The key dates lawmakers should be available in their home districts include: February 13-17, March 12-16, April 2-6 and 9-13.

More information on Back Home Lobbying

The House Pensions Committee met Sunday but did not take action on any legislation that impacts the retirement funds in which our members participate (IMRF, SURS, TRS). However, during the committee meeting there were discussions regarding the constitutionality of HB 3813. This is recently passed legislation that affects a number of public employee unions, including IEA and IFT, and is now on the governor’s desk. The bill prevents future officers and employees of labor organizations from participating in TRS or SURS, even if they are currently doing so but not as an officer or employee. The IEA has always opposed HB 3813 since it is a clear violation of the Illinois Constitution. The Constitution prohibits the changing of pension rights for people who are currently participating in the retirement systems. We are pleased that members of the General Assembly are finally discussing the constitutionality issue regarding changing pension benefits. Statements made during Sunday’s pension meeting affirmed the constitutional problems that this type of legislation will run into if it becomes law.  – State Journal-Register 12/11/11

Transportation funding

The General Assembly failed to take action on restoring any transportation funding for public schools. As a result, there continues to be a significant shortfall from the ISBE-recommended $347 million. The governor’s veto has resulted in an $89 million shortfall. In 2012, we can expect serious discussions about alternate funding formulas for transportation.

What’s next

Thank you for all of your hard work this year during the spring and veto legislative sessions. Your continuous lobbying efforts through phone calls and emails paid off. We will be encouraging you to continue your back home lobbying efforts after the holiday break and will provide you with more information soon. Please have a restful and wonderful holiday season.

Pension Bills that Moved this Week

HB 3813 (Senator Raoul, D-Chicago/Representative Cross, R-Oswego) passed. It affects a number of public employee unions, including IEA and IFT. The bill prevents future officers and employees of labor organizations from participating in TRS or SURS, even if they are currently doing so but not as an officer or employee. The measure now goes to the governor’s desk. No IEA staff members participate in either pension program. IEA opposed this measure since it runs afoul of the organization’s stance that changing pension benefits is unconstitutional.

Corporate Tax Relief Discussion Continues

The Legislature continues to discuss ways to provide tax relief for a few major businesses in the Chicagoland area. Sears and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange have asked for additional tax relief incentives to prevent them from leaving Illinois. The Senate (36-18-1) passed a version of tax relief (HB 1883) and the House, later that same day, crushed the proposal 8-99-6. The Senate’s plan would have generated tax relief for these companies and for individual taxpayers in the estimated range of $250 million. The IEA continues to monitor these discussions.

The issue will likely be taken up in December or during the early months of 2012.

Early Learning Budget Hearing

The Illinois State Board of Education, in cooperation with the Office of the Governor, Department of Human Services and Department of Children and Family Services hosted Illinois’ first ever Early Learning Budget Hearing on Tuesday. The coordinated budget approach builds on the collaborative method the state used when developing its Early Learning Challenge application for federal funding. Last month, Illinois submitted an application for $70 million in funding to help significantly improve the coordination and quality of early childhood services under the federal Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge. Illinois’ comprehensive application proposes to build on the state’s history of excellent early childhood education by developing a more unified approach to supporting young children and their families, ensuring children enter kindergarten with the skills and knowledge needed to be successful. The U.S. Department of Education will announce awards later this year.

What’s Next

The General Assembly will return in January. You can view the 97th General Assembly session schedule on our Legislative page.

The Buzz…

A Fight to the Finish

In many ways, the 2011 legislative session ended the same way it began – at least with regard to pensions. The General Assembly has adjourned without voting on the major pension bill SB 512, just as the spring session ended without a vote on the same bill.

Lawmakers return to Springfield on Nov. 29 for a special session unrelated to pensions but pensions are expected to be a major topic again when the spring 2012 legislative session gets underway in January. While there are many questions as to the motives of SB 512′s supporters, what is not in question is the willingness of IEA members to respond when asked to engage their elected officials. In concert with our labor partners, IEA members put up some astonishing numbers.

• The labor coalition’s “We Are One” Illinois hotline connected more than 7,000 calls to lawmakers this week.  On Tuesday alone, nearly 5,000 calls were made via this system.
• Since the veto session started more than 27,700 emails were sent to lawmakers through the IEA website.
• On Tuesday we had 25,553 page views on the IEA website; the most we have ever had was 28,452 last May 26.

