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Illinois eavesdropping reform bill in political limbo

steven726 — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:44:36 +0000

By Anthony Brino | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — The sponsor of a bill allowing people to record police officers in public is trying to stall the measure, First Amendment advocates say.

The sponsor of Senate Bill 1808, Sen. Michael Noland, D-Elgin, isn’t letting it stand for a vote, without changes.

Tuesday, the Illinois House voted to change the state’s eavesdropping law to allow civilians to make audio recordings of police officers in public, as every other state in the country permits. In Illinois, recording officers in public, whether accompanied by film or just on a sound recorder, is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Noland told Illinois Statehouse News he’s not stalling the bill, but he wants to “reconcile” the move with recent court rulings that deem the law unconstitutional, and add additional provisions to allow police to record civilians.

Josh Sharp is government relations director for the Illinois Press Association, a media and First Amendment group. He says courts are all but asking the General Assembly to address the issue. Three courts have found the law unconstitutional, but prosecutors can still try to enforce the current law, Sharp said, leaving it in limbo.

“There’s no reconciliation needed. The courts have said you cannot criminalize activity protected by the First Amendment,” Sharp said. “We’re just looking for an up or down vote on the bill as it passed the House.”

Noland said he thinks the bill could pass before the end of the legislative session next week.

“I’m for everybody videotaping as long as it’s not a an invasion of privacy,” he said.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

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Fitzgerald says it’s time to step down, rules out run for elected office

FingalRoberto860 — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:44:21 +0000

May 24, 2012

By Jayette Bolinski | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald on Thursday said public service is in his blood but added he has no desire to run for elected office.

“I’m not wired to campaign for anything or run for elective office. Period,” said the long-time federal prosecutor, who is stepping down June 30 from the post he’s had for more than 10 years.

“I love public service. I don’t know what I’m doing next, but public service is in my blood. If a phone rings in the future and the ID says ‘public service calling,’ I’ll answer the phone.”

Fitzgerald, 51, has been the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois since Sept. 1, 2001 — just before the terrorist attacks. He said Thursday he is stepping down because “it’s important there be change” in the office.

He gained statewide and national fame for his successful prosecution of two Illinois governors, George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, on public corruption charges. Both are serving sentences in federal prisons.

He also was involved in the prosecution of Lewis “Scooter” Libby, former Vice President Dick Cheney’s top aide; employees of former Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley; media mogul Conrad Black; and more.

He said he has no career plans in place and will take the summer off before making his next career move. Fitzgerald is married with two young children.

No replacement has been named for the post.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

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Medicaid cuts come with catch

jeremymcnielsen265 — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:44:06 +0000

By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Legislature passed the first half of a plan to rein in the skyrocketing costs of Medicaid on Thursday — with a catch.

Medicaid would lose $1.6 billion, or 12 percent, according to the bill’s sponsor in the House, state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago.

The cuts would let the state “continue to take care of the most vulnerable people in the state of Illinois and keep Medicaid afloat because right now I assure you that if we do nothing it will collapse,” Feigenholtz said.

But the cuts were contingent on the approval of two different pieces of legislation:

One that ends the practice of rolling Medicaid costs over from year to year;
Another that allows the Cook County Medicaid system to raise its income requirements for enrollees.

The latter has been a major point of partisan contention.

The Cook County Medicaid changes would move the requirement from 100 percent of the federal poverty level to 133 percent. That change would add at least 100,000 people, but it wouldn’t cost the state more, because Cook County, which encompasses Chicago, funds and administers its own Medicaid system.

The Legislature passed Cook County legislation Thursday. The Senate approved ending the practice of rolling over Medicaid costs, and the House is expected to take up the measure Friday.

While Medicaid rolls grow in Cook County, others will be kicked out of the system.

The legislation passed Thursday allows the state to contract with an outside company to compare myriad state and federal databases regarding income with the Medicaid rolls.

Anyone making 100 percent more than the federal poverty level is eligible for Medicaid. Currently, a person need only provide one pay stub to establish that eligibility, making it easy to scam the system, according to legislators working on the legislation.

With a stronger vetting process resulting in many people being removed from the system, the state will save $350 million annually, according to an Illinois House Republicans’ fact sheet.

State Rep. Patti Bellock, R-Hinsdale, said booting ineligible people off the rolls would not only save money but would keep the program afloat for those who truly need it.

“We have to save this program and save the lives of the people in it and do it the best way possible,” Bellock said.

