Illinois House Deputy Majority Leader Lou Lang (D-Skokie) on Friday filed legislation, House Bill 689, that would reform the Illinois tax code, providing a tax cut to 99% of Illinois taxpayers while raising an additional $1.9 billion dollars to help fund essential state services.
Illinois is well into its tenth month without a budget, and while lawmakers and the Governor have long recognized the need for new revenue to invest in children, families and communities, our outdated tax laws mean that we cannot raise new revenue without raising taxes on those least able to afford it, Lang says.
“We don’t have to stay stuck in the past. There is another path forward that puts tax dollars back in the hands of hardworking families and eases the pain caused by recent budget cuts,” said Lang. “When my bill passes and the governor signs it, ninety-nine percent of taxpayers will get a tax cut.”
Lang’s bill works in tandem with State Rep. Christian Mitchell’s (D-Chicago) Constitutional Amendment resolution, HJRCA-59, which would allow Illinois voters to choose to reform our tax code by voting for fair tax where lower rates apply to lower incomes and higher rates apply to higher incomes.
Illinois is one of only a handful of states that has a flat income tax, which forces middle class families to carry the majority of the tax load. When Illinois amends its constitution to allow for a fair tax, the General Assembly will no longer be forced to raise taxes on the hard-working middle class families who can least afford it, Mitchell argues.
“The Fair Tax, where lower rates would apply to lower incomes and higher rates would apply to higher incomes, is long over due in our state. It is fundamentally unfair that our tax rate is the same no matter if you are a minimum wage worker or a millionaire, ” said Mitchell. “With a Fair Tax, we can provide tax relief for ninety-nine perfect of taxpayers, and reform our outdated tax code.”
State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), who is Chief Sponsor of the Fair Tax in the Senate welcomed the move by Lang.
“I’m delighted to work with Leader Lang and Representative Mitchell to help cut taxes on working families,” Harmon said. “We offer this as a serious solution to moving our state forward and we hope that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle will join us in effort to make our state more fair and to help provide revenue to the vital services we all care deeply about.”
Friday, Apr 15, 2016 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Clean Energy Trust just released their annual Clean Jobs Illinois survey and it shows a mixed bag. Illinois leads the Midwest in clean energy jobs, but is losing wind and solar positions to other states due to Illinois’ broken Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).
The Good News?
Clean energy jobs grew 9% overall in 2015, exceeding the previous year’s projection
At 113,918 jobs, clean energy employs more people in Illinois than the fossil fuel sector
The Bad News?
Wind and solar jobs were down 6.9% year over year because of Illinois policy headwinds
Fixing the Illinois RPS would solve this problem and help drive job creation in the state’s wind and solar sectors. Clean energy is a major job creator in Illinois, and smart policies can accelerate job growth in the state.
It’s time to act. To build Illinois jobs and keep pace with other states, let’s fix the RPS now. Don’t let Illinois fall further behind.
The majority party’s desire to skyrocket taxes is breathtaking. A progressive income tax would be the straw that breaks the Illinois economy’s back – sending our state even further into the economic doldrums. It’s beyond time for Democrats to come to the table and work with the governor to find common ground on real structural reforms that will get our economy moving in the right direction.
Best,
ck
Um, proponents claim it’ll reduce taxes for 99 percent of taxpayers, but the 1 percent will most definitely be upset.
The question will be if the Democrats can successfully portray this as a broad tax cut, or if cynical voters will just assume everybody’s taxes will rise. Rauner will obviously do his best to ensure the latter.
…Adding… As if on cue…
Today, Democrat state Rep. Lou Lang introduced a bill he said would increase taxes in Illinois by $1.9 billion. This comes just one week after Senate President John Cullerton proposed tracking Illinois drivers to tax them by the mile, and on the heels of news Illinois lost 105,000 residents on net to other states in 2015 – the largest exodus in state history.
The Illinois Policy Institute is staunchly against this tax increase proposal. CEO John Tillman issued the following statement in response:
“If Illinois Democrats were as creative on pension, economic and labor reform as they are on taxes, Illinois’ budget crisis would be solved by now. Instead, they resort to the same old tactic over and over again: Raise taxes, waste money, delay reform, raise taxes again.
“State Rep. Lou Lang’s proposal to increase taxes by $1.9 billion sends a clear message: Democrats want hard-working taxpayers to pay for their ineptitude. It’s doubly offensive because this proposal comes at a time when lawmakers have not even passed a state budget. How can they tell taxpayers they need more money without offering them an idea of how this money will be spent?
“Remember that in 2014, lawmakers attempted to implement a so-called ‘fair tax,’ which they claimed would only increase taxes on the ‘rich.’ The reality was the 2014 proposal would have increased taxes on anyone with more than $22,000 in taxable income. Rightly, this tax increase was rejected. Now the same crew of tax-hikers has come out with a new proposal they say will only raise taxes on those with more than $500,000 in income – but we know their real motive. They are trying to implement the same old tactic, just with a different sales pitch this time.
“We know from Illinois’ own history that tax increases will not solve Illinois’ persistent financial problems. In 2011, Democrats enacted a tax increase that raised $31 billion in taxpayer dollars over five years. They claimed the cash infusion would help pay down the state’s backlog of bills and restore Illinois’ fiscal health. Instead, 90 cents out of every $1 from the tax increase went to pensions – a pension system these same Democrats refuse to reform.