This is the same kind of response that accounted for labor’s success in Ohio, repealing Senate Bill 5, which stripped many of the collective bargaining rights for public employees, including police, firefighters and teachers.

During this veto session, there was legislative action on pensions in the form of HB 3813 and HB 3815.  These bills will have a lasting impact on public employees (see below). IEA supports HB 3815, which is constitutional. But on the larger question of a constitutional solution that addresses the pension systems’ unfunded liability and provides for the long-term stability of the pension systems, a debate will continue into 2012. We will need to be thoughtful and creative as we work with our labor partners and the members of the General Assembly to craft a proposal that we can bring forth. We face dire circumstances if we leave it to the General Assembly and outside interest groups to craft a bill that impacts our members.

As we move into 2012, we ask that you be ready to respond to our “Calls to Action” and ready to engage your legislators in conversations about the need for a constitutional solution. The stakes continue to rise and 2012 will be a pivotal year for pensions here in Illinois. We want to be fully engaged in your local school districts and here in Springfield.

Thanks for your support…and your passion.

Pension Bills that Moved this Week 

HB 3813 (Senator Raoul, D-Chicago/Representative Cross, R-Oswego) passed the House 111-3 and passed the Senate 50-0.  The bill has been amended in the Senate and would now prohibit future officers and employees of labor organizations from participating in numerous retirement systems. Certain participants in TRS and SURS were included in the legislation. To be specific to TRS and SURS, this legislation will prohibit future officers or employees of a statewide teacher organization, even if they are currently participating in TRS or SURS (IEA and IFT), from having that service used in the calculation of his/her annuity. The IEA opposed this legislation since it still runs afoul of our interpretation of the Illinois Constitution.  No IEA employees participate in TRS or SURS.  The legislation now goes back to the House for concurrence.

HB 3815 (Senator Raoul, D-Chicago/Representative May, D-Highland Park) is an additional piece of legislation that is meant to deal with union officials participating in public retirement plans. The legislation passed the House 113-2 and passed the Senate 37-11. This legislation will prohibit participants that begin participation in TRS and SURS after the effective date of the bill being signed into law from having their service as an officer or employee of a statewide teacher organization included in their pension calculation. This legislation was supported by the IEA because it is constitutional.  The legislation must receive a second House vote, since it was amended in the Senate.

Regional Offices of Education (ROE) funding

SB 2147 (Senator Sullivan, D-Rushville/Representative Mautino, D-Spring Valley) passed the House 74-36 and passed the Senate 38-16.  This legislation was passed to fund the ROEs for the current fiscal year only, by using the Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax (CPPRT).  Revenues from that tax normally go to local governments for their use.  For decades, the ROEs have been paid by a state appropriation.  However, this year the governor eliminated that appropriation and the legislature determined that the ROEs would now be funded through a portion of the CPPRT for the current fiscal year.  The amount transferred to fund the ROEs is an estimated $13 million.  The legislation also creates a commission to determine the future of the ROEs throughout the state.  There is a deadline of Aug. 1, 2012, for the commission to file its report.  However, there is a push to ensure that the commission reports its findings before the end of the current fiscal year (June 30, 2012).  The legislation now goes to the governor.

Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL)

HB 3793 (Franks, D-Woodstock) would have had a major negative impact on school districts under the jurisdiction of the PTELL, more commonly known as tax caps.  The legislation would have required school districts in a tax-capped county to lose a significant amount of revenue if the Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV) was less than the EAV for the previous year.  Currently, districts in tax-capped counties can increase local revenue by the amount of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or 5%, whichever amount is less.  HB 3793 would have taken away a district’s ability to increase local revenue to keep pace with inflation (CPI) by only allowing a 0% increase in cases where EAV is down from one year to the next.

The IEA opposed the bill and it only received 34 “yes” votes in the Illinois House of Representatives.  The required number of votes for passage is 71 in the House.

School Report Card

HB 605 (Lightford, D-Maywood/Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora) passed the Senate unanimously this week. This bill requires that the State Board of Education prepare a new report card for every district and school by Oct. 31 of 2013, and update the cards yearly thereafter.

The new cards would include detailed demographic data on the following:

• students; gender, race and subgroup information now required
• mobility rates
• curriculum data
• percentage of students graduating
• teacher attendance

The bill was unanimously supported by the education stakeholders representing labor, management, parent groups and the State Board of Education. As reported last week, this bill passed the House and will now be sent to the governor for his signature.