Other areas of savings include:

Eliminating the Illinois Cares Rx Program, a state-only prescription subsidy mainly for senior citizens, a savings of $72.2 million annually.
Limiting prescriptions to four per month, unless prior authorization or special drug needs, a savings of $180 million annually.
Implementing maximum co-pays for services, an average co-pay of $3.60, a savings of $44 million.

The legislation also cuts Medicaid reimbursement rates to hospitals and nursing homes by $240 million annually. Doctors, 20 safety-net hospitals serving poor communities and 51 hospitals serving rural areas will not see rate cuts.

The $1.6 billion in cuts in the legislation doesn’t get to the $2.7 billion in cuts Gov. Pat Quinn said were needed to prevent the backlog of Medicaid bills from hitting $21 billion in 2017.

Instead of deeper cuts, Quinn asked for a cigarette tax increase of $1 a pack, bringing the total state tax on a pack of cigarettes from 98 cents to $1.98.

That extra revenue would grow spending on Medicaid from $6.6 billion last year to at least $7.3 billion.

A budget that passed out of the Illinois Senate on Wednesday only budgets to spend $6.6 billion on Medicaid. State Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, sponsored most of the budget legislation and said if a cigarette tax is passed, the General Assembly will appropriate that money later in the year.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

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U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald stepping down

GatsbyBartholemew — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:54:41 +0000

By Jayette Bolinski | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who oversaw corruption investigations that put two Illinois governors in prison, is stepping down for undisclosed reasons, he announced Wednesday.

Fitzgerald, 51, has scheduled a news conference for Thursday morning in Chicago. His last day on the job is June 30. It was unclear who will succeed him or if an interim U.S. attorney would be named.

Fitzgerald has been U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois for more than 10 years — the longest-serving U.S. attorney in Chicago’s history — and oversaw numerous high-profile investigations, including successful corruption convictions against former governors George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich.

He did not say why he is stepping down or what his plans are. A news release says he “has no future employment plans and will take time off this summer before considering career options.”

“When I was selected for this position in 2001, I said that it was one of the greatest opportunities that one could ever hope for, and I believe that even more now after having the privilege of working alongside hundreds of dedicated prosecutors and agents. I have tried not to get in their way,” Fitzgerald said in a statement.

“I extend my deepest appreciation to the attorneys and staff for their determined commitment to public service. This was a great office when I arrived, and I have no doubt that it will continue to be a great office.”

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Fitzgerald, while being interviewed by Durbin for the U.S. attorney position in Chicago, indicated he would show no political favoritism in his professional duties.

“He kept his word,” Durbin said. “His aggressive prosecution of wrongdoing, including politicians in both parties, has given fair warning that no one is above the law.”

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn thanked Fitzgerald for rooting out corruption in Illinois.

“He has made Illinois a more ethical state by bringing justice to those who betrayed the public’s trust,” Quinn said.

Jayette Bolinski can be reached at jayette.bolinski@franklincenterhq.org.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

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Budget debate: Follow us on Twitter for live updates

MaertzKellen305 — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:54:31 +0000

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Members of the Illinois Senate are meeting tonight to discuss the Democrats’ budget proposal.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

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Indicted Rep. Smith catching a breather, for now

RowmanCoulbourne605 — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:39:20 +0000

By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — Indicted state Rep. Derrick Smith will likely get a respite from his Housecolleagues through the end of the Legislature’s spring session.

Several members of the House Special Investigative Committee looking into federal bribery allegations against the Chicago Democrat said chances of the committee meeting before the spring session ends May 31 are slim.

“As you can imagine, things are a little hectic around here right now,” said state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, chairwoman of the investigative committee. ”My time is very limited by the whole pension thing. Everyone else’s time is taken up by the end-of-session crunch.”

Nekritz is also part of a group of legislators negotiating cost-saving changes to the Illinois public pension system, which is facing a $83 billion unfunded liability.

In fact, Smith has been busy taking advantage of a legislative perk that’s about to expire.

Gov. Pat Quinn said in a news release he would sign the bill abolishing the century-old program.

Scholarships handed out before Sept. 1 won’t be revoked, according to the legislation.

State Rep. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy, a member of the investigative committee, called Smith’s awarding of the scholarships “very troubling.” Despite Smith’s actions, she said, the committee must be careful about setting a precedent for investigating and possibly disciplining a member who has been charged, but not convicted, of a crime.

“We have to move cautionary. It’s a little bit of uncharted territory,” Tracy said.

But Nekritz said the committee would be meeting sooner, rather than later. She didn’t offer specifics.