“Illinoisans already pay the second-highest property taxes in the nation, the high sales taxes, high income taxes and are facing an increase to the highest gas taxes in the nation. Businesses that employ taxpayers face steep barriers to success. Now the Democrats are proposing yet another tax increase to pay for their unwillingness to reform our state. It’s time for lawmakers to stop turning to taxpayers to bail them out, and to step up and enact the serious reforms this state needs.”
…Adding More… Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch…
The Illinois Chamber is adamantly opposed to a plan for a graduated income tax envisioned in legislation which was introduced today. The plan would punish small business owners and would accelerate the documented flight of high net worth individuals out of our state.
The vast majority of small business owners pay taxes not at the corporate rate, but as individuals. Thus, any effort to “gauge the rich” is actually putting a target squarely on the backs of small businesses, the very entities we count on to provide the majority of new jobs in Illinois. Punishing successful businesses with higher taxes is a sure way to result in fewer of them in Illinois. Individuals with higher net worth are our citizens who are most able to move their success to other states. We are confident that if this plan were ever to become law, it would not generate anywhere near $1.9 billion for Illinois, but would generate millions in revenue for more welcoming states.
Illinois State Fair Manager Kevin Gordon is adding two accomplished rockers to the Grandstand line-up at this year’s Illinois State Fair. This co-headlining act combines two artists who have six Grammy awards to their credit, in addition to countless other awards and accomplishments. This year, fairgoers will be treated to the best of 80’s and 90’s rock when Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo and Melissa Etheridge take the stage in Springfield.
Pat Benatar is a four-time Grammy award winning singer/songwriter who shot to fame in the 1980’s and has been touring for more than 35-years. Known as a rule-breaker and a trail-blazer, Benatar is revered as one of the most beloved female rock icons of all time. Benatar was the first female solo artist to have a music video played on MTV. The video for her song ‘You Better Run’ was the second video ever played on the new music video cable channel, and also was the first video to feature guitarists. Benatar is best known for hit songs such as, “Love is a Battlefield,” “Hit Me with Your Best Shot,” “Heartbreaker,” “We Belong,” and “Shadows of the Night.” To this day, Benatar and guitarist husband Neil Giraldo remain a rock’n'roll powerhouse, selling out concerts and wowing audiences.
Melissa Etheridge is a well-known signer/songwriter who came to fame in the late 80’s. Etheridge, known for her confessional lyrics and raspy vocals, has been a prominent force in the music industry for nearly 30 years with 12 albums, two Grammy awards, 17 Grammy nominations, an Academy Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Etheridge is best known for her songs, “Come to My Window,” “I’m the Only One,” “I Want to Come Over,” and “I Need to Wake Up.”
Not opposed to either. Liked them both back in the day. Just wish we could get some more recently popular acts.
Friday, Apr 15, 2016 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Your high schooler is ready to graduate and move on to an exciting phase in life. You have provided them with resources and tools to succeed, but have you overlooked an important part of their education? Financial literacy is a critical component to a successful future. Lack of financial education jeopardizes and limits economic opportunities for all consumers. Credit unions address this often overlooked topic of fiscal literacy for teens and young professionals by offering workshops and training sessions. Credit unions are proud to provide financial education to ensure a secure future for the leaders of tomorrow.
Visit ASmarterChoice.org for more information on the Credit Union Difference.
* The bill, Rep. Lou Lang’s HB 689, would take effect if voters approve a constitutional amendment allowing a graduated income tax…
(A) for taxpayers who are married filing a joint return or head of household:
(i) an amount equal to 3.5% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is $200,000 or less;
(ii) an amount equal to 3.75% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is more than $200,000 but not more than $750,000;
(iii) an amount equal to 8.75% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is more than $750,000 but not more than $1,500,000; and
(iv) an amount equal to 9.75% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is more than $1,500,000; and
(B) for all other taxpayers:
(i) an amount equal to 3.5% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is $100,000 or less;
(ii) an amount equal to 3.75% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is more than $100,000 but not more than $500,000;
(iii) an amount equal to 8.75% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is more than $500,000 but not more than $1,000,000; and
(iv) an amount equal to 9.75% of the portion of the taxpayer’s net income for the taxable year that is more than $1,000,000.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Emily Miller…
Hi Rich,
I noticed that you posted about the new fair tax proposal introduced by Leader Lang. This proposal is the result of years of negotiations and hard work. The bill introduced reflects feedback and input from members on both sides of the aisle, and should be viewed as an opportunity for lawmakers and the Governor to come together to reform our outdated tax code.
Most notably, the measure provides a tax cut for over 99% of Illinois taxpayers and provides $1.9 billion in new revenue to restore cuts to vital services.
Attached is a fact sheet from Voices for Illinois Children to help folks understand the impact of a fair tax on children and families in Illinois.
Lang’s graduated income tax proposal– ironically introduced on Tax Day- is merely the camel getting his nose in the tent and would likely result in greater job loss and continual tax hikes by a General Assembly that seems to be unable to control its appetite for more tax dollars.
Illinoisans should not trust the General Assembly enough to give them carte blanche ability to add brackets, increase the rates or lower the income threshold at which higher rates apply. It’s no accident a recent Gallup poll highlighted that a mere 25% of Illinoisans “are confident in their state government” – worse than any other state. Illinois has one of the highest outbound migration rates in the nation and higher taxes on job creators is not going to help that situation. It will exacerbate it.
Lang’s proposal is more about the election year politics we’ve seen on display across the nation. However, punishing job creators is not the answer to moving Illinois in the right direction, nor is removing legislative barriers that prevent continual tax hikes by a General Assembly that has an addiction to tax dollars.