School Waivers

The House and Senate passed House Joint Resolution 44 (Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora/Lightford,D – Maywood) in response to requests made by school districts identified in the October report filed by the State Board of Education. HJR 44 outlines the waivers that will be disapproved, approved in part, or withdrawn from the following school districts; Stockton CUSD #206, Ridgewood High School District 234, Keeneyville Elementary School District 20, and Rockford Public School District 205.

What’s Next

The General Assembly will reconvene for a special session on Nov. 29, 2011.

Call to Action Issued By IEA around Pensions

IEA has issued a Call to Action. IEA anticipates the possibility of legislative action around SB 512 during the second week of the veto session. You are strongly encouraged to contact your legislators and voice your opposition to this legislation.

Pension Bills that Moved this Week 

HB 3813 (Cross, R-Oswego) as it passed the House 111-3-1, would impact the calculation of current participants in numerous retirement systems. Certain participants in TRS and SURS were included in the legislation.  To be specific to TRS and SURS, this legislation would disallow an individual’s salary earned while participating as an officer or employee of a statewide teacher organization from being used in the calculation of his/her annuity.  The IEA opposed this legislation since it runs afoul of the Illinois Constitution and furthermore could become a retroactive diminishment of pension benefits individuals have already earned.  IEA employees do not participate in TRS or SURS.

HB 3815 (May, D-Highland Park) is an additional piece of legislation that is meant to deal with union officials participating in public retirement plans.  The legislation passed the House 113-2.  The impact of this legislation on TRS and SURS would prohibit participants that begin participation in TRS and SURS after the effective date of the bill from having their service as an officer or employee of a statewide teacher organization included in their pension calculation.  This legislation was supported by the IEA.

Regional Offices of Education (ROE) funding

HB 3847 (Mautino, D-Spring Valley) – This bill changes the manner in which funding takes place for Regional Superintendents and their staff.  Up until this year, funding for these services and salaries came from the state’s General Revenue Fund.  During the summer of 2011, Governor Quinn vetoed this funding from the state budget.  HB 3847 would have restored the funding level of nearly $13 million but would have taken the money from the Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund (PPTR), instead of the General Revenue Fund.  Money from the PPTR fund is traditionally funneled to local governments, including school districts, for their operations.  The bill passed out of the House Committee.

Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL)

HB 3793 (Franks, D-Woodstock) would have a far-reaching negative impact upon already revenue-challenged school districts. The legislation requires that the allowable increase in a district’s extension be 0% or the rate approved by voters for districts in PTELL (tax capped) communities in which the total taxable Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV) is less than the previous year. Any increase to the tax levy must be approved by voters. Currently, districts subject to PTELL are limited in their ability to increase local revenue – defined by CPI or 5%, whichever is less.  This proposal eliminates the authority of a local school board in PTELL districts to increase local revenue by inflationary costs. The bill passed out of House Revenue and Finance Committee. It currently resides in the House on Third Reading. The IEA opposes this bill.

School Report Card

HB 605 (Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora) passed the House with unanimous support this week. The bill requires the State Board of Education to prepare a new report card for every district and school by October 31 of 2013, and update the cards yearly thereafter.

The new cards would include detailed demographic data on the following:

• students; gender, race and subgroup information now required
• mobility rates
• curriculum data
• percentage of students graduating
• teacher attendance

The bill was unanimously supported by the education stakeholders representing labor, management, parent groups and the State Board of Education.

School Waivers

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) submitted its annual waiver report to both chambers this week. IEA opposed nine high school physical education waivers that would allow certain students not to participate in daily physical activity required by law. The IEA also opposed six driver education waivers which would allow school districts to raise the fees for driver’s education class to more than $250.

What’s Next

The General Assembly will reconvene for the second week of the veto session November 8-10. Visit the IEA website for up-to-date information.

The Buzz…

Pensions Still a Hot Topic

Shortly before the end of the contentious spring legislative session, Illinois House Leaders issued a letter announcing they would hold meetings, starting in the summer, on how state pensions could be modified or reformed.  Speaker Michael Madigan (D) and Minority Leader Tom Cross (R) invited labor organizations, including IEA, to participate in the meetings, the first of which was held July 21.

