year, or not allow even a majority of legislators to vote to bring legislation to the full House for action. HR34 also decreases the time to study amendments to bills before they are acted upon by committee or the full House. Often times amendments change the entire intent of legislation therefore allowing legislators time to study and hear from affected groups and citizens is critical for good laws.

Speaker Madigan also created 47 committees in the House that will consider legislation and set the number of members from each party who could serve on the committee. Because of the 71 to 47 composition of the House, the majority party most often has a 2 to 1 ratio of members on each committee.

I have been appointed to serve as Republican spokesman for State Government Administration and Appropriations for Elementary and Secondary Education. I also will serve on the Appropriation Committee and Policy Committee for Higher Education, Business Growth and Incentives, Public Safety: Police and Fire, Veterans’ Affairs.

Credit Rating Downgrade Has Quick Impact

Illinois now officially has the worst credit rating in the nation and it is impacting state and local units of government. The Quinn Administration which stopped efforts to borrow $500 million in short-term operating bonds last week, likely sensed a lack of interest from banks to lend the state money and a jump in interest costs following the downgrade.

Standard & Poor’s dropped the state’s rating from an “A” to an “A-minus” with a “negative outlook” on January 25. The rating puts Illinois six notches below the highest available rating of AAA, which is enjoyed by neighboring states Indiana and Missouri.

All three bond rating services sight the state’s failure to deal with its pension crisis as reason for the downgrade. In addition, the state has borrowed over $30 billion in bonds and has another $8.5 billion in unpaid bills for which it is paying 12 percent interest. State general revenue is only forecast to be $33.7 billion this year.

Such ratings mean Illinois—state and local units of government—will have to pay higher interest rates when it borrows money. There have been 11 credit downgrades since Governor Quinn took office.

The history of bond rating downgrades
Read more →

Pritchard’s Perspective January 2013

Jan. 14 Gov Watch, Representative Robert Pritchard no comments

Observations and comments about state government by State Representative Robert W. Pritchard.

News from the State House

January 14, 2013

In this issue:

· NIU Huskies Honored For Bowl Appearance
· Lame Duck Session Ends Quietly
· Pension Reform Stalls for Now
· Undocumented Residents May Get Drivers Licenses
· Bill Overturns Court Ruling on Commercial Mortgages
· Medicaid Expansion Bill Stumbles
· Other Bills Likely to be Reintroduced Would Raise Taxes and Fees

NIU Huskies Honored For Bowl Appearance

The Illinois House has passed a resolution and joined the State of Illinois in congratulating and celebrating the Northern Illinois University 2012 football program. The team’s efforts, which resulted in an appearance in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day, created treasured memories for students, alumni and fans across the state which will last a lifetime. In addition, the Bowl experience created positive national exposure for our state and NIU that too frequently only garner negative media attention.

It’s easy to focus on the negative and feel little is going right in our state but here is one of many examples of excellence, cooperation and hard work to achieve a goal. The legislature certainly needs the “Huskie spirit” as we begin a new legislative session and face many daunting issues.

Lame Duck Session Ends Quietly

Despite hopes that the final days of the 97th General Assembly might bring resolution to several critical social and fiscal issues, it ended on January 8 without floor debate or votes on them. Many expected the legislature, with so many members ending their service, would act on such controversial issues as pension reform, gambling expansion, same-sex marriage, legalizing medical marijuana and expanding Medicaid enrollment.

In addition, efforts to pass supplemental funding for such programs as mental health, human services, education and capital projects failed to garner enough support for action. The body seemed tired and responded to a lack of strong direction from legislative leaders.

As if to defend the productivity of the 97th General Assembly, Speaker Madigan recalled major legislation that did pass in the last two years during his inauguration speech to the House. He recalled the budget appropriation that was balanced for the second year in a row, workman compensation changes intended to lower costs to employers and major Medicaid reforms intended to reduce spending. However, many of those reforms are yet to be implemented by the agencies.

Pension Reform Stalls Again

While a bill to reform the state’s pension systems passed out of a House committee, it did not have enough legislative support to be called for a vote. The negotiations for reform still exclude representatives for employees and retirees whose support will be necessary for passage of any bill.