Smith’s attorney, Victor Henderson of Henderson Adam LLC in Chicago, told the committee two weeks ago the representative was due back in court May 30 to ask the federal government to release the full recordings being used against Smith, instead of taped snippets. Henderson said at the hearing that the full recordings would vindicate Smith.

Calls to Henderson’s office for this story were not returned.

Smith won a primary election earlier this year for the House District 10 after his arrest, and is still on the ballot for the Nov. 6 general election. Democrats have formed the Unity Party to challenge Smith in the November election and narrowed a field eight potential candidates Tuesday to Lance Tyson, Melissa Conyears and Eddie White.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

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Humidity apparent cause of ballot problems during Illinois’ March primary

LeonarddKimm — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:39:11 +0000

By Jayette Bolinski | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — Unusually high humidity may be to blame for problems with paper ballots throughout Illinois during the primary election March 20, state election officials said Tuesday.

The state experienced record-setting temperatures and unseasonably high humidity the day of the primary, apparently affecting the “hydroexpansivity” — the tendency of paper to expand when it absorbs moisture — of the paper ballots and rendering them difficult or impossible to feed into the ballot scanners at some precincts. The moisture caused the dimensions of the ballot to expand and be off slightly.

“It is possible that the problem ballots were just so close to the limits of the acceptable width tolerance that the additional humidity alone was enough to put them out of tolerance,” according to a report by State Board of Elections officials who investigated the matter.

In all, 26 Illinois voting jurisdictions had problems with the ballots. Some had just a few ballots that would not feed into the scanner, while at least one had difficulty with all of its ballots. Election judges chose to either trim the edges of the ballots so they would fit into the scanners or to remake the ballots on proper-width ballot stock.

Many of the problems occurred in Winnebago County in northern Illinois, suburban DuPage County outside Chicago and Macoupin County in central Illinois, according to elections officials.

Investigators also looked at other possible explanations for the ballot problems, including how and where the ballots were stored beforehand, as well as the weight, thickness, grain and type of paper used. Humidity levels were a common denominator across the state.

A check of climate figures for the day show temperatures about 11 a.m. across the state were in the mid 60s and got warmer as the day went on. Humidity levels about 11 a.m. ranged from the low 60s to upper 70s across the state – 78 percent in suburban Aurora, 73 percent in Springfield and Decatur, 68 percent in Rockford and the metro-east, and 63 percent in suburban Wheaton.

Members of the board of elections, during a meeting Tuesday, declined to spend $5,000 to further investigate what happened in March but did vote in favor of taking steps to try to alleviate the problem, should it happen again. Among their recommendations are that election authorities store ballots in climate-controlled areas, that the ballots are printed with cut marks to make them easier to trim should the need arise, and that each election authority be provided the most up-to-date manufacturer’s manuals for their voting systems.

Macon County Clerk Stephen Bean said officials are lucky the problems occurred during a low-voter-turnout election. He said election judges in five jurisdictions there had issues with the ballots, but they were able to use touch-screen voting to supplement when they ran into difficulties.

“I think the humidity did a lot to it,” he said.

Jayette Bolinski can be reached at jayette.bolinski@franklincenterhq.org.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

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Debating the risks and benefits of Starved Rock sand mine

MarroquinLisette880 — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:39:05 +0000

By Anthony Brino | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — Whether a sand mine should be permitted next to Starved Rock State Park, one of Illinois’ most unique natural areas, is the backdrop of a debate between business and environmental interests.

Midwest sand has become increasingly vital to America’s booming oil and gas industry, used in the drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing. The proposed 80-acre sand mine could be worth around $600 million over 10 years, said Tony Giordano, president of the Missouri-based Mississippi Sand LLC.

But environmental groups say the project would bring air and noise pollution and truck traffic and could disrupt the stream systems that flow through the park. The sandstone that the company would mine is part of the same rock formation that outcrops along the Illinois River, forming dramatic waterfalls and drawing millions of visitors each year.

Giordano said the company will build a natural border around the site, near Route 71, before mining starts. As the company excavates the soil and rock above the sand, it will build hills around the site and plant native shrubs and trees.

“You will not see any other industrial users doing that,” said Giordano.

Jack Darin, director of the Sierra Club Illinois chapter, said his group is open to seeing what kinds of safeguards Mississippi Sands proposes in its permits.

But “I think there are places where it’s appropriate to mine sand,” he said. “Next to Starved Rock isn’t one of them.”

Giordano admitted to the anticipated truck traffic and the erosion and stormwater runoff that would occur when the sand is washed with water. But in a decade or more, the area will naturally fill with water and become a lake.

