Question of the day
Thursday, May 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* State Sen. Dan Kotowski, his chamber’s softball coach, was noticeably peeved with the way I wrote my story today about last night’s game. The Senate won, 7-3, yet Kotowski thought I should have placed far more emphasis on the Senate’s alleged “skills” rather than the innumerable blunders by House players (which I found far more entertaining).
So, today he rose in debate, and for several fiery minutes Kotowski tore into my story and regaled his legislative audience with heroic tales from last night.
* It was all in fun. I teased him afterward by asking him what he (the chairman of a Senate appropriations committee) and Bruce Rauner have in common.
The answer? Neither guy has a budget plan.
* From Kotowski’s Facebook page…
* The Question: Caption?
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Know hope
Thursday, May 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The House passed this bill 98-18…
Children who suffer from epilepsy would be able to use medical marijuana to treat their condition under legislation the House overwhelmingly approved today.
The measure would add epilepsy to the list of ailments treatable under the state’s medical marijuana program and specifically allow children to have access.
Sponsoring Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, said the legislation creates a “path” that would help many children in need of relief from seizures. “This product is incredibly helpful for young children with epilepsy,” Lang said.
Lang received support from House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs. Durkin said he was skeptical at first, but he was convinced children would not become addicted.
* And check this out…
The GOP caucus was divided on the issue: 14 Republicans voted no; 32 voted yes.
Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, said while she’d be open to extending the current marijuana law to kids with epilepsy, she didn’t think it was wise to give the Department of Public Health the power to extend medicinal marijuana law to minors with other conditions.
“We’re giving them a lot of leeway to decide…what conditions this product could be used for, setting it up with the rulemakers and not just specifying that it’s only for epilepsy—which we know it helps epilepsy,” Ives said. “They’re going to have a lot of leeway here.”
But several Republicans supported Lang’s bill, including Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, and Ron Sandack, R-Downers Grove, who both initially voted against the medicinal marijuana law.
Rep. Ives says “we know it helps epilepsy.”
Man, that’s progress, even if she didn’t vote for it.
Can you imagine such a bill even being debated a few years ago? No way. Medical marijuana for children? You’d have been tarred and feathered and run outta town.
The roll call is here.
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Fun with numbers
Thursday, May 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As I’ve told you before, whenever you don’t see actual numbers in an article, beware what you read…
Illinois Democrats are discussing expanding Medicaid spending at the same time Gov. Pat Quinn is laying out a “doomsday” budget if he doesn’t get a temporary income tax increase extended.
The Springfield bureau of Lee Newspapers in Illinois reported Thursday that lawmakers are considering restoring dental care and podiatry services. They were eliminated in a 2012 reform aimed at saving $1.6 billion.
Rep. Greg Harris, a Chicago Democrat and leader on Medicaid, says restoration depends on having revenue to pay for it.
But he said it’s worth a look because when patients seek treatment for ailments not covered, they go to the emergency room, and individual emergency room visits are more expensive than Medicaid-covered trips to the doctor.
* More…
Republicans say its ridiculous for Democrats to talk about avoiding a budget apocalypse by raising taxes while at the same time meeting behind closed doors to discuss an expansion of spending.
“They are clearly not interested in our input,” said state Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon.
State Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, said some of the proposed changes are necessary in order to comply with new federal rules.
In addition, she and Harris said a review of programs cut in the Medicaid reforms of 2012 found that it could cost less to add back adult dental care and podiatry services in order to stop people from going to emergency rooms, where treatment is more expensive.
* OK, first of all, that $1.6 billion mentioned above is the total Medicaid savings from all cuts and reforms. It’s not these two items, which are rather small. Here’s the state’s Medicaid share of what we’re actually talking about here…
$17.5 million for adult dental
$2.5 million for podiatry
So, all this hue and cry over $20 million so people can get some preventative care in order to stay out of the emergency rooms, which costs a whole lot more money - some say three times more.
