Political Rewind: Illinois Scholarships, State Retiree Benefits Might Be Cut
It's always good to be caught up on state politics. Here's an easy guide to what happened this week.
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Editor's Note: This article was created by aggregating news articles from Illinois Statehouse News that were written by various Illinois Statehouse News reporters.
Week in Review: lllinois Scholarships, State Retiree Benefits Might Be Cut
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois lawmakers took another step toward eliminating the long-scrutinized legislative scholarship program, and state retirees protested a proposed reduction in the amount the state pays for their continued health insurance coverage.
Senate committee votes to end legislative scholarship program
Illinois’ controversial legislative scholarship program is one step closer to extinction, after the Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to eliminate it.
House Bill 3810, which would end the program next year, now moves to the Senate for a vote. Although the House approved the bill, it must go back for an additional vote in that chamber, because an amendment was added in the Senate.
The legislative scholarship program allows state lawmakers to award full-ride college scholarships to state-run universities to constituents who live in their districts. The program, however, has been abused by lawmakers who awarded scholarships to campaign donors, staff members and families who live outside their districts.
“The best thing we can do right now is to get our state budget under control and begin to fund our state universities properly once again,” said Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont. The Senate Republicans have supported eliminating the program this entire session.
The Senate committee’s approval occurred after Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, picked up sponsorship of the bill. Previously, he said he would rather reform the program than kill it outright.
Cullerton’s bill includes a provision to set up a task force to examine all university tuition waivers totaling more than $300 million.
State retirees protest cuts to health care subsidies
Retired state employees protested Thursday at the state Capitol after learning of legislation in the House that would end their taxpayer-subsidized health care.
The measure, which passed out of the Illinois House Executive Committee on Wednesday, allows the state Department of Central Management Services to set premium rates for state retirees, retired lawmakers, retired judges and retired university employees.
Currently, state employees who put in 20 years can get 100 percent of their health-care costs paid by the state. Retirees with eight years of service can get 40 percent of their health insurance covered.
The state covers all health care costs for lawmakers who retire at the age of 62 or older and have served at least four years.
This year the state is paying $876 million to cover health care for 78,000 former state workers, said House Republican Leader Rep. Tom Cross, R-Oswego. “The goal here is to not eliminate health-care coverage but to make sure it’s sustainable,” Cross said.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, which represents most of the state’s workforce, said the proposal interferes with the collective bargaining process now under way.
Barbara Franklin, who worked for the University of Illinois for 37 years, was among the retirees who protested Thursday.
“I paid year in and year out for my insurance, for my dependents’ insurance, with the promise that when I retired, if I had more than 20 years, my insurance would be paid for,” she said.
COGFA bucks Quinn’s facility closure plan
The state’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability voted Tuesday to keep open three state facilities, in spite of Quinn’s recommendation that they be closed to save money.
The commission voted along regional lines to keep open Tamms Correctional Center, a “supermax” prison in deep southern Illinois; Dwight Correctional Center, a women’s prison along Interstate 55 between Bloomington and Joliet; and Murray Developmental Center in Centralia, about 60 miles east of St. Louis.
The commission’s vote is advisory only. State Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg, D-Evanston, who voted to close the three facilities, argued that Quinn has provided the framework needed to shutter the facilities.
Quinn first proposed the closures last year, when the budget passed by the General Assembly was more than $300 million short. He laid out a similar plan to save money in this year’s budget address.
“We have incorporated a great deal of (COGFA’s) input into our facility closure plans; however, we must continue to deal with our budget challenges and make the difficult decisions necessary to restore fiscal stability to Illinois,” Anderson said.
COGFA has voted against most of Quinn’s closure recommendations, but it did vote unanimously to close a Department of Children and Family Services office in Skokie. Employees will be transferred to another office.
— Jayette Bolinski
Christine
6:26 am on Sunday, May 6, 2012
"I paid year in and year out for my insurance, for my dependents’ insurance, with the promise that when I retired, if I had more than 20 years, my insurance would be paid for".Hello? IL is broke. All I hear from these people is, "Show me the money!" Sorry, but no one in the private sector has perks like that anymore and since the state can't afford it, it needs to go away entirely. Suck it up like the rest of us.