Giordano said the project will bring about 60 jobs and tax revenue for the local government.

Starved Rock State Park is about 80 miles southwest of Chicago in LaSalle County, where the county board approved the mine in January.

The company is seeking permits from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

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Plan to modernize current eavesdropping law passes House

Selfliberty — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:38:57 +0000

May 22, 2012

By Stephanie Fryer | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois House approved a proposal Tuesday allowing people to audibly record police officers in public places.

Senate Bill 1808 passed with a 71-45 vote, weeks after a previous bill to modernize Illinois’ Eavesdropping Act failed. The proposal now heads back to the Senate for approval.

Law enforcement officials, who opposed the original measure, said they feared people would tamper with recordings and use them against officers.

State Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, who sponsored both bills, said under the current proposal, anyone who alters a recording and tries to use it as evidence of misconduct against law enforcement would be referred to the state’s attorney.

State Rep. Scott Penny, D-Belleville, has worked in law enforcement for 35 years. “We as police officers are sometimes slow to embrace change, but everywhere I go we are videotaping with our telephones and electronic devices,” he said.

Current law allows people to videotape officers in public places, but making an audio recording without the consent of both parties is a felony.

Illinois’ eavesdropping law recently came under fire after people were charged with recording police officers suspected of wrongdoing without their consent. In three of those cases, the law was declared unconstitutional.

State Rep. Dena Carli, D-Chicago, opposed the revised bill, saying she fears people may get too close to dangerous situations to get audible sound.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

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IL lawmakers vote to end scholarship program

RocciaHogeland628 — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:25:57 +0000

May 21, 2012

By Stephanie Fryer | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois House voted Monday to abolish a century-old legislative scholarship program blighted by lawmaker abuse.

The bill killing the General Assembly Legislative Scholarship Program, which allowed lawmakers to give full scholarships for state universities to students, as long as the students lived in the awarding lawmaker’s district, now awaits Gov. Pat Quinn‘s signature.

“There is no place for a political scholarship program in Illinois. As I have repeatedly advocated — scholarships, paid for by Illinois taxpayers — should be awarded only to those with merit who are in true financial need,” Quinn said in an emailed statement. “Abolishing this program is the right thing to do.”

The House voted 79-32 to end the program.

Legislators who opposed ending the program said cutting it was a disservice to students who rely on the waivers to afford college.

“This is a red herring of the worst type. This bill is a sham,” state Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Freeport, said.

House Bill 3810 also sets up a task force to investigate all university waivers, which total $365 million, distributed statewide each year.

According to published reports, Illinois’ legislative scholarship program was established in 1909 and enabled the state’s 177 lawmakers to give tuition waivers to as many as eight students each year for any state public university.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

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Senate looks to raid funds to pay old bills

garvinjaszg97 — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:25:51 +0000

By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD – In order to pay down overdue bills, Illinois Senate Democrats want to siphon cash from special funds that support myriad projects — including Boy and Girl Scouts, tourism, energy assistance and transit development.

The fund raids are part of a broader budget crafted by Senate Democrats, which was approved in part by a senate committee Monday night. The proposal wants to use $403 million from more than 500 special funds to pay down $8.5 billion in overdue bills the state owes vendors and schools.

Senate Democrats project $1.9 billion in special funds will go unspent by the end of fiscal year 2013.

State Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, is carrying several pieces of legislation that make up the Senate Democrats budget. She said the raids would be a one-time event and said the state would not reimburse the funds.

Targeted special funds include:

Autism Awareness Fund
Boy Scout and Girl Scout Fund
Coal Mining Regulatory Fund
Drug Treatment Fund
Insurance Financial Regulation Fund
Military Affairs Trust
Pesticide Control Fund
Real Estate License Administration Fund
Youth Drug Abuse Prevention Fund

“We found other dollars, we found this, for lack of a better word, these stashes of money,” state Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, said Monday evening.

Senate Republicans attacked the Democrats’ for spending more than the $33.7 billion revenue estimate the General Assembly agreed to budget by earlier this spring.

State Sen. Matt Murphy, R-Palatine, said spending more than $33.7 billion would put the legislature on track to maintain last year’s income tax increase when it sunsets in 2014.

An Illinois Supreme Court ruling last year paved the way for the Senate Democrats’ plan. In that case, the court considered the legality of the legislature’s 2004 sweep of $1.2 million from the Cycle Rider Safety Training Fund. The fund is supported by a percentage of motorcycle registration fees and funds motorcycle training courses around the state.

The Supreme Court ruled that all money paid to state funds may be used at the state’s discretion regardless of the fund’s purpose.