Oh, and by the way, Medicaid currently won’t cover anesthesia or pain killers if you go to an emergency room for a tooth extraction.
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* From yesterday…
Several dozen unionized Stroger Hospital employees descended on a Cook County board meeting Wednesday, expressing their displeasure with President Toni Preckwinkle’s pension-reform plan, which is expected to surface soon in Springfield.
As county hospital workers waited their turn to address the board, the echoes of an overflow crowd could be heard chanting “save our pensions” from a hallway outside the boardroom. […]
When asked what her thoughts on the workers concerns were, Preckwinkle said she was obligated to revamp county pensions.
“In 2034 it runs out of money. And then there’s no pension for anybody,” she said.
The county’s pension accounts — which are about 54 percent funded — are not as severely underfunded as the city’s.
* She’s in Springfield today lobbying for her pension bill
“We put this together, because we knew if we didn’t do something . . . then we’re probably going to suffer . . . downgrades in our bonds,” Preckwinkle added. “And the longer we wait, the harder it is to do, the more money is required, the more difficult it is. So we’re pushing to get something done by the end of the session.”
Doing so, in the face of so-called pension fatigue after the General Assembly recently passed bills making changes to state and city of Chicago pension plans, may be a tall order. Gov. Pat Quinn has yet to sign the bill that would make changes to two of four Chicago pension plans that are in worse financial shape than the county plan. Preckwinkle said she’s talked to Quinn.
“I’ve talked to him about the fact that we will be trying to secure passage in this session,” she said. “He was noncommittal, but I’m hopeful that he will be supportive. I think it’s no secret that this is complicated by the fact that he has a city pension bill on his desk already.”
Quinn is in a tough spot, as he mulls whether to sign a city plan that likely would lead to a $250 million tax increase over the next five years, even as he talks about granting a larger income tax break to offset property taxes for homeowners across the state.
Yeah, but he also said he was “Put on this Earth” to solve the pension problems. Now, when property taxes could rise as a result, he doesn’t wanna hear about any pension reforms.
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Black activist pastor endorses Oberweis
Thursday, May 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Chicago Rev. Corey Brooks has endorsed Jim Oberweis for US Senate…
Last weekend, Oberweis, a state Senator from Sugar Grove, volunteered in Brooks’ Woodlawn community anti-crime program.
In a release from the Oberweis campaign, Brooks said “he believes Democrats like U.S. Senator Dick Durbin have taken the African-American vote for granted and he wants to change that dynamic.
“I do not support Democrats or Republicans automatically,” Brooks said in the statement. “I support the men or women who are more likely to help our community, no matter what label they wear. Jim Oberweis has demonstrated to me he cares about our problems and will work hard on the solutions.” […]
Brooks hit the news in February, 2012 for sitting on the roof of a former motel for more than 90 days until he raised enough money to buy the property near the church at 6625 S. King Drive.
* Lots of folks love to give Oberweis heck, but I gotta tell you, he’s running a much better campaign than many, myself included, expected.
More…
Oberweis, a state senator from west suburban Sugar Grove, is the part-owner of a dairy and ice cream business and two investment firms that carry his name. Brooks said he believes job creation is key to stemming violence on the South Side, and said he was impressed with Oberweis’ experience in that area.
Brooks, who frequently serves as a family spokesman for crime victims, said he was raised a Democrat but is currently a political independent. The Park Manor neighborhood pastor said he disagrees with Oberweis on some issues, though he declined to cite them.
Brooks said he has never met Durbin, the Democratic incumbent who has been in the Senate since 1996. But the pastor said Oberweis has been a regular on the South Side, and that the two “have had very candid conversations.”
Oberweis should be given credit for taking the time to court Brooks.
* Related…
* Somehow I was added to a GOP mailing list
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Caption contest!
Thursday, May 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mark Konkol received an e-mailed complaint this week…
“Footlong dandelions all over,” wrote the unhappy neighbor who sent the pictures. “Worst on the block. … I don’t know what’s worse, the front yard or the back.”