Regarding the pension funding reform discussion, IEA is taking the following positions: 1) Any proposed changes must be legal under the Illinois Constitution, 2) Proposed revenue options must be designed to enable the state to meet its funding obligation to the pension systems, and 3) The only changes that should be considered are those that will not diminish the stability of the pension systems.

The initial meeting concluded without any decisions or agreement. Further meetings are expected to be scheduled. Speaker Madigan asked both the Illinois House members and the public employee unions to submit lists of discussion topics relating to pension funding and pension benefits for active employees.

Please watch the IEA Website (www.ieanea.org) for updates.

TRIP

The future of TRIP

In the eight years since the last agreement on rules and regulations for the Teachers Retirement Insurance Program (TRIP) was negotiated, TRIP has remained a constant program to provide health insurance to TRS retirees. In an effort to ensure that TRIP remains financially stable, it is anticipated that when the next legislative session begins in January 2012, there will be proposals to modify TRIP. These proposals will likely include changes to TRIP benefits and the funding of the program by retirees, school districts, the state and from our active members. A real concern about this program is whether the state will continue to match the contributions made by active teachers to fund the program.

 IEA is watching this situation very carefully. Please check the IEA Website (www.ieanea.org) for updates.

The main reason that the General assembly was back in session yesterday was to deal with SB 2414. The capital bill needed legislative action in order to prevent the stoppage of capital and road projects across the state. The amended version of the bill, which was supported by IEA, would have generated an additional $430 million in revenue for education and human services. At the end of the day, the House was opposed to any additional spending and therefore the revenue limits which were set at the beginning of the session remained intact. The bill passed the Senate 52-0.  It now awaits the Governor’s action.

Collective Bargaining

There was not enough support in the State Senate for them to call SB 1556. The legislation, which had been initiated by the Governor, called for a limitation on who was within the provisions of the collective bargaining law. The proposal would have impacted potentially several thousand workers. The IEA was neutral on the bill but worked along with IFT, AFL-CIO, AFSCME and SEIU.

What’s Next

The next time the General Assembly is scheduled to be in session is Veto session on October 25-27 and November 8-10, 2011.

Started strong, ended even stronger!

In January, we started this legislative session with 4,000 letters and phone calls to legislators expressing our concerns about three critical issues of:

• “No to TABOR”
• “No reduction in collective bargaining rights”
• “Support education reform in the form of Accountability for All.”

We were successful with all these issues.

In March, we asked you to contact your legislators about vouchers.

We defeated that issue.

In May, we ended the legislative session with 15,000 postcards delivered to legislators, 45,000 emails sent to legislators, 90,000 phone calls made to legislators, (an effort through the We Are One Illinois labor coalition), expressing our concerns about pensions.

We were successful in defeating that issue.

So, thanks to intense lobbying efforts back-home and at the state Capitol, the IEA had a very successful legislative session. Listed below are some highlights from this General Assembly, including these successful wins.

Pensions

Full pension funding goes to the governor

HB 116 (Madigan, D-Chicago, Cross, R-Oswego/Steans, D-Chicago) appropriated $981 million to the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) for the state’s full fiscal year 2012 pension contributions.

HB 3639 (Madigan, D-Chicago/Steans, D-Chicago) appropriated $2.4 billion to the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) to make the upcoming fiscal year 2012 statutorily required pension contribution.

SB 2279 (Raoul, D-Chicago/Cavaletto, R-Salem) would have extended the period during which a TRS annuitant may accept employment for up to 120 paid days, or 600 paid hours, in a school year without impairing his or her retirement status. This IEA-supported bill passed the Senate by a vote of 48-0-5 but was not able to be moved in the House.  As of July 1, retired members now will only be able to return to work for 100 paid days or 500 paid hours without impairing their retirement status.

SB 512 was the legislation proposed by House Republican Leader Tom Cross to require current members in TRS and SURS to either prospectively pay between 4.5 percent to 8 percent of salary more for their pension, or to choose to move into two other retirement plan options. One option would be to elect to participate in the second-tier of pension benefits (retirement at age 67) or to participate in a Defined Contribution plan (similar to a 401-k) even though those in TRS and SURS do not receive Social Security for their years of service as an educator. The fact sheet is here. While this bill did not pass this year, we certainly anticipate proposals that would modify the future pension benefits of our current active members to come forward either during the fall veto session or early in the next year.