The pain isn’t over for the Cycle Rider Safety Training Fund: Senate Democrats said they may tap it again this year.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

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Group offers 59 ideas for cutting $2.7B in Medicaid

DuaneDavis832 — Mon, 21 May 2012 23:50:05 +0000

May 21, 2012

By Anthony Brino | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — Three Illinois Republican state senators and a libertarian think tank proposed 59 reforms to make Medicaid more cost effective while providing better care for its recipients.

Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn wants to reduce Medicaid spending by $2.7 billion next year to avert a budget crisis. The state is spending $6.6 billion on Medicaid, an amount projected to grow to more than $9 billion without the savings.

Among the reforms proposed by the Illinois Policy Institute and Quinn’s Medicaid working group were:

Using community-based long-term care;
Reducing hospital readmission rates;
Eliminating adult chiropractic services;
Enforcing Medicaid eligibility;
Relying on generic drugs.

Proposing these cuts is part of a larger goal of downsizing the state’s public welfare system and making it more efficient for the poorest of the poor, said state Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon.

“Why would we enable the poor in this state, if we really cared for them, to be enslaved to an entitlement system without any checks and balances with no accountability?” said McCarter.

The Illinois General Assembly has until May 31 to craft next year’s budget.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

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Quinn to IL lawmakers: Focus on pension, Medicaid reform

RobertKhun — Mon, 21 May 2012 23:49:54 +0000

May 21, 2012

By Jayette Bolinski | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Pat Quinn refused Monday to discuss the possibility of gambling expansion in Illinois, insisting he wants lawmakers to focus on Medicaid and pension reform.

“Sometimes down here (in the statehouse), shiny objects can distract people. We don’t want any of that this week. We want two things this week, real focus on — that’s pension reform and Medicaid restructuring,” Quinn said during a briefing with reporters at his office in the Capitol.

“This is vital to our state, and the governor has to inform the legislators, as well as the people at large that these are important matters, and we can’t allow those who would allow us to be distracted take our attention off these very hard challenges.”

State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, with State Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, on Monday filed a 474-page amendment to Senate Bill 2840, outlining proposed cuts and restructuring to the state’s Medicaid program. The amendment is called the SMART — “Save Medicaid Access and Resources Together” — Act. Lawmakers are expected to debate the proposal as early as Tuesday afternoon in the House Executive Committee.

Quinn said he has been pleased by lawmakers’ progress on the two issues, noting that some people were skeptical the state could get as far as it has.

“If we succeed at pension reform and Medicaid restructuring, our grandchildren and their grandchildren will thank us,” Quinn said. “It’s that important, so we can’t allow anything else to get in the way.”

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

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IL Senate Dems come out with budget of their own

jamestront — Sat, 19 May 2012 04:26:36 +0000

By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — With 13 days left in the regular spring session, the Illinois Senate Democratsrolled out a budget that relies on facility closures, layoffs and 4-percent spending cuts for most state agencies.

Still, the budget outline spends $16.9 billion on day-to-day state services such as the Illinois State Police, elementary and secondary education and Medicaid — about $600 million more than what the House is budgeting.

The budget is contingent on Medicaid savings of $2.7 billion, including a cigarette tax increase of a $1 per pack, which Gov. Pat Quinn asked for during his budget address in February. The cigarette tax would go from $.98 to $1.98 a pack under Quinn’s proposal.

State Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, said the Senate is close to agreeing on how to get the $2.7 billion in savings. Legislation dealing with Medicaid savings could be introduced as early as next week.

Quinn and others have called for constraining spending on Medicaid as the health care system’s costs have skyrocketed. The state’s overdue Medicaid bills are projected to hit $21 billion by 2017, if nothing is done.

Senate Democrats and Quinn can agree on finding savings in closing state facilities, but whether they agree on which facilities to close is still unknown, however. That’s still being debated, Steans said.

“Nearly every agency is looking at cuts. That’s unavoidable,” said state Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville.

The only areas of state government the Democrats’ budget doesn’t cut to some degree are elementary and secondary education. That spending is held flat compared to last year.

Despite cuts to most areas of state government, the Democrats’ budget actually spends more than a revenue projection of $33.7, which the General Assembly came to by using a tactic called fund sweeps.

Fund sweeps works by taking unspent money in dedicated funds — such as the Cycle Rider Safety Training Fund, which is supposed to support classes on motorcycle safety — and using it for general spending. The Senate Democrats would use about $400 million in fund sweeps to pay down some of the state’s $8.5 billion overdue bills.

