Update from the Capitol 5/25/15
Despite deadline, Democrats again refuse to pass balanced budget for FY16
The Illinois Constitution requires that the State annually pass a balanced budget in which revenues match mandated expenditures, but that hasn't happened every year. One way that House Speaker Michael Madigan has been Speaker for 32 of the past 34 years is by passing a series of unbalanced budgets, which have all spent money the State has not had. He has curried favor with powerful interests and forced Republicans to look like villains whenever steps are taken to prevent the spending of imaginary money.
Strong rumors were circulating in Springfield over the past week that Democrats were preparing another unbalanced budget for FY16, the fiscal year starting July 1, 2015. This budget may get filed this week. This phony budget is expected to commit $4 billion that Illinois does not possess to the Democrats' spending priorities. Governor Bruce Rauner has proposed a different budget for Illinois and has strengthened his calls for the State's government to live within its means. On the need for an honest budget that is truly balanced, I stand with Governor Rauner.
Democrats back proposal to raise income taxes by $1 billion/year
In addition to spending money the state doesn't have, Speaker Madigan last week also returned to another favorite page in his playbook- raise taxes on families and job creators. HJRCA 26 sponsored by Speaker Michael Madigan and 46 of his Democratic House colleagues, failed to win the required House super-majority vote last Thursday. HJRCA 26 would have imposed a separate, supplemental 3% surtax upon Illinois incomes exceeding $1 million/year.
When legislative Democrats and Governor Quinn raised taxes on working families and businesses in 2011 they claimed it would balance our budget and pay off old bills. After taking an additional $31 billion out of families' pockets, our finances are no better off than they were before- $6 billion in unpaid bills and a prospective budget that's billions of dollars in the red. With just days left in our scheduled session, we're still waiting for House Democrats to come to the table and enter into serious, honest negotiations with us and the Governor to get our budget and economy back on track.
As a constitutional amendment, the failed measure required a three-fifths majority (71 votes) in order to gain House approval. After getting to 68 votes in a tense roll call, the Speaker ordered the roll call to be dumped and the measure placed on the calendar order of "Consideration Postponed", which means he may call it for another vote at any time during the remainder of our spring session.
House Republican Freshmen back term limits
Last week I was proud to join other House Republican freshman legislators in backing measures to allow voters to impose term limits on the General Assembly.
There's no question that we're in the mess we're in largely because a handful of elected officials have put preserving their own power and control above the needs of Illinois families. I came to Springfield to help solve problems, not to become a ‘lifetime legislator. I support term limits for members of the General Assembly, and I think its past time that we put that choice before the voters as a constitutional amendment."
An initiative to put a binding term limits referendum on the 2014 General Election ballot was denied by a three-judge Illinois Appellate Court last August, leaving legislative action as the best alternative. With three separate joint constitutional amendments filed, House Republicans point to the onset of gridlock so early into the new Governor's first term along with the increasingly draconian House rules as evidence that term limits need immediate consideration.
House Republicans have three separate constitutional amendments filed aimed at imposing term limits in Illinois: HJRCA1 filed by Rep. Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove), HJRCA 10 filed by Rep. Joe Sosnowski (R- Rockford), and HJRCA 28 filed by Rep. Steve Andersson (R-Geneva); on which I am a co-sponsor, all seek to put on the ballot limits on legislative terms to varying degrees.
Bills Headed to the Governor
As we dive into the final week of our scheduled legislative session, I'm very pleased to let you know that several bills I sponsored this spring have now passed both Houses of the General Assembly and are headed to the Governor's desk for his signature.
House Bill 1407 ensures that the materials on SIDS prevention new parents receive at the hospital will include information developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics or a statewide or nationally recognized SIDS or medical association. As we continue to learn more about SIDS, prevention information continues to evolve as well. It's crucial that new parents leave the hospital armed with the best, most reliable information available on how they can protect their child from SIDS.
House Bill 1498 is aimed at keeping school students and faculty safe. It clarifies that school boards may go into executive session to discuss security details if they feel that's what they need to do to best ensure everyone's safety. It's a very unfortunate reality today that schools need to have security measures in place, and specific plans to deal with threats of violence in their buildings. Keeping students and staff safe must be the only concern in these situations.
House Bill 3944 will permit auxiliary lighting on motorcycles. This is in large part a safety issue. When you hear of an accident involving a motorcycle, you also hear many times that the driver in the car did not see the motorcycle before the collision. This bill will provide auxiliary lighting on motorcycles that will make them more visible to other motorists on the road. The auxiliary lighting will be directed toward the ground. It can be any color except red or blue, and it may not be blinking, flashing, rotating, etc.
The measure was initiated by ABATE in cooperation with their "Start Seeing Motorcycles" safety campaign.
Honoring Jack Redman
Memorial Day took on an even more special meaning this week for families in our district. Finally, Marine Private Jack Redman, who lost his life in battle on the island of Tarawa Atoll in the Central Pacific Ocean on November 23rd is home in Watseka.
Soldiers who fought beside Jack Redman on his final day reported that he was a true hero who saved the lives of five of his friends and was attempting to bring an injured man to safety when he was fatally shot.
His remains were lost overseas for more than 70 years, but his family, including his brothers Merrill and Eugene Redman, never gave up their efforts to find him and bring him home to Central Illinois.
Last fall an exhaustive 7-decade search for Jack Redman's pacific theater gravesite finally and successfully ended with his discovery by a Tarawa native and on May 16th Jack Redman was finally laid to rest at the G.A.R. Cemetery in Watseka with full military honors.
This week, the Illinois House is adopting a resolution I filed honoring Private Jack Redman and his family. Jack's heroism and his family's determination are truly inspiring.
As always, you can contact me via webform at http://www.repbennett.com/.