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Protected: *** UPDATED x1 *** SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Session update

Friday, May 31, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

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*** UPDATED x3 *** Nekritz: Maybe we should pass both bills

Friday, May 31, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Rep. Elaine Nekritz may have shown the way forward today on stalled pension reform legislation. From the Daily Herald…

Nekrtiz said that given the Illinois Senate’s strong rejection of her [pension] proposal Thursday, she’d be open to an idea proposed by Senate President John Cullerton that would have lawmakers approve two competing plans. That would, in theory, let the courts strike one down plan and let the other stand.

Showing the immense legal complexities of the debate, Nekritz said she’d only go along if the two plans were approved in separate legislation, not in one bill.

“That’s something that I think we should consider,” she said.

I’m not sure how they could pass both bills as separate entities because it would be a legal nightmare, unless one was held up with a parliamentary hold while the other moved through the courts. That’s a scenario I told subscribers about weeks ago.

*** UPDATE 1 *** Rep. Nekritz’s spokesperson told me that the parliamentary hold idea (making a motion to reconsider and then keeping it on until it has to be lifted as a backup) is exactly what Nekritz was referring to when she talked to the Daily Herald.

*** UPDATE 2 *** They may need to get something done quick or trouble could be afoot. Reuters…

Moody’s Investors Service warned the state of Illinois that its credit rating could fall further if the legislature fails to fix the state’s huge public pension problem.

“Our view is that failure to enact pension reforms could drive the state’s general obligation bond rating lower from A2, which is already the lowest level for a U.S. state,” said Moody’s analyst Ted Hampton.

*** UPDATE 3 *** The obvious problem with the idea is that the court case on the first bill could end up lasting longer than the 98th General Assembly. If that happened, then the parliamentary hold would expire, along with the bill. So, it may very well be a no-go with the Senate Democrats.

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*** UPDATED x1 - Joe Walsh responds *** Yeah, that’ll work

Friday, May 31, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Joe Walsh admits that he didn’t even try to get elected state party chairman…

From what I hear, most if not all of the members of the State Central Committee have already made up their mind as to who they are going to vote for tomorrow for the Republican Party Chairman. They’ve been lobbied for weeks by certain candidates, all the usual political deals have been cut, and it sounds like tomorrow’s silly, closed door process of a five minute speech followed by 20 minutes of questioning in private executive session is just for show.

I haven’t lobbied or spoken with any members of the SCC. My intention was to drive to Springfield tomorrow and tell them what the Republican Party needed if it wanted to avoid permanent extinction in Illinois. My message was going to be brief and clear — the next Party Chair had better be a reform conservative. Someone who can rally and energize the Party base of conservatives and independents behind our core principles of freedom, limited government, and individual responsibility and then develop a well financed plan to passionately take that message out to the rest of the voters in the State. Seems pretty simple to me. What the Party can’t do is pick another establishment insider who doesn’t know or care about its core voters.

Yeah. That’s somebody who would’ve been a great chairman. Don’t bother to do any legwork, just show up and pontificate.

Besides, there’s no way he was gonna give up his new radio gig for that party post.

*** UPDATE *** An e-mail from Joe Walsh…

your objectivity continues to amaze.

I never said i didn’t try to become chair — I said i wasnt going to lobby individual members of the SCC. My intention is to go down there tomorrow and make my case.

And…how do you know I wouldnt give up my radio gig if picked as party chair? Nobody would know that but me…

come on rich…do a little better

I doubt you can be state party chairman and host a radio show. But maybe I’m wrong.

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*** UPDATED x1 *** Tentative agreement on concealed carry

Friday, May 31, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

*** UPDATE *** The new bill is here. There’s also a technical amendment here.

[ *** End Of Update *** ]

* The SJ-R has some deets about a tentative concealed carry deal…

Forby said an “absolute pre-emption” provision that wipes out all local gun regulations — even those unrelated to concealed carry — has been dropped despite objections from pro-gun lawmakers.

Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, who also was involved in negotiations, said municipalities could keep current gun ordinances, such as Chicago’s assault-weapons ban and Cook County’s firearm and ammunition tax, but would be prohibited from enacting ordinances that could potentially deter a person’s Second Amendment rights.

Municipalities also would have a window of time to enact ordinances if they hadn’t done so already, he said.

Despite strong objections from Senate Democrats, people will be able to bring their guns into bars or restaurants, depending on how much of their sales come from alcohol. But business owners could still post signs prohibiting weapons if they wish.

Chicago’s firearm registration ordinance appears to have been preempted as well.

* More…

But the revised version also would toughen penalties for carrying a firearm while drunk.

The bill would prohibit guns from being carried in places like CTA and Metra buses and trains, casinos, government buildings, stadiums and several other locations that were banned in previous incarnations, he said.

The proposal would require the Illinois State Police to review applications for concealed carry permits, but local law enforcement could object if they believed an applicant was a public danger. Those objections could be appealed to an independent board.

Passage depends upon keeping the Senate’s liberals on the roll call. So far so good, but nothing is ever easy or guaranteed. As of last night, the plan was to start the bill in the Senate. We’ll see.

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*** LIVE *** SESSION COVERAGE

Friday, May 31, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Blackberry users click here…

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*** UPDATED x1 - BIMP *** The mother of all development bills

Thursday, May 30, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

* McCormick Place expansion, a new third airport board, Rosemont convention incentives, a Downstate fertilizer plant, a brownfields redevelopment plan and who knows what the heck else, but there’s tons of projects in House Amendment 2 to SB 20. Go check it out.

*** UPDATE *** I haven’t had a chance to read it all yet and I missed the committee hearing, but the budget implementation bill (usually very much worth a read) is here.

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*** UPDATED x1 *** Nekritz: House pension plan saves more state dollars

Thursday, May 30, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Rep. Elaine Nekrtitz’s spokesman has responded to the We Are One coalition’s research which shows that their pension reform plan saves more than the House’s plan off the unfunded liability…

This new report suggests more significant savings from SB 2404 than SB 1 if you calculate in health care savings from employee choices. But there are a couple of important points.

Senate Bill 1 makes important changes to how Illinois calculates and funds its pension systems according to actuarial science — changes intended to ensure we pay into these systems what is required to meet our obligations. These actuarially appropriate changes are not included in Senate Bill 2404.

Assuming the health care numbers cited are correct, unfunded liability savings are not the only important calculation here. Senate Bill 1 saves a proven $180 billion off the state’s 30-year pension spending — far more than anything saved under SB 2404. And it also provides certainty, predictability and a sufficient solution for a massive problem where SB 2404 falls far short. We remain hopeful this will be considered and SB 1 approved before session ends tomorrow.

So far, no response to the union coalition’s other claim, that the House bill will force teachers into Social Security, driving up costs.

*** UPDATE *** Here’s the Nekritz spokesperson answer on the Social Security question…

Simple answer is it’s an issue that’s not immediate — probably 10-12 years down the road — and could be addressed later. It shouldn’t stand in the way of a real solution like SB 1.

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*** LIVE *** SESSION COVERAGE

Thursday, May 30, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Blackberry users click here…

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