“There’s $8 billion sitting in multiple piggy banks, 500 piggy banks, at one time. We’re hoarding money in these little banks,” state Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, said at a news conference Friday.

Sullivan said the sweep would be a one-time expenditure to chip away at the mountain of overdue bills.

State Sen. Matt Murphy, R-Palatine, criticized the Democrats’ budget for spending more than the revenue projection of $33.7 billion. He said the Dems’ budget doesn’t have enough cuts in spending to ensure the Legislature wouldn’t vote to extend the income tax increase of 2011. It’s set to expire in 2014.

Murphy said the Senate Republicans wanted a budget based on revenue figures that don’t include the extra money the state is getting from the tax increase.

“My hope is this is just an opening salvo,” Murphy said. “This will not get us on the path to reducing the tax increase. It will put us on the path, frankly, for needing another.”

Kelly Kraft, Quinn’s budget spokeswoman, said the Democrats’ budget is a good starting point, reflecting many of the governor’s ideas.

The Democrats said their budget could be introduced in legislative form as early as Monday.

Senate Democrats said Friday’s rollout wasn’t an attempt to jump in front of the House, which, last year, released its version of the budget first. That left the Senate scrambling to play catchup, and eventually settling on what was mostly a House-crafted budget.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

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Appeals court sides with Quinn on denying pay raises

ObamaMichelle — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:51:12 +0000

May 18, 2012

By Andrew Thomason Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — A federal appellate court Thursday upheld Gov. Pat Quinn’s decision last year to deny state employees pay raises.

In July, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District in Springfield, when Quinn refused the 2 percent pay raise to 30,000 state employees The district court sided with Quinn, and AFSCME appealed.

On Thursday the Seventh U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago upheld the decision.

“It is regrettable that (Quinn) has provoked litigation instead of complying with the contract and the law. We disagree with yesterday’s federal ruling and will consider further steps,” Anders Lindall, spokesman for AFSCME, said.

An arbitrator sided with AFSCME last year, though that decision had no legal teeth to force the governor to hand out pay raises. AFSCME last year filed a separate suit regarding the pay raises in the Cook County Circuit Court. That decision is pending.

Quinn originally denied the raises because he claimed lawmakers failed to appropriate the $75 million needed to cover them.

“We agree with the court’s decision. As we have indicated in the past, the (current) budget passed by the General Assembly did not include an appropriation to pay these raises,” Kelly Kraft, Quinn’s budget spokeswoman, said.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

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Week in Review: Betting on iGaming, controversy over Nation of Islam

RezekUngerland611 — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:51:07 +0000

By Stephanie Fryer and Anthony Brino | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois lawmakers must craft next year’s budget and fix huge deficits by May 31, but the closest they came to addressing those problems was a proposal to tax online gambling. Other issues from a proposed minimum wage increases to the Nation of Islam were getting everyone’s attention, as well.

Betting on time, taxing iGaming

Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, wants legislators to approve his plan to tax and regulate Internet gambling in Illinois before Congress keeps the state’s hands off the industry.

Under Cullerton’s proposal, a new Division of Internet Gaming within the Illinois Lottery, would establish an Internet gaming platform, accept wages and pay out winnings, work with other states to offer intrastate gaming and verify that users are legally allowed to gamble.

“We estimate that the potential new revenues to the state are in the hundreds of millions of dollars,” Cullerton said in a letter to the state’s top lawmakers this week, noting that Illinoisans already make Internet bets, some of them considered illegal.

The proposal was tacked onto House Bill 4148, and Cullerton said approving it now is the only way the Illinois government can capture millions of dollars in revenue. Congress is considering an Internet gambling bill that would bar states from regulating iGaming unless they have those laws on the books.

“Time is of the essence,” Cullerton said.

Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn has yet to weigh in on iGaming. He said earlier this month that finding a solution to the state’s budget and pension problems is capturing most of his time and even cutting into his sleep.

Minimum wage increase bill heads to Senate

A Senate committee Wednesday approved a bill that would raise Illinois’ minimum wage to more than $10 an hour and make it one of the highest in the nation.

The mostly Democratic proponents of Senate Bill 1565, which heads to the Senate for a vote, say a minimum-wage hike would help low-income workers and percolate out into the larger economy.

Republicans opposed the measure, which passed the Senate Executive Committee by a vote of 9-5.

Business owners who testified said it could stifle any growth they’ve seen in this still somewhat stagnant economy, and it’d make it too risky to employ teenagers, who often earn minimum wage in part-time jobs.