Sosnowski Report: Illinois New Laws

Jan. 04 Gov Watch, Representative Joe Sosnowski, State 1 comment

News from Joe Sosnowski, Illinois State Representative, 69th District

I hope this New Year finds you well. January 1st marked the beginning of a new calendar year and it’s also the day more than 150 new laws took effect in Illinois. Many of the changes are relatively small and technical in nature but others will impact local veterans, motorists and families. Below are a few I think you should know about.

Veteran Designation
To ease the transition process for our returning veterans, the State of Illinois will allow a veteran to request his or her veteran status to be printed on their driver’s license. This identification will help cut through red tape and ensure that any benefits that the soldier earned will be easily accessible. (S.B.2837/P.A. 97-0739).

Social Media Right to Privacy
Illinois becomes the third state to enact a law addressing social media privacy by making it illegal for an employer to request a password or other account information in order to access an employee or prospective employee’s social networking site, like Facebook. (H.B. 3782/P.A. 97-0875).

Julie’s Law
Motorist caught for excessive speeding will no longer be able to receive a sentence of “supervision,” and will face increased penalties. The law addresses motorists who are pulled over for driving more than 25 mph over the speed limit in urban areas and more than 30 mph over on highways. The legislation is named after Julie Ann Gorvzynski whose life was taken away by a reckless driver who was going 76 mph in a 40 mph zone just days before her high school graduation. Previously, the courts could give a sentence of supervision for cases where motorists are cited for driving up to 39 mph over posted speed limits on highways. (S.B. 2888/P.A. 97-0831).

Pritchard’s Perspective

Dec. 10 Gov Watch, Representative Robert Pritchard no comments

Observations and comments about state government by
State Representative Robert W. Pritchard.
December 10, 2012

In this Issue:

· New Pension Plan Emerges

· Budget Override Refused

· Younger Children to be Made Aware of Sexual Abuse

· NIU Huskies Making History

· Equalization Grants Ease Financial Pressure on Colleges

· Quinn’s Assault on Weapons Stopped

· Improving Economy Threatened by Tax Increases

· Come to the Inauguration

Just as the state bird—our cardinal—brings joy to a dreary winter day, my staff Jesse, Shelley, Joyce and I wish this holiday season will provide you with hope, joy and peace. We have appreciated the privilege to represent DeKalb, Ogle and LaSalle Counties for the past nine years and regret losing some of this area in the new district. On behalf of my communication specialist Terry Horstman, I hope the Pritchard Perspective Newsletter has been of assistance to keeping you informed about issues in state government.

The 97th General Assembly returns to Springfield on January 3rd for six more days of session where any number of difficult and controversial issues may be addressed. The Veto Session this month left unresolved pending legislation on such issues as state pension reform, temporary driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants, legalization of medical marijuana and expansion of gaming. Moving into a new year, fewer votes will be needed to pass such legislation in January.

Pritchards Perspective

Oct. 01 Representative Robert Pritchard no comments

Observations and comments about state government by State Representative Robert W. Pritchard. October 1, 2012:

In this issue:

· Amendment Will Affect Pension Enhancements

· Chicago Teacher Settlement Likely to Affect Everyone

· Legislature to Consider Governor’s Vetoes

· Elgin Community College Alliance Shows Progress

· New Learning Exchanges Prepare Students for Workforce

· Veterans Advisory Council Offers Ideas

Amendment Will Affect Pension Enhancements

On the ballot at this election is a constitutional amendment making it more difficult to enhance public pensions. The question on the ballot asks whether a three-fifths vote should be required when state or local units of government want to increase employee retirement plans.

In addition, the proposal asks whether the Constitution should require a two-thirds vote for lawmakers to override a governor’s veto or accept a governor’s changes to pension legislation. Currently, it takes a three-fifths vote to override an outright veto and only a simple majority to accept a governor’s changes.

The Secretary of State has published an explanation of the amendment including points for and against the question. I have posted the explanation and ballot question on my website (www.pritchardstaterep.com).

