Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) says Madigan’s plan should “scare the daylights out of suburban property taxpayers.”
- OPINION
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Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Dear editor, Speaker Madigan’s continued push for shifting the costs of teachers’ pensions onto local schools should scare the daylights out of suburban property taxpayers. Under the guise of “pension reform,” Madigan and Governor Quinn will shift hundreds of millions in pension costs to local schools -- forcing massive cuts or property tax increases onto suburban and downstate homeowners. It makes sense for schools to have “skin in the game,” but pension benefits are set by the Illinois General Assembly. To allow politicians in Springfield to set the benefits – but send the bill to suburban property taxpayers is a recipe for disaster. Illinois desperately needs public employee pension reform. But we cannot allow decades of mismanagement …
Sunday, September 2, 2012
As we start a new week, it's always good to get caught up on state politics. Here's an easy guide to what happened last week.
- GOVERNMENT
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Sunday, September 2, 2012
Editor's Note: This article was created by aggregating news articles from Illinois Watchdog, formerly Illinois Statehouse News. SPRINGFIELD — With the Labor Day weekend looming, unionized state employees found themselves tangled in much of the news that affected state government last week — from the state’s continued pension-reform gridlock to a dispute over raises for state workers. S&P downgrades IL’s credit rating, citing pension stalemate Standard and Poor’s nicked the state of Illinois’ credit rating Wednesday, citing its “weak pension funding levels and lack of action on reform measures.” S&P downgraded Illinois from an A+ rating to an A rating. A lower credit rating means the state could pay more for interest when it borrows money…
Sunday, August 19, 2012
As we start a new week, it's always good to get caught up on state politics. Here's an easy guide to what happened last week.
- GOVERNMENT
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Sunday, August 19, 2012
Editor's Note: This article was created by aggregating news articles from Illinois Watchdog, formerly Illinois Statehouse News. SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Democrats had a no-good, very bad week, starting Wednesday when disgruntled state workers and retirees booed and heckled them off the stage during the usually upbeat Governor’s Day rally at the Illinois State Fair. It ended Friday, when lawmakers called back for a taxpayer-funded special session by Gov. Pat Quinn were unable to come to any kind of agreement on pension reform for the state, which continues to drown in pension debt. Jeers for Quinn, other Democratic leaders at state fair Thousands of people gathered at the Illinois State Fair Wednesday, officially “Governor’s Day” at the fair…
Friday, August 17, 2012
Local state legislators expect pension reform to be discussed, but to what extent and whether any formal voting will take place remains unclear.
- GOVERNMENT
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Friday, August 17, 2012
Members of Illinois’ General Assembly seem to agree on one aspect of what’s expected at Friday’s special session in Springfield called by Gov. Pat Quinn. Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) will face expulsion by the Illinois House in a vote, after he was accused of taking a $7,000 bribe from a campaign worker in a sting operation. But throngs of state employees, including teachers, are now down in Springfield protesting different aspects of pension reform, not Smith’s likely removal from office. Quinn called a special session of the general assembly for Friday under claims to fix the pension problems facing the state, now totaling about $83 billion in unfunded liabilities among the various state employees. Local legislators, as the date …
Sunday, August 5, 2012
As we start a new week, it's always good to get caught up on state politics. Here's an easy guide to what happened last week.