TRIP

The future of TRIP

Since the last TRIP agreement negotiated more than eight years ago, TRIP has remained a constant program to provide health insurance to TRS retirees. We are certain that the legislative session beginning in January 2012 will require TRIP to be modified in a significant way if the program is to remain stable. We anticipate changes will be made to the benefits of TRIP and the funding of the program from retirees, school districts, the state and from our active members. A real concern about this program is whether the state will continue to match the contributions made by active teachers to fund the program.

SB 178 passed both chambers and is on the governor’s desk for final action. It is questionable as to how quickly he will act upon the legislation. All signals are showing that Gov. Quinn will veto the bill. The legislation would require that group health insurance contracts entered into by the state of Illinois be approved by the bi-partisan legislative Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA). It is our understanding that the insurance contracts, currently excluding Health Alliance and Humana, have been or shortly will be finalized by the state.

IMRF

SB 1831 (May, D-Highland Park) would force IMRF employers to pay lump-sum the pension costs for any salary increases in excess of 6 percent, or 1.5 times CPI, whichever is greater, granted during the last 10 years of service that will be used to determine a members’ annuity. Currently, employers pay for any pension costs attributable to members over a 30-year period and members pay a pension contribution based on their salary. The legislation contains exemptions for increases resulting from promotion, overload, overtime work and for wage increases resulting from an increase in required hours worked. The legislation exempts already negotiated collective bargaining agreements. The IEA took no position on the legislation since the sponsor worked with the IEA to craft legislation that would be workable and would minimally impact rank and file members of IMRF. The bill passed the House and Senate unanimously and awaits the governor’s signature. This provision would be effective January 1, 2012.

Revenue/Budget

Cigarette tax

SB 44 would impose a $1 per pack tax on cigarettes. Of the money generated by the cigarette tax, $377 million was to go to education. This bill was not passed in the lame duck session in January.

Bonding

SB 336 authorized the sale of $8.75 billion in bonds to pay unpaid bills and fund general operation. This would have gone a long way toward reducing the payment cycle to vendors across the state. While the income tax, which has a retroactive date of Jan. 1, will help in that effort, it is not the same as an $8 billion infusion of cash into the Illinois economy. This bill lost on a 68-49 vote in the House. It needed 70 votes to pass.

Income tax increase

SB 2505, the income tax increase which passed in January. Here are the  significant components:

1. Personal income tax – The Illinois Personal Income Tax rate increased to 5 percent from 3 percent between Jan. 1, 2011 and Dec. 31, 2014. The rate will revert to 3.75 percent from Jan. 1, 2015 to Dec. 31, 2024. The rate will then reduce to 3.25 percent starting on Jan. 1, 2025
2. Corporate income tax – The total Corporate Income Tax rate is increased to 7 percent from 4.8 percent starting Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2014. It then drops to 5.25 percent between Jan. 1, 2015 and Dec. 31, 2024. It then reverts to 4.8 percent starting on Jan. 1, 2025.
3. Net operating loss – The net operating loss absorption is suspended for tax years ending after Dec. 31, 2010 and prior to Dec. 31, 2014. The current carry over provisions will be extended for the number of years of the suspension.
4. State spending provisions -If the state spending from “state general funds” for any fiscal year for 2012 through 2015 exceeds the established spending limits set forth in the Income Tax Act, the income tax rates will return to 3 percent for personal and 7 percent for corporations. The spending limits are:
   1. 2012 – $36.818 billion
   2. 2013 – $37.554 billion
   3. 2014 – $38.305 billion
   4. 2015 – $39.072 billion

Debt restructuring

SB 3514, sponsored by Senate President Cullerton, was the debt restructuring bill, which would allow the state to sell up to $4.01 billion in bonds to fund the state retirement systems, including TRS and SURS, allowing the state to meet its full pension payment requirement for the current fiscal year. These bonds will be paid off by the state over eight years. In the previous fiscal year, the state sold $3.5 billion in bonds with those proceeds being used for the pension payment as well. The final vote in the Senate was 42-16.

SB 3, also sponsored by Senate President Cullerton, would allow the sale of $8.7 billion in bonds to help the state pay off its debts. The bill would address more than $1.9 billion in mandated categorical payments that the state has not been able to make. The IEA strongly supports the bill, as does the governor.

We have been working with our coalition partners in labor and human services to advocate for passage of the bill sooner rather than later in the session. Part of the challenge in the passage of SB 3 is that since it is a bonding bill, it requires a three-fifths majority vote for passage. This means it will require bipartisan support in both chambers.