Among the objections are that employees will not be able to collectively bargain for pension enhancements. Proponents, argue that pension benefits have been easily enhanced over the years without proper funding for the benefit. The higher vote will also require a broader level of support of the governing board. If enacted, the amendment will affect not only the state legislature but also school districts, municipalities and counties.

September Pritchard’s Perspective

Sep. 05 Representative Robert Pritchard no comments

Observations and comments about state government by State Representative Robert W. Pritchard.

News from the State House

September 5, 2012
In this Issue:
· State Credit Rating Downgraded Again
· Pension Solutions Abound
· Gaming Legislation Veto is No Surprise
· Law Explains Driver’s Medical Condition
· Tax Tribunal to Fairly Resolve Disputes
· State Wants to Buy from Small Businesses
· Engaging Students in STEM Careers
· Lehan Drugs Selected Retailer of the Year

Legislative Initiatives Become Law

Jul. 16 Representative Robert Pritchard no comments

Representative Pritchard reviews some of the legislation that passed the General Assembly this spring that may be of interest to you. Further details about each new law can be found at the legislative website www.ilga.gov under the bill number. Following are new laws pertaining to Agriculture, Firefighters, Funeral Directors, Municipalities, Professional Counseling and Real Estate.

Agriculture
· C-FAR Reorganization – HB4447 provides that appropriations, grants and donations for food and agricultural research will be kept in a special fund at the Department of Agriculture. The Council for Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR) will make awards to public and non-public institutions of higher education and issue an annual report on how those funds were used.
· Slow Moving Vehicle Emblems – The triangular slow-moving vehicle (SMV) emblems may only be displayed on farm tractors, implements of husbandry, special mobile equipment, and animal drawn vehicles. HB4598 increases the fine for improperly displaying the SMV emblem to $75 for the first offense.
· Nuisance Permits – HB5115 allows the Department of Natural Resources to issue nuisance permits for wildlife that damage cattle pastures.
· Nutrient Research and Education Council (NREC) – HB5539 increases fertilizer fees, creates the NREC, and directs it to use the fees to establish and implement nutrient research, education and water quality projects.
· National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) – HB5642 establishes a fee for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) so the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency can meet current requirements under the federal Clean Water Act.
· Convention Center Rates (HB5893) – Encourages the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to help negotiate lower rates for farmers’ markets when they are held indoors rather than the usual outdoor location due to bad weather conditions.
· Livestock Trailers – SB2579 excludes trailers hauling livestock from road regulations regarding the maximum length of trailers.

Senate Reluctantly Passes Budget – Pension Reform Delayed

Jun. 04 Representative Robert Pritchard no comments

Observations and comments about state government by State Representative Robert W. Pritchard.

June 1, 2012

In this Issue:
· Senate Reluctantly Passes Budget
· Pension Reform Delayed
· Voters to Decide on Pension Sweeteners
· Park Sustainability Fee Stalls
· New Prison Release Program Approved
· Efforts to Control Fracking Delayed
· Enhancement to Enterprise Zones Passes
· Website Alerts When to Lower Flag

The spring session of the 97th General Assembly ended on May 31 as scheduled with the passage of the House budget, gaming expansion, and a number of pro- and anti-business measures. Everyone seemed ready to adjourn for the summer even though several issues including pension reformed went unresolved. I’ll provide a review of the major issues addressed by this legislature in the next issue of the Perspective.

Senator Christine Johnson Votes on Medicaid Reform Package

May. 31 Senator Christine Johnson 1 comment

After months of negotiations, the General Assembly advanced a massive Medicaid reform package this week. State Senator Christine Johnson (R-Shabbona) said the biggest win for the citizens of Illinois was the passing of Senate Bill 3397 – the Section 25 Reform that will tear up the Governor’s Medicaid “credit card” by changing the state law that has allowed administrations to buy Medicaid services in one fiscal year, but not pay for those services until the next fiscal year.

The program, which provides health care to 2.7 million Illinois residents in need, will end this current fiscal year (though June 30) with $1.9 billion in unpaid bills, according to Governor Quinn’s Office.

“The Illinois Medicaid system is literally on the brink of collapse. Without this fundamental restructuring of the program, the Civic Federation estimated we could have $21 billion in unpaid Medicaid bills by 2017,” said Sen. Johnson.