Regards,
David From
Illinois State Director
Americans for Prosperity
So, he has a new column that rates Madigan. For “fiscal stewardship,” Zorn gives Madigan “the same F grade I gave Rauner.” He bases this on Madigan’s pension sweetening for special interests and for kicking the can down the road on paying for those pensions. He faults Madigan for not fixing structural revenue problems, like a flat income tax and a too-narrow sales tax. Zorn also complains that Madigan hasn’t fixed the school aid formula and blasts Madigan for allowing the income tax hike to partially expire on schedule.
Though he’s not as all-powerful as his critics believe, Madigan’s been powerful enough for long enough to have kept us from being a deadbeat state in the grips of Squeezy the Pension Python.
For political acumen, I’d give Madigan a solid B.
As chairman of the state Democratic Party and éminence grise of the General Assembly he’s built and maintained strong majorities in both chambers, in part by insulating his foot soldiers from having to take the tough votes necessary to run a responsible government. Under Democratic and, with the exception of Rauner, Republican governors he’s protected his flanks while cutting deals that compromise with the opposition and, occasionally, his own party’s principles.
I’d give him an A for political leadership, but he’s paid the price for having a public demeanor so icy and charmless that you’d think he was auditioning to be a Bond villain. Not being outwardly likable is a liability when you’re in a high-stakes PR war with a faux-folksy governor who drops his g’s and wears a cheap watch.
* Rep. Sandack begs to differ…
Meh. Giving Madigan same "F" 4 financial mess but "B" & "A" for how he maintains power to create mess is curious. https://t.co/hQpRyTvyRC
* Frankly, this whole thing is silly. Believing the governor is a failure doesn’t mean that you support Madigan. And believing Madigan is a fiscal failure, but giving him good marks for winning elections and jamming through an unconstitutional pension reform is more than a little odd.
And, yes, I fully agree that Madigan has passed plenty of bills over the years which were opposed by unions, trial lawyers and other staunch supporters. The problem is he won’t do it now.
Madigan has his reasons. He’s under intense pressure from a kabillionaire governor to raise taxes after whacking unions, trial lawyers, etc. Madigan will then be “rewarded” when Rauner and his pals spend their kabillions against Madigan’s candidates, who will be badly hobbled for raising taxes in an election year defined by voter anger and will have to fight off Rauner’s money without their prime contributors, who will be furious at what happened to them. That’s insane. Nobody in their right mind would ever agree to that.
* That’s why Madigan, who supposedly has the political acumen and leadership to make things happen, needs to help this inexperienced governor find another way to resolve this crisis on behalf of the state he has represented for so many years.
It’s not like the chad fiasco in Florida, but a suspected software malfunction believed to have failed to record the write-in votes of 3,200 voters in DuPage County election held on March 15.
According to Robert Saar, Executive Director of DuPage County Elections Commission, the touch-screen voting machines of DuPage County got more than 3,200 clicks for the Democratic Party’s candidate for DuPage Recorder. However, the machines failed to record the name of Moon Khan, who was running as a write-in candidate for DuPage Recorder in the Democratic Primary.
To secure the nomination, Khan needed 844 write-in votes in the March 15 primary, election officials said. He ended up with just 695, according to unofficial results, even though more than 4,000 Democrats voted for the recorder’s position. […]
“The touch-screen voting machines did not save the name written on the screen,” Khan said. “It was an overwhelming error.” […]
Robert Saar, the commission’s executive director, said it’s “very unusual” to have thousands of votes in a race go to no candidate.
But he dismissed Khan’s claim that there was a problem with the voting machines.
“There’s absolutely no possibility of that,” Saar said. “It is not a software malfunction.”
A growing number of candidates in DuPage County are raising questions about whether write-in votes were counted properly during last month’s primary election.
On Monday, former state Rep. Randy Ramey told DuPage Election Commission officials that six write-in candidates for Republican precinct committeeman in Wayne Township believe they received enough votes to be elected. But unofficial results indicate they didn’t.
In one precinct, for example, 47 Republicans voted for the committeeman position, but the lone candidate — a write-in — only received four votes.
Meanwhile, Ramey said he has received affidavits from several people who say they voted for the write-in candidates.
Two Republican precinct committeeman candidates on Wednesday were declared winners of last month’s primary after a court-ordered recount found errors in the vote totals compiled by the DuPage Election Commission.
Five write-in candidates for GOP precinct committeeman posts in Wayne Township sought the recount after initial results from the commission showed them getting votes from only a fraction of the ballots cast — even though they were running unopposed.
The recount found two of those five — Joan Mruk and Jeff Posadzy — actually received enough votes to win their seats. The other three candidates still fell short.
So, not only was there a “possibility” of problems, there were actual problems. Something most definitely happened, whether it was with software or elsewhere.
DuPage recorder candidate Moon Khan is suing county election officials to find out once and for all if his write-in campaign generated enough votes to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination.
In a lawsuit filed this week against the DuPage County Board of Election Commissioners, Khan is asking a judge to order a recount of the write-in votes cast in the March 15 Democratic primary. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. […]
Since the election, Khan and his attorney say they’ve found numerous precincts where people insist they voted for Khan even though the results don’t reflect it.
In fact, Khan got credit for only one vote in his own precinct, even though his wife, son and neighbor voted for him. Khan also voted for himself.
Illinois continued its fight against higher property taxes by launching a new online advertisement highlighting that Illinois homeowners have yet to be granted much-needed property tax relief.
