Illinois has sued a pharmaceutical company over opioid marketing, yet state lawmakers refuse to reform a workers’ compensation system that encourages the overprescription of dangerous drugs.
Gov. Bruce Rauner has compromised over and over to strike a deal, to the point of abandoning every reform he once demanded. But no matter how much Rauner gave, House Speaker Mike Madigan never budged.
House Bill 2622 would create a state-run workers’ compensation insurance company using a $10M loan from the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission Operations Fund.
Though Illinois Democrats insist Gov. Bruce Rauner’s reform agenda has nothing to do with the state’s budget, Rauner’s original proposed spending reforms would allow the state to balance its budget without hitting up taxpayers for more revenue.
Illinois is home to the highest workers’ compensation costs in the region, and the weakest manufacturing recovery. New research details pain points and ways to fix the system while protecting worker safety.