Observations and comments about state government by State Representative Robert W. Pritchard.
As we close the first half of the 97th General Assembly and 2011, many ask what was accomplished. The most significant action for me after a decade of fiscal mismanagement was passing a balanced budget. We set a conservative revenue number and reduced spending to that level. Second, representatives for the first time in 20 years went line-by-line through the budget setting priorities in a bipartisan spirit. While far from perfect, this budget was the first in many years that contained no borrowing and showed real reductions in overall spending.
Next on my list of accomplishments were education reforms. The Performance Counts Act focuses on reforming teacher hiring and firing practices to consider teacher evaluations. The legislation also creates a process for making labor negotiations public before a strike can be called. Another significant bill was the Performance Funding Act for higher education. State resources will be allocated for colleges and universities based in part on meeting state goals and student success.
Then there was worker compensation reform. Though not all that I feel is necessary, these changes will cut fraud and abuse, and lower insurance premiums for employers by an estimated $700 million. Number six on my list was unemployment insurance restructuring that will save employers $400 million and settle a $2 billion state obligation to the federal government. There was also legislation to modernize our electric grid system, reduce power outages and provide consumers with information to reduce their electric costs.
Eighth on my list was gambling expansion that failed. After a session-long effort to build a delicate coalition for expansion and use of the proceeds, the Governor entered the picture and broke the agreement. Another piece of failed legislation was pension reform. I am hopeful discussions now underway will produce legislation to lower our pension payments with input from all parties. The system must be reformed if it is to continue and provide retirement benefits.
Finally the change in state employee health insurance providers was blocked. The administration was prepared to change insurance providers that would have forced employees and retirees in this area to change care providers and significantly increase their costs.
While this year saw more serious dialogue and bipartisan efforts to address reform in Illinois than in the last decade, next year will truly tell us if sustained progress can be made. Our legislature must resolve itself, in this New Year, to build on its progress to help rescue our state before it drowns in its own debts.
District Office 815-748-3494 or E-Mail to bob@pritchardstaterep.com
Click Here To Submit A News Tip Or Story