July 14, 2008

The governor called the House and Senate into a historic 20 th and 21 st special session last week to vote on a Senate plan to raise more revenue and balance the state budget. This is the second year in a row that state leaders have been unable to pass a balanced budget on time.

 Sensing that the House was not going to approve more revenue, the governor vetoed about $1.4 billion of the $2.1 billion budget increase before the House could take a vote. Speaker Madigan has called the House into session three days this week to debate those vetoes and consider other revenue proposals.

Gambling Expansion as a Revenue Source Appears Unlikely

The Legislature has been debating a gambling expansion plan all spring to generate revenue for state bills and a capital improvement plan. A small gaming bill that grew into a mega expansion finally passed the Senate in May, was rejected by the House, amended and allowed for another vote last week.

 The House held a Committee of the Whole to hear over five hours of testimony about the need for capital funding and merits of gambling expansion. This time, the bill received even fewer House votes than it received in May prompting the Speaker to declare gambling expansion a dead issue for now.

 Even some sponsors of the bill failed to support the amended version and pointed to the lack of detail about how the money would be spent, trust that the governor would actually release the funding, and doubt that the expansion would generate the level of revenue promised.

 I strongly support a capital improvement plan that would put hundreds of thousands of people to work, stimulate our economy, and make needed repairs to our roads, bridges and school buildings. We should be looking at a bonding plan with a more reasonable price tag and reliable income stream.

Governor Trims Budget Increases

The governor vetoed $1.4 billion in spending increases, $1.6 billion short of what is needed to balance the budget. The rest of the $59 billion budget will be implemented which raises questions about what bills will be paid when the revenue runs out.

Some of the line item vetoes and reductions include:

•  $100 million from education, including $18 million from college tuition assistance for low income students, $10 million from community colleges, and $21 million in health education grants

•  More than $570 million reduced for Medicaid funding which means hospitals, long term care providers, doctors and pharmacists will have to wait yet another month to be paid

•  $210 million from social services

•  $100 million from senior and veterans services

Also, $148 million for the 23 schools on the 2002 construction priority list, including Hinckley-Big Rock, was eliminated by the governor for the fourth time in seven years. His actions are taking money away from classroom learning to pay interest costs for money owed by the state.

The House will be in session this week to consider an override of the governor's budget cuts and reductions. Senate President Emil Jones has already stated he will not call his members back to Springfield until the November veto session – long after the 15 day deadline to vote on an override. So it seems our scheduled special session for this week will simply be a dog and pony show to continue the feud between Speaker Madigan and the governor.

When the majority party passed the budget that they knew exceeded state revenue by over $2 billion, they gave the governor a blank check to make whatever cuts he wanted. They shouldn't criticize the governor now for doing exactly what they asked him to do.

This is another example of why we need a strong two party system in Illinois that requires cooperation, give and take, and a balanced budget.

 Grants Provide Needed Funding for Local Organizations

While not every item in the state budget was released this past year, several local schools and organizations did receive grants to provide important work. Meridian school district in Stillman Valley recently received nearly $380,000 to bring emerging technologies to students. The Illinois Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) grant is part of $5 million federal program which selected just 16 school districts across the state for funding during the 2008-2009 school year.

Nearly $195,000 in grants were also released in my district for technology improvements at community libraries, $65,000 for early child care programs, $56,000 for senior and hospice program capital needs, and $244,000 for municipalities and townships. These are investments that help every community in my district and fill voids left by regular state programs. I salute these groups for their service and work for our citizens.

Governor's Amendment Adds Autism To Multiple Sclerosis Coverage

I traveled to the Children's Museum on Navy Pier in Chicago Sunday to see the governor use his veto powers to add language from one bill to another where I am the Chief Sponsor. He added insurance coverage for autism contained in SB1900 to HB4255 dealing with insurance coverage for Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Both bills passed the legislature unanimously this spring but the autism bill is being held in the House Rules Committee with a political maneuver by Speaker Madigan to limit the governor's rule making authority. By using his veto on my bill to add the autism language, the governor hopes to achieve insurance coverage for both illnesses.

The MS bill requires units of government to provide physical therapy for employees with the disease so they can continue to work and lead a more normal life. Private sector employees already have this type of coverage. The autism bill requires insurance companies to provide up to $36,000 per year for autism spectrum disorder treatment.

Because families can't get insurance for autism treatment, many are driven to financial ruin paying for treatment on their own. While we can question many of the things the governor does, this was a good decision and use of the veto to amend my bill. This is no issue for more political games by the leaders.

Pritchard Named Outstanding Legislator

Two organizations recognized Representative Pritchard for his efforts in serving citizens recently.

The Illinois Hospital Association recognized Pritchard as Legislator of the Year for his commitment to small and rural hospitals. Nominated by Kishwaukee Community Hospital , DeKalb; Valley West Community Hospital , Sandwich ; and Rochelle Community Hospital , Rochelle, he was recognized for his advocacy for the health care needs and services in this region.

“His leadership has helped to improve access to services as well as build the necessary infrastructure to meet the needs of our communities,” said Brad Copple, administrator at Kishwaukee and Valley West Hospitals .

The Northern Illinois University College of Law Alumni Council presented its Public Service Award to Pritchard for being a strong advocate for the NIU College of Law and university. In his roles as a member of House higher education committees, and as an organizer of the Legislative Education Caucus he is a strong advocate for NIU and alumni.

Upcoming Events

Manufacturing Forum July 22- join me for an informative discussion about best practices and improving the climate for manufacturing in Illinois and our area. The forum will be held at Kishwaukee Community College , Malta , from 1:30 to 3:00 pm in the Lecture Hall on the south side of campus.

Tucker Kennedy, Illinois Manufacturing Extension Center ; Mark Denzler, Illinois Manufacturing Association; and Ralph Keller, the Association for Manufacturing Excellence, will discuss their services and findings about the best practices and proven strategies for manufacturing excellence.

To stay globally competitive, companies must continually improve and transform to meet customer needs, and operate under reasonable regulation and taxation. Reserve your spot at the forum by calling my office at (815)748-3494.

 Senior Fair July 24 – Senator Burzynski and I will join with the Family Service Agency in sponsoring a fair for seniors and their caregivers at the DeKalb Farm Bureau Building, 1350 W. Prairie Dr., Sycamore. There will be nearly 40 state and local vendors on hand from 9 until noon to provide information and answer questions. Come learn about activities, programs, and benefits that are available for seniors and ways to live life more enjoyably. Free blood pressure and hearing screenings will be available during the event.