The targeted online ad criticizes lawmakers who have yet to pass a property tax freeze through the General Assembly. For years, state legislators have discussed freezing property taxes for Illinoisans; however, a property tax freeze hasn’t become a reality, and Illinois now has the second highest property taxes in the country. […]
In addition to the online advertisement, AFP-IL activists have made more than 17,000 phone calls and hundreds of patch-thrus to legislators, urging that passage of property tax relief and giving local governments the tools necessary to control their costs - namely greater freedom over prevailing wage restrictions and collective bargaining - should be a top priority in Springfield. This week, AFP-IL has also begun the first phase of a petition circulation campaign in 18 municipalities.
Blah.Blah.
All talk. No results.
On property taxes, that’s the story in Springfield.
Year after year, state legislators talk about freezing your property taxes.
They talk and talk. And while they talk, property taxes keeping going up and up.
Illinois property taxes are crushing homeowners and all the legislators do is talk.
Let’s break this recurring circle.
Because Illinois families deserve real results and a lot less talk.
Blah.Blah.
* The Illinois Policy Institute parrots Gov. Rauner and likely gives us a preview of other attacks if the AG moves forward…
Only in Illinois.
As Illinois House of Representatives Speaker Mike Madigan locks horns with Gov. Bruce Rauner in a nearly 10-month long budget battle, a major power play has fallen into the lap of the speaker’s daughter Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled in March that thousands of state government workers were not entitled to back-pay raises owed to them because those funds were never appropriated by the General Assembly. This puts Lisa Madigan in a position to force the state to stop paying state workers, since lawmakers have not yet passed a bill funding their salaries. Rather, they have been funded under a court order from a St. Clair County judge. The attorney general’s office is currently reviewing the state Supreme Court’s decision.
If Lisa Madigan decides to argue in court that the state must cease paying state workers and succeeds, government operations will grind to a halt, putting major pressure on Rauner to sign off on another unsustainable state budget that would likely subject Illinoisans to massive tax hikes with no real reform, long the priority of Speaker Madigan.
Interestingly, while state workers would go without paychecks, lawmakers would still take home their salaries.
* Politico notes that the Supreme Court issue and US Sen. Mark Kirk’s avoidance of the national GOP convention aren’t the only differences that the incumbent is exploiting with his Republican Party…
Just this week, Kirk co-sponsored a criminal justice reform bill that would loosen some mandatory minimum sentences, despite complaints within the GOP that it would unwittingly release violent criminals early from prison. And he joined with five of the most liberal senators to urge the NBA to move its 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte, North Carolina, in response to the state’s controversial new law that bans anti-discrimination protections for gay and transgender people.
Kirk’s strategy is dictated by his home state’s leftward bent: His Democratic challenger, Tammy Duckworth, may need to do little more than emphasize her party label to oust him in November. Kirk has long been considered the most endangered GOP incumbent in an awful year for Republican senators trying to get reelected. The party is defending 24 seats, and one of two divisive figures, Donald Trump or Ted Cruz, is likely to be leading its ticket. […]
“When he breaks from Mitch McConnell, it helps him,” Durbin said. “At the end of the day, though, he has chosen Mitch to be his leader.”
Other Democrats are crying foul over Kirk’s attempts to straddle the middle. On some issues, the Illinois senator has found himself ardently touting the GOP’s position: Last week, he bashed a fiduciary rule proposed by Obama that Democrats say puts clients’ needs ahead of financial advisers. And the hawkish Kirk was one of the loudest critics of Obama’s Iran nuclear deal, which Duckworth backs.
Democrats are also calling out Kirk’s past support for a controversial Medicare blueprint crafted by now-Speaker Paul Ryan and free trade policies. His opponents are also seizing on Kirk’s vow – most recently made in an interview with NBC Chicago – to back Trump if he becomes the GOP presidential nominee.
Kirk was elected statewide during a very good year for the GOP. This year will likely be different, at least in Illinois, which trends D in presidential years.
A group of U.S. senators, including Sen. Mark Kirk, penned a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver urging him to move the 2017 All Star Game from North Carolina after an “anti-LGBT” bill was passed in the state last month.
North Carolina passed legislation in March that centers around single-sex public restrooms and changing facilities in the state’s schools and public agencies. […]
“We cannot condone nor stand idly by as North Carolina moves to legalize and institutionalize discrimination against the LGBT community,” the group wrote. “Nor should the NBA allow its premier annual event to be hosted in such a state.” […]
“The NBA boasts one of the most multicultural and multiethnic groups of players of any sports league in the world with more than 100 international players on its rosters,” the group wrote. “The NBA also made history just two years ago this month when Jason Collins become the first openly gay athlete to play in a major American professional sports league.”
* Meanwhile…
In response to Republican Mark Kirk’s announcement that he will skip the Republican National Convention this summer, Duckworth deputy campaign manager Matt McGrath released the following statement:
“Whether or not Republican Mark Kirk is at his Party’s national convention in person, he will certainly be there in spirit. He has already shown he puts party loyalty first when he pledged he ‘certainly would’ support Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in the general election, and on issues like squeezing the middle class to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy and turning Medicare into a voucher program, Kirk’s as Republican as it gets. No amount of physical distance will separate Sen. Kirk from his Republican roots, nor from Donald Trump’s circus.”
As a May 1 deadline looms for high school seniors deciding where to attend college, students are thinking twice about universities in Illinois, where the worst budget crisis in state history has halted funding for higher education.