Doug Knight, owner of Knight’s Action Park, a water and recreation park near here, hires about 200 teenagers and young adults to work at his business. He said he was forced to scale back his operating hours after the last minimum wage hike in 2010 because he could not stay profitable.

“If my expenses go up, I have to raise my prices,” Knight said.

Illinois’ minimum wage is $8.25. The measure would increase it by 50 cents a year until it matches the inflation-adjusted equivalent of minimum wage in 1968, $1.60 per hour, which would be $10.58 today.

IDOT paying for roads, plus a lot for health care and rent

Money meant for maintaining state highways soon could be paying for some of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s day-to-day expenses.

Quinn’s budget proposal would divert almost $250 million from the state’s road fund — fueled by the state’s motor fuel tax and vehicle license fees — to pay IDOT’s health-care, workers’ compensation, and building rent and maintenance costs, according to the Transportation for Illinois Coalition, which advocates for transportation infrastructure upgrades.

That means less money would go to maintaining the state’s roads, David Kennedy, the coalition’s statehouse committee chairman, said.

“Generally people pay gas taxes and license plate fees, because they know the money is going towards the roads,” Kennedy said.

Some 2,500 miles of roads in the state are deemed unacceptable according to IDOT standards. That’s about 15 percent of all state-maintained roads. That number could double by 2018 if nothing is done, bringing the total number of miles of unacceptable state roads to more than 5,000.

State statute says road fund money must pay for transportation-related expenses.

But the diversion of road fund money allows IDOT to make up for its shrinking operating budget. Quinn’s proposed budget sets aside $19.2 million for IDOT’s day-to-day operations, a decrease from its current operating budget of $21.8 million.

Cuts in ed funding

As lawmakers undertake balancing the state budget, a proposal in the Illinois House could cut education funding by at least $258 million.

“We can’t shortchange our schools anymore” Gery Chico, chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education said.

During the past three years, school districts statewide have lost $650 million in funding.

Chico said the House’s plan could lead to cuts in school programs, staffing and the length of a school day. Raising taxes would be another possibility.

“What you don’t do today with a teacher in a classroom to help a child succeed will pan out over time,” Chico said. “You’ll have people who are less prepared, have less of a skill level and will have a harder time getting a job, sustaining their families, paying taxes and keeping their communities strong.”

The proposal relies on how successful lawmakers are in achieving the need $2.7 billion in Medicaid cuts. This means the reduction in education could be even higher— as much as $500 million or $750 million.

Quinn’s budget proposal spared cuts to education and keeps funding the same as last year.

Chico said the House proposal caught local school officials off guard.

Strip club tax moves forward

A revamped plan that could tax Illinois strip clubs danced its way out of the Senate Public Health Committee on Wednesday.

Under the revised measure, strip clubs that sell or allow alcohol would have to charge a $3 admission fee or opt to pay a flat fee based on the club’s tax revenue.

The previous version gave club owners the single option of paying a $5 visitor’s fee.

The potential tax is estimated to bring in $1 million, which would help fund rape crisis centers and sexual assault assistance programs.

“Sexually orientated businesses contribute to objectifying and exploiting women,” said Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, who supports the tax.

“The research has shown that a combination of live nude dancing and alcohol is a particularly dangerous one for areas in which these clubs are.”

Senate Bill 3348 heads to the Senate floor.

Appointment rejected because of man’s ties Muslim leader

Illinois senators rejected the appointment of a co-founder of an organization dedicated to a former Nation of Islam leader to the state’s Human Rights Commission.

Quinn recommended that Munir Muhammad, of Chicago, be reappointed to his commission seat — a position he’s held since 2003.

Lawmakers first questioned whether Muhammad was a good candidate for the commission due to his involvement with the Coalition for the Remembrance of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

Elijah Muhammad was a leader of black Muslims, and the coalition runs a website about his beliefs and involvement with the Nation of Islam. Some of his beliefs include prohibiting interracial marriage and supporting separate education for men and women.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

Week in Review: Betting on iGaming, controversy over Nation of Islam | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Study says cuts to home care lead to rising costs elsewhere

SteveJacobson — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:33:54 +0000

May 17, 2012

By Anthony Brino | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn wants to cut $11 million in Medicaid spending on home health care and, according to a new study, the move could lead to higher costs in nursing homes and hospitals.

The Chicago-based Health and Medicine Policy Research Group, a health-care policy nonprofit, found that other states that cut funding for home-based services, such as Hospice, saw costs rise for hospitalization and nursing homes.