The dandelion tattletale said he sent the pictures because the dandelions and tall grass grow on the front lawn of a prominent Chicagoan who prides himself on regular-guy sensibilities — Gov. Pat Quinn.
I drove out to the governor’s West Side home to confirm that the front lawn of Quinn’s modest Georgian — on a quiet residential block of tidy lawns in Galewood — indeed was the same house with the weed-choked lawn in the pictures. As proof, I took a few artsy photos that proved the tipster right. […]
[Quinn’s spokeswoman, Brooke Anderson] told me that Gov. Quinn is a very good neighbor, but he’s been very busy finishing up the legislative session in Springfield.
Tending to the front lawn, Anderson said, is definitely “on his to-do list.”
* The photo…
I’m kinda thinking that Bruce Rauner has people for that sort of task.
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* Sen. Terry Link has been attempting to put together a deal to reform local police and firefighter pension plans. Link, who voted against state pension reform, has made it clear that he wants what he considers to be a constitutional solution. WBEZ reports that Link is close to a deal. We’ll see…
One proposal Link outlined during a closed-door meeting earlier this week would grant pension funds wider latitude in how they can invest their money. Illinois pension law currently restricts how much money pension funds can pour into certain types of investments - such as stocks - with smaller pension funds facing tighter restrictions, while larger ones are free to take more risks. Critics say this has hamstrung police and fire funds that might otherwise have seen bigger investment returns.
Another proposal would change the makeup of the hundreds of five-member boards that govern police and fire pension funds outside of Chicago. Right now, two members are appointed by each municipality, with two elected from the ranks of working cops and firefighters and one retiree. Municipal groups argue that leaves them in the minority during key pension fund votes. According to sources, Link wants to increase the boards to six members - three appointed by the municipality and three chosen by public safety workers - possibly with a seventh member chosen by the whole group.
A third idea would allow smaller pension funds to pool their assets and invest them together. This falls far short of the mayors’ call to consolidate Illinois’ hundreds of discrete pension fund into a single entity, similar to the fund for municipal workers around the state. But backers say it would provide more stability for funds with less money to invest.
Link’s proposed [five-year moratorium on changes to the pension law without both parties’ consent] could be a tough sell. It would mean cops and firefighters wouldn’t be able to win the sort of benefit enhancements that mayors have blamed for their public safety pension woes. But it also means mayors and municipal groups wouldn’t be able to fight for more sweeping reforms - with bigger savings - in the near future.
The firefighters and coppers always point out that they negotiated those previous pension changes with local governments.
Discuss.
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* From an amendment introduced today by House Speaker Michael Madigan…
The State Board of Elections shall cause a statewide advisory question of public policy to be submitted to the voters at the general election to be held on November 4, 2014. The question shall appear in the following form:
“Should the Illinois Constitution be amended to require that each school district receive additional revenue, based on their number of students, from an additional 3% tax on income greater than one million dollars?”
It ain’t ever boring around here, that’s for sure.
*** UPDATE *** From Madigan’s spokesman in comments…
Expect the Speaker to testify on behalf of this topic at the House Revenue Committee about 1 p.m.
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So, where are all these great ideas?
Thursday, May 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Early in 2013, as Bruce Rauner was still mulling a run for governor, the Republican businessman said he was working hard on a plan to fix Illinois’ broken pension system. “We are doing a lot of research on that topic and we have some good ideas coming,” he told WTTW-Ch. 11 back then.
Fast-forward 15 months…
“We are doing all the detailed analysis now and we’ll discuss that when we unveil our plan,” Rauner said when asked to explain his pension plans after a campaign event Monday. He did not say when to expect that unveiling.
You really should go read the whole thing.
* More from the story…
Candidates for major office typically offer up detailed position papers on education, the environment, public safety, taxes and other issues. Rauner, throughout a lengthy primary campaign and now two months into a general election battle, has largely confined himself to verbal shorthand.
Rauner’s campaign website’s “Issues” page is mostly just pablum and brief talking points.