SLAG
8:04 am on Sunday, May 6, 2012
I totally agree w/you, Christine. When I first started working for a big company in 1981, I was told that age 55 and w/at least 10 years of service, I would get health insurance coverage for free when I retired. Well...that didn't happen. Things changed and I was grateful to have a job until I retired after nearly 30 years. The state is broke. The State of WI is trying to recall their governor and voting for a new governor on June 5 because they don't have the money to subsidize what their union workers want. People need to understand that it's people like you and me who get stuck paying for things that they want for free and for which you and I pay. As mentioned, I am retired and am proud to be paying for myself during my "golden years", but to get to this point, I planned, I budgeted and I saved.
Kimberly J
9:11 am on Sunday, May 6, 2012
Did anyone notice the statement that said as lawmakers, 4years of service and 100% health care costs are covered.....seriously????? FOUR years...much less than 20 years. As a state employee AND a taxpayer, I think that needs to change
Kristine Neumann
11:13 am on Sunday, May 6, 2012
I worked for a large company & I was promised health care for life when I retired. Guess what? It didn't happen! My feeling about all this is also get after the health care industry. Has anyone been in the hospital lately? The charges are out of this world. I have a relative that has been in the hospital & all I can say is "thank God he has insurance".
Carl McLean
4:28 pm on Sunday, May 6, 2012
Time to cut these parasites pensions and benefits in half retroactively. The state just lied and took a weeks pay out of everyone's pocket to continue this scam. Go back and figure how much a working person would have to put aside to receive the same pension and benefits for life with a 3% cola every year. Blago contributed 133K over 12 years. At 55 he would have started collecting 65K per year forever with the 3% increase yearly. With a 30 year life expectancy that means approximately 2 million over that time without the colas. These parasites are killing you and the state economy. Do the math.
John Moreli
5:13 pm on Sunday, May 6, 2012
You should have gotten a job with a pension then and stop complaining!
Susan Zeisel
12:58 am on Monday, May 7, 2012
I can feel compassion for people who are not getting what they were promised. However, the State of IL is bankrupt. There is no money. If state employees/ teachers are to keep all of their retirement benefits, the rest of us will have to pay. The economy is tough. The rest of us already lost retirement benefits and future pay increases (if we were able to keep jobs at all). I'm talking about employees at all levels/ lengths of service (college/ higher degrees). I'm sorry, but reality needs to be absorbed by everyone!
Carl McLean
5:39 am on Monday, May 7, 2012
This has nothing to do with whether I have a pension or not. You aren't really referring to a pension. What is going on here is more extortion or organized crime. These promised jacked up benefits were never really funded to begin with. Do the math. The politicans whom were supported by you parasites who directly benefit from this scam propagated an unsustainable con. Time to do the real accounting.. In regards to my complaining, why should 90% pay for your priveleged retirement and watch the state economy and our kids futures disappear.
John Moreli
9:34 am on Monday, May 7, 2012
So do you think that the hard working Police and Fire that protect us day in and day out are not worthy of their pensions! They deserve it more than any others that receive a pension as they put their lives on the line everyday! Maybe the politicians pensions are out of wack and the Police and Fire are just fine!
Ernie Knight
9:25 am on Monday, May 7, 2012
The pension system is not what is unsustainable. What is unsustainable is the corruption of politicians and others who are now complaining about unsustainability. The pension funds get raided to use for other things, and now its extortion by the promised pension recipients? Politicians set up sweetheart deals for insane pensions for corrupt politicians and union officials. School districts and municipalities giving ridiculous raises to administrators in the last years of work to artificially jack up their pensions. Quit blaming the hard working rank and file. Put the blame where it should be. The corrupt politicians that keep screwing with what was a sound sustainable system.