FY 12 K-12 budget highlights

The budget process was conducted quite differently than in years past. This year, instead of presenting the legislators with a budget in the final 48 hours of the legislative session, the appropriations committee chairs had an opportunity to provide input and craft that portion of the budget that was applicable to their specific subject area. The budget for the State Board of Education came through the House Elementary and Secondary Education Appropriations committee. The Senate dealt with the bill in General Service Appropriations Committee. Without much needed supplemental funding, which would have come in the form of HB 2189, there were few bright spots in the education budget. For starters, there was a $152 million reduction in General State Aid for education.

1. Standards and assessments
1.  Funding for growth model assessments was eliminated, as was funding for RTI (Response to Intervention)
2. Academic improvement
1. Funding for early childhood was significantly reduced, as was funding for advance placement classes.
3. Educator quality and support
1. Despite the passage of an education reform bill, teacher, principal and administrator mentoring was essentially zeroed out.
4. Student health and safety initiatives
1. A $3.2 million reduction in funding for the iHope program, focusing on the causes of truancy and dropouts.

Supplemental budget bill

HB 2189 would have restored $150 million to the FY2012 general state aid appropriation and restored funding to education in numerous areas was defeated. IEA advocated for passage of this bill. The House did not concur with the Senate. The House called for the formation of a conference committee to work on the issue. Final action is still pending. The governor has indicated that he may call a special legislative session to deal with this issue.

Borrowing

SB 342 (Sullivan, D-Rushville) would have allowed the state to borrow $1.48 billion to pay the backlog of bills. SB 342 was defeated on the Senate floor.

Ed reform

The education reform package known as SB 7 was passed by the state Senate on April 14 and sent to the Illinois House for consideration. SB 7 was developed during months of discussions involving a wide variety of education stakeholders including IEA, the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Chicago Teachers Union, along with school administrators, the state board of education, lawmakers and others, including the education reform groups Stand for Children and Advance Illinois.

The historic agreement has a number of provisions and IEA and its partners are working to address the many questions that have been raised this week.

Ed reform trailer bill

The trailer bill, HB 1197, which was crafted to address some of the unintended consequences of the original bill, passed with nearly unanimous support in both chambers. The bill added language concerning jurisdiction over a dispute or impasse over certain subjects with respect to the Chicago school district. For non-Chicago school districts, the bill made changes concerning the declaration of an impasse and making public the final offers and each party’s cost summary dealing with those issues on which the parties have failed to reach agreement.

With regard to collective bargaining, the proposal provides that educational employees in the Chicago school district shall not engage in a strike unless at least three-fourths of all bargaining unit employees who are members of the exclusive bargaining representative (instead of at least three-fourths of all bargaining unit members of the exclusive bargaining representative) have voted yes.  A final amendment stated that with respect to the list of permissive subjects of bargaining in Chicago, decisions to determine length of the work and school day and length of the work and school year apply only to the Chicago school district.

School consolidation

Although there were several school consolidation bills introduced this year, only one bill, HB 1216 , sponsored by Rep. Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora, passed. This bill established a commission to look at the issue of consolidation and to conduct public hearings. The recommendations would be brought back to the General Assembly. The IEA is part of the commission.

Vouchers

SB 1932, sponsored by Sen. Matt Murphy (R–Palatine), was this year’s voucher bill. This bill would have created a voucher program for Chicago called the Illinois School Choice Program. The program would have provided a voucher to any student enrolled in a low performing or overcrowded Chicago Public School in grades kindergarten through 7.

The IEA opposed SB 1932 and due to intense lobbying, the voucher bill was never called for a vote in the senate.

Teacher certification

SB 1799, initiated by the State Board of Education, makes the following significant changes;

• Changes the name of the State Teacher Certification Board to the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.
• Requires that the new licensure system be in place by July 1, 2013.
• Three licenses which will be endorsed in specific content and grade areas: the Illinois Professional Educator License; the Professional Educator License with stipulations and the Substitute Teaching License.

Higher education issues

University civil service workers

SB 1150 protects IEA university civil service workers by prohibiting universities from arbitrarily reclassifying civil service positions into non-union, exempt positions.  The bill requires all changes to be approved by the executive director of the State Universities Civil Service System.  The IEA supported the bill and worked with our SIU-C civil service local to frame the issue for legislators.  The bill passed the Senate but died in the House.

