Observations and comments about state government by State Representative Robert W. Pritchard.
News from the State House
February 22, 2010
To the casual observer, this past week’s House debates may have seemed brief and surprisingly dull. Many people from around the state came to Springfield hoping to see some debate on the budget and our fiscal crisis. The conductor of the session calendar (Speaker Madigan) isn’t going to let that happen. Days are full of committee meetings so bill sponsors have to run from committee to committee to present their legislation and are preoccupied.
In reality, this time of year in Springfield is all about meetings and presentations to committees. This process, hopefully, ensures that the legislation that is eventually brought to the House floor has been discussed thoroughly and improved through amendments and negotiations with affected parties.
Sale of State Asset Legislation Advances
Last week the Illinois House approved a measure that would require legislative input and consent before state assets could be sold. HB4744 was drafted in response to the pending sale of the Thomson Correctional Center.
The bill which passed overwhelmingly would bar state property worth more than $1 million from being sold quietly by administrative procedure and would require careful evaluation of future use. Current law allows any piece of property declared to be “surplus,” to be sold immediately without any input or consent from the General Assembly.
Supporters of this measure point out that in other states its common practice for the legislature to give input on the sale of surplus assets to avoid a quick sale of something that may have future value. Opponents saw this legislation as a very real threat to the sale of Thomson, and a delay in the boost full operation of the prison would provide to economically decimated northwestern Illinois.
The bill expands the definition of “surplus real property” to require that the property has not been used by the State for at least the past three years and will not be needed in the next three years. Few disagree that the state needs to replace a lot of its older prisons or could rent the Thomson space to other states or the federal government immediately. Governor Quinn is the second governor who just doesn’t want to operate the prison. The bill now heads to the Illinois Senate.
Providers Rally for Tax Increase
Thousands of people converged on the state capitol last week forcing the State Fire Marshall to close the capitol for safety reasons for nearly an hour. A number of local constituents from day care to social workers joined in the rally to urge lawmakers to pass HB 174.
They see the bill which would raise about $5.2 billion in new revenue as the only way for the state to pay providers what is owed or for the state to get out of its fiscal hole. I suggested they need to focus on Speaker Madigan who is preventing any discussion of the issue just as he happened to walk past our group on the way to his office. People were too surprised to seize the moment.
HB174 is not the only bill that would address the imbalance of spending and state revenue. More than a dozen bills are held in Rules or some other committee that would first focus on reducing the growth and amount of spending. The bills dealing with reform of Medicaid and pensions, and ideas to make Illinois more welcoming for employers who would create jobs are not likely to be heard anytime soon.
Governor Quinn could take strong action immediately like other governors have done. Though instead of bringing labor and business to a negotiating table, he is waiting for citizens to suggest ideas on the new internet site (www.Budget.Illinois.Gov). Financial information for FY2010 and FY2011 will be posted on the site this week and your ideas to balance the budget are welcomed before his budget address on March 10.
While the Governor has stopped making payments to just about everyone except state payroll, Medicaid recipients and general school aid, he has not cut programs or made reforms like New Jersey’s governor, a state similar to Illinois in many ways.
I agreed with the advocates last week that action is needed now; many providers will go out of business this spring. Our state can’t wait until after the fall election to make hard choices and changes to stop the fiscal bleeding and get out of the borrowing trap.
When the Governor was in Sycamore last week to announce funding for a new broadband economic development project, I told him we need to work together in Springfield like the local people do in my district.
Just in Time Stimulus Money Provides Brief Relief
The Governor’s Office and the State Board of Education have notified me that Illinois has just received approximately $1 billion in federal stimulus funds for Elementary and Secondary Education. These funds were budgeted to be received this year and will be used to make General State Aid payments from now through March. State money that was being reserved for the school payments can now be released to pay the backlog of other state bills.
The federal money will provide some immediate relief for providers waiting for payment but only temporarily. Our economy isn’t recovering and we still have spending pressures from pensions and Medicaid that continue to grow.
What I find most disappointing is that we should have begun the real work on the budget this week following the Governor’s Budget Address. Instead, the Governor has delayed his budget address for three more weeks. Nevertheless, some appropriation committees are having subject matter hearings this week to discuss priorities and plans to deal with the fiscal imbalance.
School Mandate Bill Heads to House Floor
With the number of unfunded mandates increasing every year, schools have had to use local property tax revenue to comply with well meaning policies. Faced with stable or falling property taxes, schools can no longer afford to comply with all laws and are seeking legislative relief.
I have joined in sponsoring HB4711 to give local school boards flexibility in ignoring some mandates for three years. The bill passed out of the House Education Committee last week. HB 4711 would allow a school district to choose to discontinue or modify a mandated activity by official school board action when the cost of compliance does not meet promised funding.
This legislation would require school districts to keep a list of all mandates that were not followed. The legislation excludes special education, transportation, lunch programs, or coursework required for high school graduation among a few other items.
Steps to Attract Jobs Proposed
The Bipartisan Jobs Creation Task Force heard some very specific proposals to improve Illinois’ business climate and create jobs last week from the Illinois Manufacturing Association. The group ought to know because Illinois has lost over half a million jobs in the last decade.
Among the proposals were to balance the state budget and pay bills on time. What company wants to move to a deadbeat state they asked? Next, invest in human capital—more skill training programs—Illinois is one of only four states that isn’t funding such programs.
Modernize the pension system, extend Enterprise Zones and target more tax credits for creating jobs. Other proposals included bringing Workers’ Compensation premiums in line with neighboring states, rewriting the outdated Telecommunications Act, and stop passing laws that increase the cost of doing business in Illinois. The spokesman sited SB3257 and SB3835 as two bills now being considered that would discourage companies from staying or coming to our state.
The Task Force is holding numerous hearings around the state to gather ideas for legislation and other reforms that would make the state more competitive as companies look to expand or relocate. One international company in my district has stated they intend to open a new plant in the U.S. but aren’t even considering Illinois because of its burdensome regulations, taxes and attitude toward business.
Overhaul of Legislative Redistricting Needed
This past week I joined colleagues and reform groups in calling for an overhaul of the way Illinois legislative maps are drawn every ten years. House Joint Constitutional Amendment 56 will take the power of drawing legislative maps away from lawmakers and give it to an independent commission.
For the past thirty years, Illinois political leaders have drawn the map to protect incumbents and their party. One party or the other draws the map depending on whose name is pulled from a hat. HJRCA 56 will once and for all take the politics out of the redistricting process. This legislation parallels a petition drive for a constitutional amendment currently underway across Illinois.
The League of Women Voters has taken the lead in recommending the constitutional amendment and has partnered with other reform groups including: the Better Government Association, the Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, and Independent Voters of Illinois.
Bob
District Office 815-748-3494 or E-Mail to bob@pritchardstaterep.com
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