Public colleges haven’t received state aid for the year that started July 1 as Republican Governor Bruce Rauner and Democratic lawmakers fight over a spending plan. The strain has spurred colleges to furlough staff and cancel projects. State scholarships for low-income students haven’t been paid. High school counselors and some state schools say they’re hearing that more students are looking to private, community colleges or out-of-state options, because of the funding uncertainty.
“You’re having an upswing in students that just are not going to those schools” that are struggling financially like Chicago State University and Northeastern Illinois, said Amanda Andros, a counselor at Lane Technical College Prep, Chicago’s largest high school. “They’re not sure if the university is going to stay open.”
The number of people seeking student aid in the state is down by at least 10 percent, said Eric Zarnikow, executive director of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
“We know that students may simply be dropping out. We know that for FY17 (which begins July 1), our FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) filing volume is down pretty significantly,” Zarnikow told the House Higher Education Committee. “And for MAP-eligible students it’s down about 14 percent. That’s really a very significant reduction.” […]
“What we don’t know yet,” Zarnikow said, “is are those students deciding not to go to school at all, or are they choosing to go out of state?”
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., today announced that he just won’t be able to make the GOP National Convention in Cleveland this summer.
“Senator Kirk has his own re-election to win,” Campaign Manager Kevin Artl said in a candid statement. “So he will be working hard toward that goal, not going to the Republican convention in Ohio.”
Kirk is campaigning as a moderate. Hanging out with the likes of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz could only cause him problems back home, even if the GOP somehow is able to come up with another nominee.
Earlier, U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Wheaton, announced he’s taking a pass on the convention, and aides to U.S. Rep. Bob Dold, R-Kenilworth, indicated he almost certainly would make the same decision.
Thursday, Apr 14, 2016 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Nearly 1,900 people responded to the recent Citizen’s Utility Board survey about Exelon’s push to bailout its nuclear plants. Here is how CUB put it:
“Exelon says keeping its nuclear plants open will fight climate change—and they need economic help. Opponents say Exelon just wants bigger profits.
Should Illinois give unprofitable nuclear plants more money if it helps fight climate change?
No:1,583 (about 84 percent)
Yes:298 (about 16 percent)”
—————————————————
Illinois still has no budget, the state’s finances and services are in shambles, the social safety net is being decimated but Exelon STILL wants the Legislature to pass a huge BAILOUT.
BEST Coalition is a 501C4 nonprofit group of dozens of business, consumer and government groups, as well as large and small businesses. Visitwww.noexelonbailout.com.
Thursday, Apr 14, 2016 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Last week, a group of leading climate scientists and conservationists from Illinois and around the world, including Dr. James Hansen, Rachel Pritzker, and Michael Shellenberger, urged Illinois’ leaders in an open letter to save Illinois’ nuclear plants so they can provide clean energy for decades to come. They wrote:
Illinois generates more zero-emissions electricity than any other state. Most of it comes from the state’s six nuclear power plants, which produce about half of Illinois’ total generation and 90 percent of its low-carbon generation. These plants are in their prime and could stay in service many more years and even decades.
Unfortunately, Illinois is at risk of losing one or more of its nuclear plants and with them the progress the state has made in clean energy.
If Clinton and Quad Cities nuclear plants were replaced by natural gas, carbon emissions would immediately increase the equivalent of adding two million cars to the road. If they were replaced by coal, the carbon emissions would more than double.
… Illinois is at an urgent juncture. Failure to keep all of Illinois’ nuclear power plants running for the full lifetimes will result in more air pollution, and further cause Illinois to underperform on climate. Action now would establish all of you as leaders in safeguarding clean air today and the climate for future generations.
Gov. Bruce Rauner may have to turn Illinois around without the symbolic help of the McHenry County Board, which is settling a lawsuit prompted by its support of the governor’s agenda.
The County Board will vote next Tuesday to rescind its nonbinding 2015 resolution backing Rauner’s “Turnaround Agenda,” in exchange for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 dropping its lawsuit alleging that board members who met with Rauner prior to the vote violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act. While the county admits no wrongdoing in the resolution, the settlement includes paying the union $25,000 to cover its legal fees.
The lawsuit seeks to get the vote rescinded and the resolution declared null and void, and alleges that it had its origins in an illegal meeting. Local 150 filed the lawsuit about a week after the County Board voted April 9 to approve a resolution backing Rauner’s agenda to reverse Illinois’ increasingly desperate economic fortunes, which among other things would significantly curtail union collective bargaining laws.
That whole local government maneuver by Team Rauner was silly and counter-productive from the get-go. And now it’s ending with a whimper.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that Illinois’ unemployment rate in March rose 0.1 percentage points to 6.5 percent and nonfarm payrolls increased by +14,700 jobs, based on preliminary data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and IDES. Illinois surpassed its January 2008 payroll peak by +16,500 jobs but remains -46,100 jobs short of its peak employment level reached in September 2000. Illinois continues to lag behind while the nation currently stands 3.9 percent above its prior peak employment level.
“While Illinois experienced job growth in March, the over-the-year growth rate still lags behind the rest of the nation,” said IDES Director Jeff Mays. “Monthly employment numbers are volatile but in order to see true and robust job growth, we need more effective policies in place to help Illinois recover its employment peak.”
“Unemployment in Illinois continues to rise as our state fails to keep pace with the rest of the country in job growth,” Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Sean McCarthy said. “Industries like manufacturing continue to struggle to regain jobs lost since 2008 - in March alone, 100 manufacturing jobs per day were lost; that’s 100 middle-class families every single day facing the financial stress, hardship and uncertainty of losing a well-paying job. We need to take action on structural reforms that will make Illinois as competitive as it should be to curb the loss of middle-class jobs.”