Performance measures/funding

HB 1503 and SB 1773 were the result of a report adopted by the Higher Education Finance Study Commission last year that recommended linking higher education funding to soon-to-be-developed performance measures.  These performance measures would ostensibly be developed and tailored to the unique mission of each public university in Illinois.  Such measures include retention and graduation rates.  The measures will be developed with all interested groups at the table, including the IEA.

The IEA supported these bills, as well as the underlying report offered by the study commission.  Both passed to the governor.

College retiree health insurance

The College Insurance Program (CIP) is the downstate retiree health insurance program for community college faculty and staff.  Active community college members pay ½ of 1 percent of salary for this program.  When the program was developed, City Colleges of Chicago chose to be exempt, although for the past several years City Colleges has sought to gain admittance to the program.

Currently, the state pays about $4.5 million a year into the program.  Speaker Madigan announced earlier this year that he would no longer support this appropriation.  True to his word, this year’s budget does not include state funds for this program.

On the final day of the legislative session, Madigan introduced SB 1967 to increase contribution rates to .97 percent and to admit City Colleges into the program.  The bill failed because downstate and suburban legislators recognized their constituents were paying additional dollars not to stabilize the program, but to allow City Colleges’ retirees to enter the program.  IEA opposed the bill for this reason and offered an amendment that increased the contribution rates with the additional funds being used to stabilize the program without the entry of City Colleges.

The sponsor of the bill refused to consider the amendment offered by IEA.  The fund is still bankrupt.  Further talks will now have to be held with the Quinn administration to determine the next step.

Tuition waivers

SB 1318 and HB 2959 sought to repeal statutory provisions for tuition waivers for children of university employees.  IEA killed both bills before they reached the committee vote stage.  It is IEA’s policy that this statutory provision is a benefit earned by our university employees.

Concealed carry/gun control

Midway through the legislative session, the issue arose of the ability of faculty and students to carry guns on college campuses.  HB 148 did not pass, so there are no changes in this area of state law.

Sex offender registration

HB 295 requires that sex offenders register with the higher education institution where they are employed or attend. This bill passed the General Assembly and awaits the governor’s action.

Enrollment/cost-saving measures

HB 1079 and SB 1883 require all state universities to annually report to the IBHE all programs that have been terminated or reduced by the university.  The bill also requires universities to report programs with low enrollments and/or high expense per degree.  Finally, the bill requires each university to report cost saving measures undertaken during the previous year.  All of this information will be compiled in a report by the IBHE.

Appropriations levels

Overall, higher education funding fared relatively well in the FY12 budget sent to Gov. Quinn.  Four year institutions saw cuts of 1.15 percent and community colleges were cut less than 1 percent.  Both the governor and Sen. Pres. Cullerton have indicated that the General Assembly may come back into session this summer to deal with budgetary issues.

Unemployment Insurance Task Force

Efforts are again underway to staff and hold hearings of this task force.  The task force is an initiative of the IEA in response to the plight of our adjunct members who receive no employment guarantees and no unemployment insurance.  We hope to hold the first hearing in late August.

Other legislative issues of importance

Third party sub-contracting

IEA opposes HB 2859 sponsored by Rep. Roger Eddy (R–Hutsonville). This legislation would have repealed the third party sub-contracting of school services law that IEA was instrumental in passing in 2007. This bill would have repealed the requirements on school districts and private companies bidding to provide services currently performed by employees of a public school district – the very same requirements we worked so hard to include into law. HB 2859 was never called for a vote in the House.

Driver’s education

SB 1643 (Sullivan, D-Rushville/Pihos, R-Glen Ellyn) allows school districts to increase driver education fees to $250. The bill passed both houses and has been sent to the governor. Right now, if a school district wants to raise driver education fees more than $50 they have to submit waiver which must be approved by the General Assembly. The IEA supported this legislation.

SB 2135 (Garrett, D-Lake Forest) would have required higher standards for commercial driving schools and the instructors they employ. This bill failed to get out of committee. Each year an increasing number of parents choose to send their children to a commercial driving school in order to obtain their driver’s licenses. Commercial driving instructors would be required to earn additional college credits in order to teach teens how to drive. The bill was met with opposition due to the added cost burden. The IEA supports this legislation.

Retired members must make a selection of an insurance provider

There is currently a benefits choice election period being conducted by the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) for retiree health insurance that our retired members in the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) and the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) participate in.

