The Capitol Buzz…

The discussion has begun to shift to adjournment and what is going to be done to address the budget crisis. While one might expect the potential list of solutions to include substantial revenue, most of the options that are on the table are a rather piecemeal approach that continues to result in substantial cuts and billions of dollars in unpaid bills.

There are several plans that have risen to the top for consideration. They include revenue in the form of business taxes, a cigarette tax increase, inter-fund transfers and borrowing.

One of the options that is getting attention is a proposal that would give the Governor broad discretion in dealing with where to allocate what few dollars there are. It would also require the Governor to make the necessary cuts to balance the budget.

The Emergency Budget Act has several key provisions that would give the Governor broad authority over the budget process:

• A designation of contingency reserves would give the Governor the authority to set aside reserves for agencies and the State Board of Education.
• Give the Governor the discretion to make all state programs “subject to appropriation.”
• Give state agencies the discretion to adjust services, rates, transfers and eligibility requirements
• Allow the Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) to submit a “notice of deficiency” for any new legislation that contributes to the state deficit
• Extend the “lapse spending“ to Dec. 31, avoiding the Court of Claims.

We will continue to advocate for new revenue. It is the only way to begin to address the needs of the state in a responsible way. As the General Assembly members are driving home this weekend and back on Monday, we hope they have their radios turned up. The message is “No vacation without funding public education.”

Vouchers

SB 2494 (Meeks, D-Chicago/Joyce, D-Chicago)– OPPOSE

Call to Action: Call your State Representative over the weekend!

As amended, the bill creates a permanent voucher program for Chicago called the Illinois School Choice Program.  The program provides a voucher to any student enrolled in a Chicago Public School that is performing in the lowest 10 percent or an overcrowded school that has a percentage of low-income students of 70 percent.

The voucher is equal to the foundation level per pupil at $1650 plus the poverty grant supplement of $2075 for a total voucher equal to $3725.   That voucher can be redeemed at any parochial or private school in the City of Chicago. The State Board of Education will administer the program. Additionally, the bill creates the School Choice Fund as a special fund in the state treasury.

Call to Action Talking Points:

• The IEA opposes the diversion of public funds to any private school or any other private educational institution.
• This bill will further erode state support of an already underfunded public education system where a majority of school districts in the state face financial difficulty, and many public schools are not receiving the resources needed to provide a quality public education.
• It is now a permanent program with no benchmarks to measure the validity of the program.

Health care management in schools

HB 6065 (Cross, D-Oswego/Steans, D-Chicago) – OPPOSE

Passed the Senate 34 “yes”, 8 “no” and 3 “present”

• Creates the Care of Students with Diabetes Act and allows self-administration of medication by a pupil with diabetes and requires teachers and school personnel to volunteer to administer medication to pupils with diabetes.  

SJR 112 (Kotowski, D-Park Ridge) – SUPPORT

Passed the Senate, to be heard in the House

• Extends the reporting date for the task force concerning student health needs established pursuant to HJR 46 from Jan. 1, 2010 to March 1, 2011.

Freedom of Information Act

HB 5154 (Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora/Lightford, D-Maywood) – SUPPORT

Passed the Senate with 45 yes, 9 no and 1 present and sent to Governor

• Prohibits the disclosure of performance evaluations of ESPs and higher education faculty and staff under the Freedom of Information Act.

Unfunded mandates

HB 4209, SA #1 (Nekritz, D-Northbrook/Garrett, D-Lake Forest) – SUPPORT

Passed Senate, in House for concurrence

• Creates the Instructional Mandates Task Force charged to explore and examine all instructional mandates governing public schools and to make recommendations. It also establishes a moratorium on the passage of legislation that imposes instructional mandates on the public schools in this state through July 1, 2012.

GPO/WEP

HR 927 (Flowers, D-Chicago) encourages the U.S. Congress to pass the Social Security Fairness Act of 2009.  Both HR 235 and SR 484 would repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision.  A copy of this IEA-supported resolution will be delivered to all members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation and to the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and to the President of the U.S. Senate. This resolution passed unanimously.

What’s next

The House and Senate will reconvene Monday.  Both houses are scheduled to adjourn May 7.

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