- GOVERNMENT
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Sunday, August 5, 2012
Editor's Note: This article was created by aggregating news articles from Illinois Watchdog, formerly Illinois Statehouse News. SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Pat Quinn increased transparency in one part of state government this week, but his own office failed to release emails that could shine light on his handling of public discourse about prison closures. Prepaid tuition fund to become more transparent Illinois families who invested in the state’s troubled prepaid tuition program will enjoy more transparency in the system because of legislation signed into law Wednesday. The bill, House Bill 3923, requires meetings about the state’s prepaid tuition fund, known as College Illinois!, to be open to the public under the state’s Open Meetings Act. The …
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
The Illinois General Assembly will meet Aug. 17 to discuss the state's massive unfunded pension liability, as well as a controversial plan to shift the cost of teacher pensions to local school districts.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday called for a special session of the General Assembly on Aug. 17 to tackle pension reform. The Illinois House was already scheduled to be back in Springfield to decide the fate of indicted Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago), the Chicago Tribune reports. The governor's call means the Senate must also convene. Quinn made the announcement during a speech to the City Club of Chicago, calling on lawmakers to deal with "comprehensive" reforms that address the state's $83 billion unfunded pension liability. The state legislature failed to reach an agreement on pension reform during its regular spring session in May, despite last-minute efforts to strike a deal. Quinn said lawmakers "can't afford to wait another moment…
Sunday, July 22, 2012
It's always good to be caught up on state politics. Here's an easy guide to what happened this week.
- GOVERNMENT
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Sunday, July 22, 2012
Editor's Note: This article was created by aggregating news articles from Illinois Statehouse News. SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois House this week came another step closer to expelling indicted state Rep. Derrick Smith from the chamber, and Gov. Pat Quinn headed to southern Illinois to examine drought damage and dodge protesters. Illinois Statehouse News compiled these stories for this week in review. House committee recommends expulsion for Smith A bipartisan committee of House lawmakers voted Thursday to recommend that Smith, the Chicago Democrat under federal indictment for bribery, be expelled from the state House. Of the 12 representatives on the Select Committee on Discipline, 11 voted in favor of recommending expulsion with state Rep. …
Sunday, July 15, 2012
It's always good to be caught up on state politics. Here's an easy guide to what happened this week.
- GOVERNMENT
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Sunday, July 15, 2012
Editor's Note: This article was created by aggregating news articles from Illinois Statehouse News that were written by various Illinois Statehouse News reporters. SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Pat Quinn this week signed off on a bill that eliminates the state’s decades-old legislative scholarship perk, and a committee of House lawmakers denied a request by indicted state Rep. Derrick Smith to delay a hearing to determine punishment. Quinn signs bill to abolish legislative scholarship program Illinois’ century-old legislative scholarship program started with good intentions but was hijacked by “a small band of craven lawmakers with the worst of intentions,” a government watchdog said this week. Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday signed a bill that abolishes…
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
House Minority Leader Tom Cross and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno applauded Gov. Pat Quinn for signing off on legislation to abolish the controversial program.
Local lawmakers applauded Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday for signing off on legislation to abolish the state's scandal-ridden legislative scholarship program. The adoption of House Bill 3810 ends 100 years of legislators being able to award deserving or undeserving college students with annual scholarships to state universities, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The controversial program came under fire in recent years after legislators began misusing it, awarding scholarships to children of legislative employees and campaign donors instead of students in need of financial aid. “There is no place for political scholarships in Illinois,” Quinn told NBC Chicago. “I believe in the power of education, the importance of ethics and integrity…
Sunday, June 24, 2012
It's always good to be caught up on state politics. Here's an easy guide to what happened this week.
- GOVERNMENT
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Sunday, June 24, 2012
SPRINGFIELD — In an ongoing effort to slash state spending, Gov. Pat Quinn this week signed a bill eliminating free health care for state retirees and revealed he intends to move forward with prison closures throughout Illinois. Quinn signs bill eliminating free health care for state retirees Quinn on Thursday signed legislation to end premium-free health insurance for state retirees. The state spends about $800 million yearly on the insurance program, but the exact savings from the new law will not be known, until a premium rate is negotiated between the state and public labor unions. “Those who have faithfully served the state deserve access to quality health care, and insurance costs should be more balanced and based on actual …
Victor Fischer
11:02 am on Friday, November 2, 2012
We pay the teacher pension thru our property taxes, and along with that pay for the double dipping of the Illinois politicians. What gives the politicians the right to vote themselves raises, collect pensions from one previous position and then work on collecting a hefty pension from another political position. I vote no for the revision. Its time Illinois politicians start running the state as … more ›