Illinois 58th District State Representative Newsletter )
October 4, 2009
In this issue
  • Report on Ethics Reform
  • Energy and Entrepreneurship Meeting Monday, October 5
  • Scholarship Facts

    • Greetings

    As we head to Springfield for our veto session, the second and fourth weeks in October, I want to give you an update on several important issues that will likely be topics of discussion. As always, thanks for your input on all of the critical issues important to our communities. I value your opinions greatly.


    		Report on Ethics Reform

    In the wake of administration scandals by former Governors George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, I introduced, sponsored and led the way in advancing measures to pass a sweeping set of government reform bills - the most comprehensive and far-reaching ethics overhaul in state history. Because the media tend to focus on what is not accomplished, I am providing a list of our initiatives as an easy reference so constituents can be fully informed of our progress.

    Four measures passed and are now law:

    • Senate Bill 189 strengthens the state's Freedom of Information Act to make it easier for citizens to gain access to government documents (Status: Public Act 96-0542)
    • Senate Bill 364 overhauls the operations of the state pension systems to protect taxpayers and retirees and prevent scams (Status: Public Act 96-0006)
    • Senate Bill 54 broadens the state Ethics Act to protect whistleblowers, impose tougher revolving door prohibitions, prevent conflicts of interest, provide greater investigative powers to inspectors general, and create tougher regulation and disclosure requirements for lobbyists (Status: Public Act 96-0555)
    • House Bill 35 requires the state to create the online Illinois Transparency and Accountability Portal to provide direct access to details about how the state spends taxpayers' money (Status: Public Act 96-0225)

    Two more bills passed, but are still being worked on because of the Governor's amendatory veto. I look on this as an opportunity for further strengthening the bills during our October veto session:

    • Senate Bill 2090 makes it harder for elected officials to receive pay raises by blocking a 3% cost-of-living salary increase that is scheduled to go into effect this year, and requires legislators to take 12 unpaid furlough days to help balance the state's budget (Status: Passed General Assembly, Amendatory Veto by Governor). I agree with the Governor's suggestion to strengthen the bill by permanently disallowing the annual cost of living increase.
    • Senate Bill 51 imposes reforms on the state procurement system to prevent pay-to-play politics (Status: Passed General Assembly, Amendatory Veto by Governor). The Governor's suggested changes appear to be mostly technical and do not change the substance of the underlying reform measures.

    Although I have supported recall measures in two different bills, our action this year has so far been stalled:

    • House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 31 allows voters to recall the governor in the middle of a term (Status: awaits action in the Senate).

    Campaign finance reform still comes up short:

    • I sponsored and fought for legislation to put a cap in our state contribution limits to match the federal level of $2,400 per election cycle. However, as HB 7 was negotiated, it was weakened considerably and I voted against the weak version. The Governor has vetoed the bill and I will continue pushing for stronger campaign finance limits. I appreciate the response from all of you in the district who wrote and called to show your strong support of my positions on ethics and reform.

    		Energy and Entrepreneurship Meeting Monday, October 5

    I am hosting a meeting to discuss funding sources and green thinking for renewable energy and sustainability. I am so pleased that Jonathan Feipel, Deputy Director of DCEO and Kate Tomford of the Green Government Coordinating Council (and Governor Quinn's staff) will be on hand to advise local entrepreneurs and governments. It will be at 1 pm on Monday, Oct. 5 at the Highland Park Recreation Center, 1207 Park Ave West, Highland Park. If you have questions or know others who would like to attend, call our office at 847-433-9100.

    		Scholarship Facts

    I am happy to be able to award free tuition at state schools each year to eight worthy students from the district. Recent press reports called into question the tuition waiver program and I want to make sure you know about the "firewall" I use in the process. Each year, I have an independent group of individuals selecting the students based solely on academic performance, financial need and community service. I have absolutely no input whatsoever into the student selection process. Year after year, I am so impressed by the caliber of students selected and I am proud to be able to provide an opportunity to these incredible people to attend one of our fine state universities. The topic came up again at a recent public meeting sponsored by the Lake Forest - Lake Bluff League of Women Voters and the constituents encouraged me to continue offering the "scholarships" in the manner in which I have with safeguards.

    Also on the issue of college education, I am hopeful that we will be able to find support during our October Veto Session for funding sources to sustain the Monetary Award Program (MAP) student grants. These state-funded grants help many students pay for college, but the state's dire budget situation meant there was not enough money to be awarded for the second semester for thousands of students. Knowing the importance of these grants for many students to be able to continue their higher education, I will work hard on their behalves to try to restore the funding.

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    phone: (847) 433-9100