In March, the three industry sectors with the largest gains in employment were: Leisure and Hospitality (+6,300); Construction (+4,100) and Financial Activities (+3,200). The two industry sectors with the largest declines in employment were: Manufacturing (-3,100); and Professional and Business Services (-1,400).
Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased by +79,900 jobs with the largest gains in Leisure and Hospitality (+25,500); Educational and Health Services (+21,600); and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+16,800). Industry sectors with over-the-year declines in March include: Manufacturing (-7,500) and Information (-1,900). The 1.3 percent over-the-year gain in Illinois is less than the 2.0 percent gain posted by the nation in March.
The state’s unemployment rate is higher than the national unemployment rate reported for March 2016, which inched up to 5.0 percent. The Illinois unemployment rate stood 0.6 percentage points above the unemployment rate a year ago when it was 5.9 percent. According to IDES analysts, the unemployment rate is increasing in Illinois because of lagging job growth and more workers entering the labor force who are not immediately able to find work.
The number of unemployed workers increased +2.3 percent from the prior month to 429,600 and was up +11.6 percent over the same month for the prior year. The labor force grew by +2.3 percent in March over the prior year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and are seeking employment. An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
…Adding… From walker in comments…
As soon as some sort of victory is declared on the TA, these same data will be portrayed as “Illinois Is Back!”
* Speaker Madigan will appear at a fundraiser for Sangamon County Democrats on April 25. Bernie talked to Steve Brown and the county’s party chairman Doris Turner about the visit…
Brown said he didn’t want to single out any local races of interest to Madigan “because it might allow somebody to portray themselves as some kind of a victim. We don’t like to give them that advantage. There’s certainly a lot of competitive races around the state … especially given the fact that the governor seems to be pretty much of an anchor around the neck of most of the Republicans right now.”
Isn’t Madigan a similar anchor for Democrats?
“I’d say look at the results of the election and let us know how that worked out last election,” Brown said, apparently referring to races including [state Sen. Sam McCann’s] primary win [during which he was portrayed as “Madigan’s favorite senator] and the primary loss of state Rep. Ken Dunkin, D-Chicago, who sided with Rauner on some issues and criticized Madigan’s leadership.
I asked Turner if Madigan might hurt local candidates.
“I really don’t think so,” she said. “I think that in the current climate … his message is much more palatable to the average working people of the Democratic Party.”
* They gotta say what they gotta say, but the hard truth is that MJM is extremely unpopular in this state. Yes, some normally reform-minded liberal columnists have been praising him lately for standing up to Rauner, but out there in Voter Land, he ain’t exactly being hailed.
Remember what Governor Rauner set out to do just over a year ago. Everywhere I go, people ask me to to tell the Governor not to back down, and believe me, he isn’t. Every day, he is fighting Mike Madigan and the politicians he controls to bring about much needed reform to a state government that is wildly out of balance.
Just yesterday, Governor Rauner met with Mike Madigan and leaders in the General Assembly to bring about a balanced budget, but Madigan said no to reform and yes to forcing a massive tax hike on working families here in Illinois.
Illinois’ debt grows every day, but Democrats in Springfield refuse to provide relief to Illinois taxpayers and refuse to live within their means.
Let Governor Rauner know, we believe as he does, that the path to saving our state starts with balancing our budget - not forcing a massive tax hike. The time is now to turnaround a state government that has been broken for decades.
But Governor Rauner can’t do it alone - your help is needed. Stand with him as he fights to end the status quo in Springfield. Can you give $25, $50, or $100 in the fight against Madigan and his Democrat allies?
Join the movement to bring back Illinois. Make sure the Governor knows that we don’t want him to back down. Your help is needed now. We don’t have much time before it’s too late.
For Illinois,
Tim Schneider
Chairman, Illinois Republican Party
They wouldn’t be using Madigan in a fundraising pitch if they thought it’d fail. Just sayin…
…Adding… Heh…
Rite of passage for @celestebott today. While questioning Speaker Madigan he asked where she worked. His response: "I feel sorry for you."
Thursday, Apr 14, 2016 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Shell Community Federal Credit Union donated $5,000.00 to Roxana High School to aid in funding a new scoreboard for the baseball field. Representatives from Shell Credit Union participated in the dedication of the scoreboard last week.
“Roxana High School does a wonderful job in teaching/preparing our young people. The credit union membership, staff and Board of Directors are proud to be a part of making this new scoreboard a reality,” said Greg Lyons, President/CEO of Shell Credit Union.
Shell Community Federal Credit Union has been proudly serving metro east communities for over 80 years. To learn about the benefits of credit union membership, please visit www.ASmarterChoice.org.
Rauner said by refusing reforms and pushing for a tax hike, Madigan, the chair of the Illinois Democratic Party, is holding up money that could be used to fund universities and MAP grants.
“Madigan’s holding us hostage; he’s holding EIU hostage,” Rauner said. “The money is there for MAP grants, and the money is there to fund universities so there would have to be no layoffs. Madigan won’t allow it.”
Rauner said the state has $160 million “sitting there idle” and “gathering dust” in the form of special purpose funds that could be used to fund universities such as Eastern.
* So what’s going on with this “idle” money “gathering dust” in special funds that the governor talked about? From an SJ-R op-ed by an Eastern Illinois University associate professor of journalism…
FundEIU notes that money is in the Education Assistance Fund. Estimates are the fund has around $240 million stashed away at the moment.
