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.
Chicago Teacher Settlement Likely to Affect Everyone
You don’t have to live in Illinois long to know that decisions made in Chicago will somehow affect the rest of the state. The Chicago Public School labor settlement with its teachers is no exception. Legislators, undoubtedly, are already preparing for a financial bailout for the school district, weakening of teacher assessments and delay in adopting the new standards for what a student should know at each grade level.
In recent years, Illinois has worked collaboratively to develop a broad and coordinated plan to improve student outcomes. Among the new laws are more objective teacher assessments which include student growth, principal preparation, common standards for student learning and coordination of instruction from early childhood to college. For the sake of our students, Illinois cannot afford to vary from the educational reform track upon which we have embarked.
At present, fewer than 3 of every 4 high school freshmen in Illinois can expect to complete high school. Just 1 in 4 will complete any level of postsecondary training. All outcomes drop significantly for minorities and students in the Chicago school system.
School districts across the state have worked to balance their budgets and should not be expected to receive less state dollars because Chicago public schools need more. All schools need the tools and engagement of parents, school staff, board members, civic leaders and business partners. I will continue to work to see that our educational investment and student outcomes remain among the highest priorities for our state.
This and other current education topics will be on the agenda for my Educational Advisory Council as it meets next week. Contact my office if you would like to join in the discussion.
Legislature to Consider Governor’s Vetoes
When the General Assembly returns to Springfield in November it will consider the Governor’s vetoes of a number of pieces of legislation. The legislature can vote to overturn the veto so the bill as passed becomes law, vote to sustain any changes the Governor made in his veto, or take no action which means the bill dies.
I encourage you to consider the Governor’s actions and share your views with me and other legislators. What follows is a brief description of the Governor’s actions.
· State Facilities Closures
Governor Quinn vetoed three budgetary bills that, according to his administration, would save $70 million through closures and consolidations of state facilities including several prisons. The Governor has delayed any closures, however, when an arbitrator and then an Appellate Court ruled the Governor should negotiate with the state workers’ union over the impact of the closures.
· Clean Energy Project
Governor Quinn vetoed Senate Bill 3766, which would have provided guaranteed funding for Leucadia’s Chicago Clean Energy (CCE) Project, a plant to turn Illinois coal and petroleum coke into natural gas. The gas produced at the plant would cost significantly more than the current market price, and customers in central and southern Illinois would be forced to pay rates three times larger than northern Illinois customers.
· FOID Card Exemption
The Governor’s amendatory veto closes a loophole created in HB 4673 which would allow a police officer to continue possessing a valid FOID card, a weapon and ammunition even upon seeking voluntary mental health treatment. Current law prohibits anyone from holding a FOID card if they have been a patient of a mental institution within the past five years or have been adjudicated as a mental defective.
· Veterans Initiative
Governor Quinn’s amendatory veto of HB5207 establishes a mechanism–through initiative petition and binding referendum–to enact local ordinances that assist veterans in finding employment, job training, health care, and other services and benefits. By putting the power of petitions and referendums in the hands of local constituencies, each local unit of government will have a new instrument by which residents can honor those who fought to defend our freedom and democracy.
· Assault Weapons Ban
SB 681 overwhelmingly passed the General Assembly to bring Illinois in compliance with federal law that allows citizens to order ammunition by mail from stores located in Illinois. The Governor rewrote the legislation to prohibit the manufacture, possession, delivery, sale and purchase of semi-automatic assault weapons, assault weapon attachments, .50 caliber rifles, and .50 caliber cartridges.
· Expansion of Gaming
The Governor vetoed SB 1849 that called for gaming expansion including five new casinos statewide, as well as slot machines at horse racing tracks. Quinn said the proposal lacked sufficient regulatory oversight, a ban on campaign contributions to politicians from gaming interests, and a high enough share of gaming profits for education.
· Right to Hire
SB 2945 was vetoed which would allow hospitals and other medical treatment providers who treat patients with cancerous conditions to discriminate in hiring employees based upon their abstinence from using tobacco products. Advocates for the legislation were concerned that cancer patients would smell tobacco on the employees. The Governor believes the legislation would legalize discrimination in the hiring process.
· Plastic Bag Recycling
SB 3442 was vetoed by the Governor because he thinks individual communities should be able to create their own plastic bag recycling programs. The legislation requires plastic bag manufacturers to set up a five-year state-wide recycling program for bags and plastic film, and meet specific recycling goals.
Much of the retail community supports a state-wide plan instead of each community having a different program. Environmentalists claim that the recycling goals set by the law were well below the natural growth in recycling and that communities should be able to ban the use of plastic bags.
Elgin Community College Alliance Shows Progress
It is exciting to see how community colleges are working increasingly with their feeder schools to make certain that students are prepared for work or college after high school. I had the opportunity to monitor the Elgin Community College’s Alliance for College Readiness last week and saw the amazing results of their work over the past six years.
College instructors, teachers from local high schools and middle schools, parents and administrators were working together to coordinate course subject matter, improve student performance, and prepare for changes in teaching and assessment. Their improvement in preparing students to be college ready compared with the start of the program will save students thousands of dollars and valuable time.
The Alliance members spent much of the evening discussing the new Illinois common learning standards, how teachers will need to teach differently and the changes in student assessment. It was clear that the new standards will focus more on student critical thinking, application—not just memorization—of concepts, and applying concepts from one course in other courses.
I congratulate ElginCommunity College for their innovation, collaboration, and improvements in student learning.
New Learning Exchanges Prepare Students for Workforce
Governor Quinn recently unveiled a unique $10.3 million public-private partnership that will better prepare thousands of Illinois students for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. Quinn announced that eight organizations will be awarded contracts to develop “STEM Learning Exchanges” that link educational opportunities with business resources to prepare students to compete in the global economy.
The funding package is comprised of $2.3 million in federal Race to the Top funds, which leveraged another $8 million in business resources. The eight STEM Learning Exchanges, coordinated through multiple state agencies in partnership with the Illinois Business Roundtable, will be established through contracts with the Illinois State Board of Education.
A 2011 report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce shows that Illinois will have an estimated 319,000 STEM-related job openings by 2018. About 93 percent of those jobs will require post-secondary education or training.
Veterans Advisory Council Offers Ideas
I have organized a Veterans Advisory Council to help me review legislation affecting military veterans and the programs intended to help them following discharge from the service. At the first meeting held recently, 15 members reviewed recent legislation passed in Illinois and other states.
Among the concerns expressed by the members were difficulties in finding a job, awareness of the help already available to veterans, and credit for military training in college courses, state licenses or private sector jobs. Our next meeting will be held as legislation is introduced in the new Spring Session. Any veteran interested in joining the advisory group should contact my Sycamore office.
I will be traveling around the district this week so call if you’d like me to stop and discuss state issues with you. District Office 815-748-3494 or E-Mail to bob@pritchardstaterep.com
Click Here To Submit A News Tip Or Story