* Even the legendary and usually mild-mannered WGN agriculture commentator Orion Samuelson is starting to get fed up. Check out what he told Rauner on Steve Cochran’s radio show late last month…
“I continue to be disappointed by the lack of reference to the state’s most important industry, agriculture.”
Samuelson asked Rauner if he had an agriculture advisory committee. Rauner said he didn’t yet have any advisory groups on any issues, but said the groups were “in formation.”
Rauner then promised to work closely with Samuelson and called ag “the backbone of the Illinois economy.”
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Madigan: Just 34 HDems back tax hike
Thursday, May 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* SJ-R…
With little support among House Democrats to extend the temporary income tax increase, House Speaker Michael Madigan has ordered budget negotiators to prepare a new spending plan that will contain steep cuts to state programs.
Madigan emerged from a brief private meeting with House Democrats on Wednesday to say two days of intense lobbying of members by himself, Gov. Pat Quinn and interest groups with a stake in keeping the tax hike in place failed to win over members.
“Today we took a vote in the House Democratic caucus,” Madigan said. “There were 34 members of the caucus voting ‘yes.’ There were a little over 30 voting ‘no.’” […]
In light of that, Madigan said he’s instructed appropriations committees to begin preparing spending plans based on the tax expiring. Various estimates have said the state stands to lose $1.6 billion to $2 billion in revenue next year, mostly as a result of the tax expiring.
* Tribune…
The specifics of those cuts will roll out ahead of the legislature’s May 31 adjournment. The idea is to pressure recalcitrant Democrats by showing them what they’ll be giving up if they don’t vote to make permanent what was billed as a temporary income-tax increase in 2011. That took the state income tax rate from 3 percent to 5 percent, but it is scheduled to fall back to 3.75 percent in January if lawmakers don’t act, greatly reducing the amount of taxpayer money flowing into state coffers.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m going to continue to work for the governor’s proposal,” Madigan said. “I presume the governor is going to continue to work for the proposal. However, the clock is running, and we’re getting close to the end of the month.”
The 34 votes in support of the governor’s tax hike proposal is far short of the 50-something votes the Quinn administration was projecting it had in hand.
Subscribers know more about that last line.
* Sun-Times…
Madigan also appeared to throw cold water on the idea of a capital construction program that could be used to leverage some Democratic fence-sitters with the offer of goodies to hand out to constituents before the Nov. 4 election.
“There’s no movement. There’s a lot of discussion,” the speaker said. “In my discussions with members, some of those members talked about capital projects, but I didn’t.” […]
[Senate President John Cullerton] appeared to support Madigan’s logic in presenting his members with a far more austere budget.
“I haven’t talked to the speaker yet, so I’m not sure what other alternatives he has. But assuming he doesn’t have the votes to extend the income tax, then you have to do a budget. You can’t do parts of the budget for six months. You can’t hire teachers for six months, for example,” he said.
* AP…
Meanwhile, other efforts to garner support for the tax increase are ongoing.
Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, proposed legislation Wednesday to create a capital construction program for transportation projects in members’ districts. It would be paid for with the state’s sales tax on gasoline, but Nekritz said it only would be possible if the tax hike is approved so money from gas taxes doesn’t have to be used elsewhere. […]
The plan would divert the state’s share of money from the 6.25 percent of sales tax on motor fuels from the general revenue fund to a newly created Transportation Reform Fund. Eighty percent of that money would be used for highway maintenance, construction and bridge repair, congestion relief and construction of aviation facilities; 20 percent would be used for rail and mass transit.
Sue Hofer, spokeswoman for the state Department of Revenue, says gas sales tax generates about $780 million a year for schools, social services and public safety.
* Raw audio of MJM’s presser from WUIS…
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ATTENTION SUBSCRIBERS
Thursday, May 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’m having trouble with my fax server host this morning. I’m not sure what’s going on yet, but we’re working on it. In the meantime, you can always click here and access today’s issue online.
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