The group scoured national studies and data on spending for Medicaid home services and spending on nursing homes and hospitalization for elderly patients. In Michigan, the group found, after home-care waivers were cut, spending on nursing homes and emergency hospitalization increased.

“Home care stretches dollars,” said Lisa Hardcastle, president of the Illinois HomeCare and Hospice Council, an association of home-care providers, which commissioned the study. “It is a service that can help more people for less money.”

The study comes amid the governor’s efforts to find $2.7 billion to plug shortfalls for Medicaid, a federal-state health care program for low-income residents, and a larger battle among lawmakers and interest groups over next year’s budget.

It also highlights a looming challenge for the state health-care system — health care for the elderly. Within a decade the number of retired Illinoisans, now about 2.3 million, is expected to grow to 3 million, according to the study.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

Study says cuts to home care lead to rising costs elsewhere | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Senate rejects Nation of Islam follower for human rights commission

JohnCorner77 — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:33:50 +0000

May 17, 2012

By Stephanie Fryer | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois senators Thursday rejected the reappointment of a co-founder of a group dedicated to a former Nation of Islam leader to the state’s Human Rights Commission.

Elijah Muhammad was a leader of black Muslims, and the coalition runs a website about his beliefs and involvement with the Nation of Islam. Some of his beliefs included prohibiting interracial marriage, supporting separate education for men and women, and worship of Allah.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

Senate rejects Nation of Islam follower for human rights commission | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

IL school chief warns of possible cuts to general state aid for schools

HaileyLangden — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:33:45 +0000

By Jayette Bolinski | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois’ school chief this week sounded the alarm on possible cuts to the amount of money the state will give local schools during the coming fiscal year.

Gery Chico, chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education, called on parents, taxpayers and school officials to contact their state representatives about a House proposal that would eliminate $258 million — or more — as lawmakers try to address the state’s backlog of bills.

As of April, the backlog stood at $5.5 billion, according to the state’s comptroller.

“We can’t shortchange our schools anymore,” Chico said, noting that the state’s 868 school districts have seen a loss of $650 million during the past three years. A loss of another $258 million could lead to cuts to school programs, staff and the length of the school day, or possible tax hikes, he said.

The House proposal is contingent upon how successful lawmakers are in achieving $2.7 billion in Medicaid cuts. That means the reduction in education spending could be higher — as much as $500 million or $750 million, state education officials project.

Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget proposal spared cuts to education and keeps funding levels the same as last year, Chico said.

He added that the House proposal caught local school officials off guard.

“Now it’s getting out there, and now we’re starting to hear back from people saying, ‘Wait a minute. No more cuts. We’re already doing a lot of cutting at our local level where we stemmed the tide. We don’t need this big surprise of funding cuts,’” Chico said.

Pete Sherman, spokesman for Springfield Public Schools in the capital city, said state spending cuts would have a severe domino effect on a district that, like so many others, is struggling to balance its budget.

“When we hear about additional money being taken away or additional expenses being placed on districts, we just don’t know where that money’s going to come from without cutting programs. It’s not like we also can just turn around get money elsewhere,” Sherman said, adding that Springfield’s school district is subject to tax caps.

The district, Sherman said, is cutting as much as it can, relying on fund balances and possibly even borrowing — all of which school officials expect to continue doing for the next two or three years.

“We’re already having one of the most difficult financial conversations we’ve ever had. Anything on top of that would make it really, really difficult,” he said.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

IL school chief warns of possible cuts to general state aid for schools | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Feds give IL $32M to set up health exchange despite law’s uncertainty

LorenFranze527 — Thu, 17 May 2012 04:21:32 +0000

May 16, 2012

By Anthony Brino | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gave Illinois $32.7 million to set up a health insurance exchange — even as legislative efforts to do so were abandoned amid uncertainty about the national health-care law’s future.

The grant was awarded as part of a $181 million package, split among six states, as seed money to establish the quasi-governmental online marketplaces selling health-care packages.

“In 2014, consumers in every state will have access to a new marketplace where they will be able to easily purchase affordable insurance,” said U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, states can craft their own exchanges by Nov. 12 or accept a federal model.

Illinois lawmakers suspended efforts to craft the exchange, as they await the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June on whether the law is unconstitutional.

If the law is struck down, it’s not clear what would happen to Illinois’ $32.7 million federal grant.

While Illinois lawmakers wait for the court’s decision, Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn could create an exchange by executive order, as governors in New York and Rhode Island have done.

Quinn’s health care adviser told the Associated Press he’s open to the idea.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

Feds give IL $32M to set up health exchange despite law’s uncertainty | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.