Update from the Capitol 5/18/15
Trick Bag; No Property Tax Relief in Sight
Once
again last week, the Speaker of the House brought sham legislation to a
vote for the sole purpose of trying to put Republican lawmakers in a
trick bag and embarrass the new Governor.
Providing
families with real property tax relief is something I and my Republican
colleagues are very passionate about. House Republicans introduce
legislation that would deliver property tax relief and each year the
Democrats
block those measures. For years, the real roadblock to property tax
relief has been the Democrat-controlled General Assembly. This past
week, out of the clear blue sky, Democrats however called for an
immediate vote on so-called property tax freeze legislation
that neither includes reforms nor guarantees that property taxes won't
increase (so no freeze). Unfortunately, it's clear that this is just
more political theatre. I voted "present" to protest the ongoing games.
After
being sworn into office, Governor Rauner took action to address high
property taxes. He assembled a bipartisan working group to look
holistically at thoughtful reforms that would provide meaningful
property tax relief
without strangling schools and local governments. The group is
considering unfunded mandates, pensions and other factors impacting
costs that keep property taxes high. Once the working group completes
its assessment, it will bring recommendations to the proper
committee for a full hearing – provided the Democrat leadership permits
it to get that far.
Sham Hearings Continue - This Time on Right to Work
In
another move that can only be described as political theatre, Speaker
Madigan last week also brought to the House his own version of Right to
Work legislation, dropping the language a few short hours before calling
for a vote. This is yet another un-negotiated proposal that forced
Republicans to unite in protest.
The
right-to-work vote follows two weeks of "hearings" on billions of
dollars and hundreds of pages of budget bills that did not go through
the committee process, worker's compensation reforms that did not go
through the committee
process, and tort reforms that did not go through the committee
process. I believe the working men and women of Illinois deserve better
than this charade.
Another Deadline Week
As
the General Assembly continues to move towards May 31 adjournment,
members of the Illinois House and Senate scrambled to get committee
approval for their bills this week. This coming Friday, May 22nd, will
be the deadline for Senate bills on the House floor.
By May 22nd,
most Senate bills will either have been passed by the House and sent to
the Governor for final signature, passed by the House as amended and
sent back to the Senate for concurrence, or will
have been sent to the House Rules Committee for failure to meet the
deadline. The deadline for the Senate to pass bills sent to them by the
House is also this Friday.
May is Motorcycle Awareness Month
The
month of May is now officially Motorcycle Awareness Month in Illinois. I
was proud to co-sponsor the Motorcycle Awareness resolution with my
friend and colleague Representative Mike Unes .
Currently
there are close to 700,000 licensed motorcyclists here in Illinois.
Members of ABATE have for nearly 30 years promoted motorcycle safety,
education and awareness in high school drivers' education programs
and through public programs and presentations. Officially designating
May as Motorcycle Awareness Month recognizes their dedication, and also
helps remind us all to be aware when we're behind the wheel and watch
for motorcycles.