The total state budget is comprised of over 700 funds from which appropriations are made. Each fund’s name corresponds with either the purpose of the appropriation or the major source of the fund’s receipts. Individual funds are grouped into larger fund categories, which include the General Funds, Highway Funds, Special State Funds, and Federal Trust Funds.
General Funds
The General Funds include the General Revenue Fund, the Common School Fund, and the Education Assistance Fund. The General Revenue Fund receives most of its revenue from income taxes, sales taxes, and various other state taxes and fees. The Common School Fund gets revenue from sales taxes, cigarette taxes, the state lottery, riverboat gambling, and bingo game receipts. These funds are used to support elementary and secondary education, including the State Board of Education and the Teachers’ Retirement System. The Education Assistance Fund, which is used for both elementary-secondary and higher education, receives a share of income tax revenue as well as proceeds from riverboat gambling.
* The governor’s office, however, disagrees. The $160 million figure, they say, didn’t refer to any specific fund. Instead, Rauner was referencing $160 million in a bill sponsored by Reps. Ken Dunkin and Reggie Phillips that was part of the forgiveness of $454 million in previous interfund borrowing.
* I’m still not convinced that the Senate will even take this up, but you can’t succeed if you don’t try…
Four Illinois lieutenant governors quit the job mid-term. But six went on to become governor.
The debate over whether the state should continue to elect lieutenant governors bolstered some support on Wednesday, when Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, resurrected his attempt to abolish the position via a constitutional amendment. […]
In 2013, McSweeney sponsored the same constitutional amendment. Back then it passed the House with 83 votes, but stumbled in the Senate.
This time, he says, it stands a better chance. McSweeney says he was told by a Gov. Bruce Rauner liaison that the governor would support it. And there’s an identical measure in the Senate.
State Senator Andy Manar’s (D-Bunker Hill) plan to update the state’s education funding formula passed through the Senate Executive committee on April 13.
Senate Bill 231 would provide state funding for education based on student need while ensuring that no district would receive less state money than it did in the 2015 – 16 school year. Senator Manar says Wednesday’s vote is a great step forward in changing “the least equitable system of funding education in the nation.”
There’s a new push to tax you based on the number of miles you drive.
Gas tax revenue has fallen in Illinois, so this would be a way to make money off everyone, including hybrid and electric car drivers. But some critics worry about how the government will monitor the miles you drive. […]
Here’s how the plan would work. Drivers could have a mileage monitoring device put in their cars or if they have privacy concerns, they can choose to pay a 1.5 cent-per-mile tax on a base of 30,000 miles traveled per year. That comes out to $450. Drivers would get a refund for the taxes paid at the pump.
Illinois would be the first state in the country to crack down on predatory lenders if the new bill eventually becomes law.
The bill would require the lenders to take into account the borrower’s ability to repay before approving the loan and would limit late fees and repayment fees.
A representative of one of the loan companies that is targeted says this bill could encourage more lawsuits and hinder job creation.
But supporters say questionable loans and unclear terms from misleading and dishonest loan companies are crippling small business owners, who need to borrow capital in order to grow.
* Press release…
State Rep. Jack D. Franks, D-Marengo, passed legislation out of the House on Wednesday, with strong bipartisan support, requiring local governments to fully disclose taxpayer funded incentives in their budgets to increase transparency of the fiscal practices of local units of government.
“Too often, local governments do not count the incentives they have awarded as an actual cost, which does a disservice to taxpayers,” Franks said. “By requiring units of government to disclose theses incentives in their budgets, it will offer the public a greater understanding of the fiscal practices of their local elected officials.”
House Bill 3760 requires local governments to report the value of any tax incentive they have given as “community investment” on its annual financial reports. The bill also requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to report the total value of tax credits it has awarded in a given year to the Governor and the General Assembly by August 1st.
Two Maine Township trustees were among 200 elected officials in Springfield last week challenging efforts aimed at consolidating or eliminating township government. […]
Calling township consolidation and elimination efforts by state officials “powerful bullying,” Maine Township Trustee Walter Kazmierczak said, “Townships are low hanging fruit. They (state legislators and Gov. Bruce Rauner) can’t get their own house in order to even pass a budget and they want to point fingers at us.”
The Illinois House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill April 12 prohibiting the secretary of state from charging fees to vehicle owners who renew their vehicle registration late due to the secretary of state’s suspension of mailed renewal notices. House Bill 4334 further provides that a vehicle owner who receives a ticket for expired license plates within one month of the plates’ expiration does not have to pay the fine if the plates expired during the period in which the secretary of state had suspended mailing vehicle-registration-reminder notices.
A state employee filed a class-action lawsuit against Gov. Bruce Rauner and several other high-ranking state officials Wednesday, alleging the state’s budget impasse has effectively left some state employees without health insurance.
The lawsuit was filed in Cook County Circuit Court by Carrie Weeks-Kinowski, a nonunion civil service employee at Northern Illinois University. Weeks-Kinowski alleges that in September 2015, the state stopped giving nonunion employees’ insurance withholdings to the insurance companies, which stopped covering medical expenses.
Despite not turning over the withholdings, the state continues to dock employees’ paychecks, the suit alleges. The failure to pay, which in turn has left nonunion state employees to cover all of their medical expenses, was brought on by the continuing lack of a state budget.
