Budget – FY16
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Despite deadline, Democrats again
refuse to pass balanced budget for FY16. The Illinois Constitution requires that the State annually pass a balanced budget in which
revenues match mandated expenditures.
One way that Speaker Madigan has been Speaker for 32 of the past 34
years is by passing a series of unbalanced budgets, which have all spent money
the State has not had. He has curried
favor with powerful interests and forced Republicans to be the villains
whenever steps are taken to prevent the spending of imaginary money.
Strong rumors circulated on Friday, May 22 that
Democrats were preparing another unbalanced budget for FY16, the fiscal year
starting July 1, 2015. This budget may
get filed in the week starting Memorial Day, May 25. This phony budget is expected to commit $4
billion that Illinois does not possess to the Democrats’ spending
priorities. Governor Bruce Rauner has
proposed a different budget for Illinois and has strengthened his calls for the
State’s government to live within its means.
General Assembly – Term Limits
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Many House Republicans push for term
limits. Having only spent four months on the job, the
large class of House Republican freshmen came together in the Capitol Wednesday
to express their disgust with the partisan political atmosphere that has
engulfed Springfield. The message they came to deliver is there is no
better time than now to call for term limits in Springfield.
“I don’t believe there’s a single one of us who truly understood the high barriers towards reform that have been erected by the entrenched leadership here in Springfield,” stated Steve Andersson (R, Geneva). “The time is now to discuss this issue, while we are amidst this gridlock.”
An initiative to put a binding term limits referendum on the 2014 General Election ballot was denied by a three-judge Illinois Appellate Court last August, leaving legislative action as the best alternative. With three separate joint constitutional amendments filed, House Republicans point to the onset of gridlock so early into the new Governor’s first term along with the increasingly draconian House rules as evidence that term limits need immediate consideration.
“Status quo is rampant in the state of Illinois. For too long now Illinois has suffered at the hands of entrenched politicians stifling new ideas and solutions,” said Representative Christine Winger (R-Wood Dale). “Let the voters decide whether term limits are a good idea for Illinois.”
House Republicans have three separate constitutional amendments filed aimed at imposing term limits in Illinois: HJRCA1 filed by Rep. Ron Sandack (R, Downers Grove), HJRCA 10 filed by Rep. Joe Sosnowski (R, Rockford) and HJRCA 28 filed by Rep. Steve Andersson (R, Geneva); all seek to put on the ballot limits on legislative terms to varying degrees. It is expected the Governor’s own proposal will be filed soon.
“We all need to work together on solutions that put Illinois back onto a path toward prosperity, and that path must include reforms to how we do business here. One of those key reforms must be the implementation of term limits for members of the General Assembly,” added Representative Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield).
“I don’t believe there’s a single one of us who truly understood the high barriers towards reform that have been erected by the entrenched leadership here in Springfield,” stated Steve Andersson (R, Geneva). “The time is now to discuss this issue, while we are amidst this gridlock.”
An initiative to put a binding term limits referendum on the 2014 General Election ballot was denied by a three-judge Illinois Appellate Court last August, leaving legislative action as the best alternative. With three separate joint constitutional amendments filed, House Republicans point to the onset of gridlock so early into the new Governor’s first term along with the increasingly draconian House rules as evidence that term limits need immediate consideration.
“Status quo is rampant in the state of Illinois. For too long now Illinois has suffered at the hands of entrenched politicians stifling new ideas and solutions,” said Representative Christine Winger (R-Wood Dale). “Let the voters decide whether term limits are a good idea for Illinois.”
House Republicans have three separate constitutional amendments filed aimed at imposing term limits in Illinois: HJRCA1 filed by Rep. Ron Sandack (R, Downers Grove), HJRCA 10 filed by Rep. Joe Sosnowski (R, Rockford) and HJRCA 28 filed by Rep. Steve Andersson (R, Geneva); all seek to put on the ballot limits on legislative terms to varying degrees. It is expected the Governor’s own proposal will be filed soon.
“We all need to work together on solutions that put Illinois back onto a path toward prosperity, and that path must include reforms to how we do business here. One of those key reforms must be the implementation of term limits for members of the General Assembly,” added Representative Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield).
Taxes – Income Tax Hike
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Democrats back proposal to raise
income taxes by $1 billion/year. HJRCA 26, sponsored by Speaker Michael Madigan
and 46 of his Democratic House colleagues, failed to win the required House
super-majority vote on Thursday. As a constitutional amendment, the failed
measure required a three-fifths majority (71 votes) in order to gain House
approval. After getting to 68 votes in a tense roll call (with three Democrats
voting “No”), the Speaker ordered the roll call to be dumped and the measure
placed on the calendar order of “Consideration Postponed.”
HJRCA 26 would have imposed a separate, supplemental 3% surtax
upon Illinois incomes exceeding $1 million/year. The trigger number for this
surtax would not have been indexed to inflation. The issue was also voted on in
November 2014 by Illinois voters in the HB 3816 advisory referendum.
Governor Rauner and the House Republicans have committed to
cutting waste and reforming state government before we begin any discussion of
new revenue. Illinois now has a balance of power between those whose first
instinct is to raise taxes and those who believe the path to good-paying jobs
is through growing small business, not attacking it.
Speaker Madigan’s tax hike proposal isn’t new. It is the same
cynical attempt to create class warfare as was proposed last year, when Illinois Democrats
were similarly and instinctively demanding higher taxes.
The last tax hike forced upon working families by former Governor
Quinn and legislative Democrats was supposed to balance the budget and pay off
old bills. That didn’t happen. In 2011, when the temporary income tax increase
went into effect, Illinois had an $8.5 billion backlog of unpaid bills. After
collecting $31 billion in additional revenue, Illinois still has $6 billion in
unpaid bills.
Illinois needs comprehensive reform that fundamentally changes the
way we do business. We need honest negotiations between Governor Rauner and the
General Assembly on how to clean up the fiscal mess, and any discussion of new
revenue should come after reform, not before.
Workers’ Compensation
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Illinois fails to take action to catch
up to neighboring states. Sham workers’ compensation language was
presented by the Democrat majority to the Illinois House on Friday, May
22. The language was broken up into four
separate amendments to HB 1287 to give House Democrats the chance to
cast multiple votes against the proposals.
Workers’ compensation reform is strongly opposed by organized labor,
trial lawyers and other powerful special interests.
Governor Rauner and the House Republicans continue to support real
workers’ compensation reform as part of an overall agenda to turn around
Illinois. To that end, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin filed HB 4223 on Friday, which contains Governor
Rauner’s workers’ compensation reform proposals: a higher causation standard;
AMA guidelines; fee schedule reduction; and Illinois Workers’ Compensation
Commission reforms.
Memorial Day
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Memorial Day to be observed throughout
Illinois. The day of remembrance for those who have
served our country, especially those who have fallen in its service, will be
observed on Monday, May 25. Memorial Day
was raised from informal, local day of observance to national holiday through
the effort of native Illinoisan General John A. Logan, a
veteran of the Civil War and head of the Grand Army of the Republic.
Due to the significant workload facing the General Assembly before
its scheduled May 31st adjournment, the Illinois House of
Representatives will reconvene and resume its work on Monday.
Week in Review
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