Capitol Updates: May 20 week in review
This was an eventful week in Springfield. Though pension negotiations between House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton remain at an impasse, the General Assembly passedSenate Bill 2356, which raises the speed limit on Illinois’ tollways and interstates to 70 mph, up from 65 mph. Gov. Pat Quinn remains noncommittal on this issue. Here’s a look at some of the legislative...
This was an eventful week in Springfield. Though pension negotiations between House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton remain at an impasse, the General Assembly passedSenate Bill 2356, which raises the speed limit on Illinois’ tollways and interstates to 70 mph, up from 65 mph. Gov. Pat Quinn remains noncommittal on this issue.
Here’s a look at some of the legislative highlights from this week.
Medicaid expansion bill makes its way to the House floor
Senate Bill 26, which adopts ObamaCare’s voluntary expansion of Medicaid, passed out of the House Human Services Committee on Tuesday. The bill has been placed on the House calendar and could be taken up for a vote by the full chamber as early as Monday.
The Illinois Policy Institute was pleased to see Republican committee members stand together in theiropposition to the expansion of a failing system and hope to see the entire caucus do the same when SB 26 is heard on the floor. Illinois cannot afford to expand Medicaid, nor should it try to, because enacting SB 26 will not improve health outcomes for the state’s most vulnerable residents.
Furthermore, Illinois will face future credit downgrades if it expands Medicaid. Instead of trying to expand a system that is already broken, Illinois lawmakers would be well-advised to refocus their efforts on improving the quality of the state’s current Medicaid program. Transforming how Medicaid operates isthe only solution that does right by both patients and taxpayers.
State-funded health insurance exchange passes the Senate
House Bill 3227, which establishes a state-funded ObamaCare health insurance exchange, passed the Illinois Senate yesterday. Although the Institute opposes this legislation, we were pleased that the Senate Republican Caucus held strong in their opposition to this bill, as its passage is critical to the implementation of ObamaCare in Illinois. The state simply cannot afford to create an exchange, nor is it under any obligation to do so.
Next, HB 3227 will return to the House floor, where members will likely vote in concurrence with the Senate’s amendments, thereby passing the bill, which Quinn is expected to sign into law.
Bipartisan pension reform measure on its way to Quinn’s desk
On Wednesday, the Illinois Senate unanimously passed House Bill 140, a pension reform measure sponsored by state Sen. Dan Duffy. Supported by the Institute since it was assigned to committee in January, HB 140 eliminates benefits packages currently afforded to part-time members of state-funded transit boards.
“Illinois is notorious for its large number of wasteful boards and commissions,” Duffy said. “While we’re financing these boards, paying their members often exorbitant salaries as well as benefits, we’re not making payments on pensions for teachers, firefighters and policemen. Benefits for these boards and commissions are low-hanging fruit, and are a good place to start in making up for the $100 billion unfunded pension liability in Illinois.”
Now, HB 140 heads to Quinn, who will hopefully sign this bill into law and cut waste out of our unsustainable and underfunded state pension system.
Less than one week left in the 2013 legislative session
Illinois’ 98th General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn their legislative session on Friday, May 31, once a state budget is passed. With Democratically controlled supermajorities in both chambers, this is not expected to be difficult. The Illinois House is scheduled to be in session on Sunday and the Senate resumes session on Monday. Rest assured – the Institute’s Government Affairs team is spending Memorial Day weekend in Springfield.