* From the governor’s office…

A Time for Choosing
State Senators Will Either Choose Reform or Side with Mike Madigan to Block it

SPRINGFIELD – With House Speaker Mike Madigan refusing to compromise and doubling down on a broken system, the state Senate is scheduled today to hold hearings on parts of Governor Rauner’s Turnaround Legislation.

Senate committees will conduct hearings on worker’s compensation reform, lawsuit reform and property tax freeze legislation that were filed last Friday. The Senate, however, is refusing to consider Term Limits and Redistricting Reform measures that were also introduced.

“Governor Rauner has made it clear that we cannot ask taxpayers to put more money into a broken system. The legislation being considered today represents some compromise reforms that are critical to turning Illinois around,” Rauner spokesman Lance Trover said. “Speaker Madigan and the politicians he controls in the House have made it clear all they want to do is raise taxes. Today, the Senate will begin to make clear whether they support reform or will side with Mike Madigan to block it.”

* From the Senate Republicans…

Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno’s legislation that embodies portions of Governor Rauner’s Turnaround agenda will be considered in committee [today], Wednesday.

Senate Bill 884 (Lawsuit Reform) and SB994 (Workers’ Comp Reform) would have a dramatic impact on the state’s economic health and jobs climate. The bills will be considered in Senate Judiciary Committee, 10am Wednesday. The committee has moved to Room 212 of the Capitol.

Senate 1046 which would enact a statewide property tax freeze and empower local governments to lower their costs is posted for the Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday at 2pm, Room 212.

The Senate Democrats have bottled up the Constitutional Amendments which would allow term limits (SJRCA14) and redistricting reform (SJRCA15) on the ballot. Sen. Radogno’s letter to Senate President Cullerton calling for those amendments to be assigned to committee is attached.

Sen. Radogno’s letter says, in part:

“In response to the public argument made on your behalf that Constitutional Amendments are only considered in even-numbered years, I remind you of House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 31, introduced on May 27, 2009 and adopted by both houses that same year. The chief Senate sponsor was Sen. Michael Noland.

HJRCA31 – establishing a gubernatorial recall process — was adopted after Governor Rod Blagojevich was impeached, convicted and removed from office by the General Assembly. The argument can be made that was an extraordinary time in Illinois history.

I argue this is no less extraordinary. People in this state fundamentally understand our system is corrupt and broken. It’s time to change it.”

Her full letter is here.

* Meanwhile AFSCME Council 31 is also getting into the act…

TO: All Local Union Executive Board Members – Local Government and School District Locals

FR: Roberta Lynch, Executive Director
Mike Newman, Deputy Director

RE: Rauner Bill to Wipe Out Bargaining Rights

Many of you have been involved in the highly successful labor campaign to beat back Bruce Rauner’s “Turnaround Agenda” resolutions in local governmental bodies all across Illinois. Given how little progress he’s made there, Rauner is now taking his anti-union schemes directly to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the final days of the legislative session, he’s suddenly introduced a bill aimed squarely at employees of local governments and schools districts—taking away your rights to bargain over wages, benefits and other key conditions of employment. In a characteristically sneaky move, he’s packaged this ferocious attack on collective bargaining rights in the same bill as a freeze on property taxes. He’s trying to scare legislators into voting to obliterate union rights for fear that they’ll be painted as being in favor of higher property taxes if they don’t.

We’ve got to act immediately to block this legislation. In addition to harming every employee of local governments and school districts, it would also hurt every building trades employee in your area by barring local governments from paying the prevailing wage on construction projects.

SB 1046, SA #1 (Radogno) – Removes the ability of employees to collectively bargain with school districts and local governments over:

o Privatization of services;

o Pay increases;

o Health insurance;

o Use of employee time for union business

o Levels of staffing;

o Personnel evaluations

Prevailing wage would not be applicable to work done on projects performed on behalf of a local government or school.

SB 1046, SA #1 will be heard in Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday, May 27th. Please try to generate as many calls as you can from your members IMMEDIATELY. Choose the senators whose districts you are most likely to have members in.

…Adding… Press release…

Statement by Nick Klitzing, Executive Director, Illinois Republican Party

“Illinoisans are experiencing déjà vu this year because they’ve seen Speaker Mike Madigan’s political games time and time again. Instead of reforming a system that Madigan uses to reward those blindly loyal to him, he will pass a budget with a $4 billion hole and admit that the state doesn’t have the money to pay for it. For Madigan, kicking the can down the road is a lot easier than making tough choices and upsetting the status quo in state government that he has controlled for decades.”