Weeks-Kinowski alleged Rauner “suspended claim payments to insurance companies for about 146,000 state workers, retirees, and their families receiving coverage through plans where state funds pay for health-care costs” in September 2015.
* Meanwhile, WBEZ has a really good story on the budget. Here’s just part of it…
Cynthia Williams started Austin People’s Action Center 35 years ago. It was just her, one room, in a church. By last June, she had 50 employees at three sites, implementing nutrition, social services and employment programs.
Now, she has laid off at least half the staff and closed two of the three sites.
But the expenses haven’t stopped.
“We still have those buildings,” she says. “We’ve got mortgages. We’ve got rent. We’ve got lights. We’ve got the water bill. That didn’t go anywhere.” Those services and others, including internet access and copy machines, are on long-term contracts. […]
Williams still has some private dollars for job-training, allowing her to serve eight students. On the day WBEZ visits, they work out math problems with pencil and paper.
And Austin People’s Action Center has not come roaring back. It can’t. With workers laid off, they lost touch with the clients.
No clients means no services, and no dollars. “We have to start from scratch,” Williams says.
Cynthia Williams spent 35 years building this agency up. It’s effectively been dismantled. And, it’s in debt: She borrowed money to maintain a state-funded program. That hasn’t come back at all.
“We’re now $97,000 in the hole,” she says. “Could somebody have come and told us, ‘Stop the program’?”
With no state budget, a program that would bus Chicago kids to visit their incarcerated mothers stalled months ago. To Pearl Mullen, who’s taking care of her grandchildren while her daughter is in prison, it’s meant her grandkids haven’t seen their mother in four months. WBEZ’s Tony Arnold has been keeping in touch with Mullen over the last few months, and found out there’s a new bus program starting up.
The program was run by Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, which laid off 40 percent of its staff last year.
* Thanks to everyone who showed up for my “celebrity bartending” gig at JP Kelly’s last night. The place was jammed with people, so I had to do some honest hard work for a change, but I did have fun.
I was pleasantly surprised when legendary commenter VanillaMan showed up. I met him almost a decade ago when he attended a speech I gave in Springfield. I hadn’t seen him since, but he hasn’t changed a bit. We had a great talk last night.
The spouse of our commenter “Honeybear” also attended the festivities and we had a very nice chat.
Oswego Willy couldn’t make it, but he “sent” someone in his stead.
All in all, the evening was a success. I’m not sure how much we raised, but it wasn’t trivial. Again, many thanks to everyone who turned out.
Due to the budget impasse, which is now in its 10th month, it is with much regret that I announce additional layoffs of approximately 110 non-instructional staff at Western Illinois University. Individuals facing layoffs will be given the appropriate 30-day notice. Within the next week, those individuals who are impacted will receive a letter.
Other additional measures are also immediately necessary. As of this week, all appropriated budgets have been swept and funds from those accounts are being held at the vice presidential level. To further limit spending, all P-Card purchasing is suspended, unless authorized by the division’s respective vice president. We must conserve all cash resources.
Despite the ongoing furlough/voluntary pay reduction program and the drastic reductions to spending, these layoffs are necessary to protect the University’s cash resources. In spite of our best efforts to conserve financial resources, without an appropriation from our state government, the University will face even greater financial challenges. Should the impasse continue it would require that we make further spending and personnel decisions. We implore the leaders in Springfield to resolve this unprecedented budget crisis and recognize that our public universities are critical to the future of a stable and innovative Illinois. We need state funds to operate and to support the thousands of students we serve. The decisions we are being forced to make are incredibly difficult, and they are being made due to the lack of state support. We recognize that as the stewards of this University, our first responsibility is to take the necessary steps to ensure that we continue providing a great education to our students.
To date, for Fiscal Year 2016, the University has made appropriated budget reductions of over $6 million. More than 500 employees are participating in the mandatory furlough or pay reduction program, resulting in cost savings of over $1.5 million. However, we must continue to reduce our FY’16 expenses. We will fall short of our $4 million savings goal for Fiscal Year 2016, as we have been unable to achieve furlough agreements with all of our employees. Because there appears to be no end to this budget impasse in the immediate future, we must move forward with additional layoffs.
The Office of Human Resources will provide assistance to those employees who will be laid off. It is our hope that if, and when, a budget is passed for Fiscal Year 2016, we may be able to call back a select number of non-instructional employees. However, if the budget stalemate continues, additional layoffs and the extension of the furlough/pay reduction program will be necessary into Fiscal Year 2017. I am distressed that we have been placed in this position. I realize the effect this decision has not only on our University community, but also the local communities in which we reside.
While the end to the budget impasse is uncertain, what is certain is the future of Western Illinois University. Our doors will remain open, and we will continue to serve students and provide an affordable, accessible and quality education.
We need the legislators, government leaders, and the citizens of Illinois to realize the value of public higher education, particularly regional universities. Each person who has been touched by WIU has a story to tell. Those stories must be shared so that others realize the value we provide to this state and beyond. We educate, guide, and develop the future leaders of this state and this nation. Recently, the University was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for outperforming its peer institutions in enrolling and graduating Pell Grant recipients. Western is giving Pell Grant qualified students the opportunity to graduate.
A degree from Western Illinois University has great value. Please write and call your legislator and the state’s governmental leaders to help them understand how important regional public universities are for this state. We will continue to work with legislative and state leaders to urge an end to this impasse and to pass a budget that adequately supports public higher education.
Again, I deeply regret that these layoffs must be implemented at our great institution. Thank you for your continued support, loyalty, and dedication.