For members in the Teachers’ Retirement Insurance Program (TRIP) please click here http://www.state.il.us/cms/3_servicese_ben_choice/choice_triphome.htm.

For members in the State Employee Group Insurance Plan please click here http://www.state.il.us/cms/3_servicese_ben_choice/state-ben.htm

and those in the College Insurance Program (CIP) please click here http://www.state.il.us/cms/3_servicese_ben_choice/choice_ciphome.htm

Gaming

Both chambers passed SB 744, a major gaming initiative. However, Sen. Cullerton filed a motion to reconsider, so the bill remains stalled until he decides to proceed with a new vote, or to withdraw his motion. The bill would result in additional revenue for education, estimated at $300 million over the next four years. Cullerton has until January 2013 to determine how the bill proceeds.

Collective bargaining

SB 1556 which revises the Collective Bargaining Act, would no longer require an individual to be engaged in management for a long period of time, or as a major function of their employment, to qualify as a manager. Thus, they would not be allowed to collectively bargain for better working conditions. The bill passed the House and was not called in the Senate.

Worker’s compensation

HB 1698 passed both chambers. Labor was neutral on the bill and the details are quite extensive. We will be reviewing the bill and reporting on it soon. IEA took no position on the bill.

The Buzz…

End game

We are down to the last 10 days of scheduled session days and so much has yet to be resolved. With that said, so much has been accomplished.

There are several key issues we are still watching.

• The education reform bill, SB 7, has passed both chambers. We are still waiting on a trailer bill to catch up to the main bill which will resolve some technical issues that affect collective bargaining. We are hopeful that resolution will come in the next few days.
• We are also on pension watch-high alert. The specifics are discussed within this report but the bottom line is that no legislation is ever dead in Springfield until the final gavel falls.
• The budget is a third area of concern. The good news is that it appears that the House and Senate may be in agreement upon which revenue projections to use. The bad news is that we can still expect cuts to public education. One bright spot is that in sharp contrast to drastic cuts the governor proposed to transportation funding, the House and Senate both opted to restore that funding. Again, we will have to see what the final version looks like.

Our message to the General Assembly is to not make these harmful cuts. Rather we would support raising revenue needed to hold education harmless. In 2002, when the state faced a $1.2 billion budget deficit, lawmakers voted to “decouple” Illinois’ corporate income taxes from the federal stimulus plan. The bill passed with bipartisan support and garnered another $360 million for the fiscal 2003 budget. The state today could do a similar “decoupling” and recover an estimated $600 million. We believe this should be part of the fiscal 2012 budget process.

Finally, IEA members’ activism has been tremendous. The responses to the postcard campaign and the calls placed to members of the General Assembly have been a huge asset to our lobbying efforts on pensions. They know you are watching and listening to what they say back home and here in Springfield. Keep up the good work!

Status of pension benefit cuts for current employees: Keep fighting for your pension!

As you are aware, a legislative proposal that would cut pension benefits by forcing active employees to choose from three unenviable options has been developed. It had been expected to be unveiled officially by Thursday.

That didn’t happen.

Because of intense member activism by IEA members and other public employee groups, the pension bill is being held back. Clearly, there are not enough votes at this time to pass the measure.

We’re told the pension proposal won’t be seen until, at least, sometime next week.

Only by maintaining the pressure can IEA members prevail on this proposal. Thanks to all for the great work so far in holding off the pension attack. But we can’t let up until the General Assembly adjourns for the summer.

We need to keep the calls coming. Urge your colleagues to use the legislative hotline (888-412-6570) to call their state representatives and senators. Or, have them use the IEA website to send an e-mail to their legislators.

Please continue to encourage member activism in defense of member pensions. Keep checking the IEA website, facebook page and twitter feed for updates.

History tells us that, once the legislation is out in the open, there will be an attempt to pass the bill as quickly as possible.

If we remain vigilant and our members remain connected and energized, we can have a positive outcome despite the power and commitment of our opponents.

Special education

SB 1794 was voted on and passed out of the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee on Wednesday, May 18. This legislation removes a provision under Section 21-28 of the School Code that lays out specific areas of categorical certification. It would simply allow the “transition rules” that have been in place regarding certification for special education teachers to become legislation.

What’s Next

The Senate will return to Springfield Sunday, while the House returns Monday.  At that point, they are both expected to work until the scheduled adjournment of May 31.