Observations and comments about state government by State Representative Robert W. Pritchard.
June 5, 2017
In This Issue:
Yucky Medicine
New School Funding Formula Passes Both Chambers
Key Legislation Passed in Final Days of Spring Session
Summer Reading Program Launched
Yucky Medicine
Do you remember when you were sick as a kid; mom would often give you a spoonful of something that tasted terrible? That’s how Illinois is right now. We are terribly sick fiscally and we don’t want to take the medicine that will make us better.
The bond rating company downgrade last week is just the latest indication of how sick we are. Having a rating one notch above junk status and the lowest of any state in the history of our country should motivate us to take some corrective medicine. If you don’t believe the bond houses, then look at the mounting pile of unpaid bills or the students fleeing Illinois because colleges are cheaper and more stable someplace else.
Judging from constituent calls to my office and actions by the legislature, many refuse to take the yucky medicine. Nearly every policy think tank says the medicine must include spending cuts, reforms to stimulate job creation and yes, revenue increases.
The House of Representatives continues to ignore the medicine and didn’t even respond to the “doctors” in the Senate who sent the House a number of spending cut and tax increase bills. The House procrastinated and instead went into what’s called “continuous session” promising to meet again in June and talk about the medicine.
The solution to our problems won’t become any tastier by waiting and hopes of some miracle drug from Washington to restore our state to greatness are out of the question. It’s time to step up and take the medicine for years of overspending, inefficiency and voter inattention to what elected officials were doing.
New School Funding Formula Passes both Chambers
At long last the legislature has passed a new school funding bill aimed at determining adequate funding for each school based on the educational needs of its students and research-based educational practices. Any increased funding would come from the State and could lead to property tax reductions.
Senate Bill 1 is the result of Senate and House members working together after dozens of hearings and the work of the Governor’s Commission on School Funding Reform. Based on cost estimates to fully implement the formula and the state’s current fiscal conditions, it could take a decade to reach adequate funding for every child but we would be on the road to achieving that goal.
The bill was a compromise of competing interests and in the end, efforts by Chicago and its Public Schools to receive funding faster than other districts and include all of its pension costs caused most Republicans to oppose the bill and the Governor to threaten a veto.
The evidence-based funding model, however, is an excellent blueprint for us to follow when we discuss overhauling our broken state funding formula. This new way of funding was specifically designed to drive much-needed funding to school districts that are the farthest away from their adequacy target and have insufficient local capacity to fund education. The model, as it was initially envisioned, focuses more dollars on districts that are the least adequately funded, which I believe is a critical point that differentiates this model from our current funding model.
The issue of Chicago teacher pensions has been debated as an equity issue. Chicago pays its share of the state teacher pension system but the state has not lived up to its agreement to contribute to the separate Chicago teacher pensions. There is a lot of agreement about the mismanagement of both teacher pension systems over the years. Nevertheless we face the consequences of these decisions.
Adequately funding education is vital to the success of our students and the well-trained workforce that attracts businesses. Getting the state to pay its constitutional share for education could offer property tax relief.
For now, SB1 is being held in the Senate in hopes pension reform will be tied to the Chicago teacher pension issue and garner the Governor’s support.
Key Legislation Passed in Final Days of Spring Session
SB1839: Amends the Emergency Telephone Act by extending the system set to expire on June 30 and promoting an upgrade to technology. The bill increases phone fees to fund a statewide 9-1-1 system that runs on the new IP network. The IP network is not only faster, but it also allows the customer to connect to a variety of devices, including tablets, computers, home phones, and cell phones.
Greg and Sandy Beitel, and Glenna Johnson, Ogle County 9-1-1 coordinators, came to the State Capitol to explain the need for 9-1-1 system upgrades
SB3: Provides that the Local Government Reduction and Efficiency Division of the Counties Code will be applied to all counties. It encourages township consolidation through referenda that are approved by the township board.
SB8: Updates the state’s procurement code to increase purchasing transparency, correct some over regulation, while still providing a mechanism for obtaining the best purchasing terms. I helped negotiate this bill over several years in part to clarify that university purchases through groups of organizations was allowed.
SB31: Sets reasonable, constitutional limits on local police interaction with the federal immigration authority and fosters trust between local police and immigrant communities. It does not prevent local law enforcement officials from cooperating with immigration authorities when they have a warrant.
SB81: Raises the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2022. Compared to its border states, Illinois already has the highest minimum wage and under this bill would have the highest in the nation. The bill also includes a complicated income tax credit designed to appear to provide relief for employers with fewer than 50 employees. Proponents admitted a minimum wage increase imposes costs of doing business for a host of non-profits and small businesses.
SB1316: Provides for three innovative but very costly programs in higher education that I referred to as the College “Dream Act” in House floor debate. One element pays university faculty a bonus to keep them from leaving Illinois. Another provides a college grant program for middle-income students similar to MAP; while the last element would buy-out student loans of any eligible participant at zero interest. Given the state’s fiscal condition and its failure to fund higher education or MAP grants, this program is an absurdity.
SB1353: Increases the monthly personal needs allowance to $60 for residents living on medical assistance in a nursing home. The Personal Needs Allowance is the amount of Social Security an individual gets to keep for personal expenses not covered by Medicaid.
SB1688: Requires the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to consider certain mitigating factors and evidence of rehabilitation for certain applicants of licenses, certificates, and registrations. The bill is intended to reduce licensing barriers for people with arrest or conviction records wishing to become licensed in Illinois.
SB1904: Amends the Prevailing Wage Act to require the Department of Labor to publish, by August 15 of each year on its official website, a prevailing wage schedule for each county in the State. The bill directs that the prevailing wage shall be no less than the rate set through collective bargaining for public projects.
HB2525: Provides what was explained as Workers Compensation reform but appears to increase the cost of doing business in Illinois. It codifies worker friendly case law, mandates increased insurance regulation, and imposes fraud penalties, electronic billing penalties and penalties for delays in medical care.
HB2622: Creates a state run employers’ mutual insurance company to compete with over 300 private insurance companies. The bill claims $10 million from the Workers’ Compensation Commission Operating Fund to start the company with doubtful reserves to operate it.
HB3259: Appropriates $18.6 million from the Commitment to Human Services Fund for Domestic Violence Shelters and Services during FY2017. These shelters like DeKalb County’s Safe Passage have been operating without any state funding for a year and are about to close their doors.
Summer Reading Program Launched in District
I have officially launched my annual summer reading program to encourage students in K-5th grades to keep reading over the summer. The program builds upon local library reading efforts and books read can be counted for each program.
Reading is a foundation skill in education, and through this program I hope to encourage student engagement throughout the summer months when they can regress in their abilities. Students who return their completed reading lists to my District Office will be invited to an ice cream party and commendation for their efforts.
You can find a copy of the summer reading brochure here, which includes the rules and instructions.
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Have a great week and call my District Office to share your opinions or if I can be of assistance.
Bob Pritchard
Bob Pritchard
http://www.pritchardstaterep.org/
District Office 815-748-3494 or E-Mail to bob@pritchardstaterep.com
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