Carl McLean
11:26 am on Monday, May 7, 2012
Like I said, do the math .When I say unsustainable, it is, the benefits promised were never realistic based on employee contributions etc. In the fantasy world the unions never complained about underfunding. Even today with the huge funding deficits they still use an 8.5% ROI on pension contibutions to justify the contribution to benefits ratio.They've been doing since the early 90's and nobody in the unions beefed. Now with the real estate values down 30% in the past 3 years, my property taxes go up 30% and the state takes another weeks pay just to go into pensions and paid health benefits. It is crushing both the real estate market and the economy. Who guarantees me or anybody else on this board without some type of government job these cruise deals. Why should we get stuck working into our 70's to pay for retirement and health benefits for people in their 50's. i am not envious of people that happen to luck out with these scams. I just don't want to pay for it.
John Moreli
2:10 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Carl where do you live? Where ever you do live, you probaly only pay 150.00 -200.00 tops a year in property tax to the Police and Fire pension plans ,which is a drop in the bucket for the service and protection you receive for their service ! I too pay taxes and don't mind paying into the Police and Fire pensions! They deserve it!
John Moreli
2:22 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
What's a scam? Being a police or firemen? A job alot of people are afraid or can't do! They deserve their hard earn pensions!
River Talk
11:43 am on Monday, May 7, 2012
When you rail against unions, remember, it is the public unions who were egregious in their bargaining. They took too much for too long and think they are justified. Now is the time for them to pay the piper.
Jimmy J
1:05 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
I suggest that the public sector unions pensions be put in line with social security benefits (most taxpayers are covered by social security). Public sector employees are getting 2 or 3 times what we get on social security. Public sector employees should not expect to get their healthcare insurance paid for. Again put them into the Medicare system and they should pay for part B and a supplement if they want the coverage. It's time to stop treating government employees like the privileged and the taxpayers are stepped on. By the way...police and fire should be treated just like other government employees...with a possible earlier retirement date..maybe age 60.
Carl McLean
1:59 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
You are wrong about the social security comparison. It is more like 5-6 times your social security benefits. Also compare retirement ages. 62 versus working 30 years, sometimes or less, so say 55 average. Then if you need extra income before age 66 you get penalized in social security benefits if you make over 14,400. Just compare that against you retire 53- 55, and then go out, get another government job because of their "experience", usually in the same field and collect the full pension. No penalties for them, just another benefit.
John Moreli
2:05 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Do you exactly want a 60 year old Police or Firemen on the streets chasing people or putting out fires? The job is stressful enough and puts a strain on their bodies and health, so they deserve the pension that they do get! I have a buddy in the private sector who sits at the desk of his office nice and warm and will receive a yearly income more than Police and Fire will receive when he retires! Is that fair?
Edward Andrysiak
2:38 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Ya know John...Police and fire, to listen to you, work their butts off and take great risks daily, bla, bla ,bla. Now, firemen work only when there is a fire and that is rare. Police do not protect you! We call them AFTER a crime has been committed don't we. Look at their charter...the "serve and protect" on the car door is not a true statement. That is why CC gun carry people are harping. We need to protect ourselves. I guess I am not that sympathetic to Police and Fire and don't see that as a job that earns all the kudos we are giving them. Our service men work for a hell of a lot less and under greated risk of loss of life. Quit trying to brain wash the general public. Cop and fire jobs are just that...jobs. I'll bet you are a strong union supporter.
John Moreli
3:11 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Hey Ed I guess one becomes a Police or Firemen to get rich? Not! Wow and average salary of 65,000.00-70,000.00 a year workIng on holidays, weekends , family parties , midnights and 10-12 hours a day and 50 plus hour weeks when going to court on their days off! What a luxurious job!
Edward Andrysiak
2:40 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Just for the record...being a GAME WARDEN is far more dangerous than being a police officer.
John Moreli
3:25 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
A game warden dangerous more than a Police Officer? Try again Ed! 231 game wardens were killed or died since 1900! How many Police Officers do you think were killed or died since 1900?
Tim
5:11 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
all these platitudes are meaningless.
The state is BROKE.
It doesn't matter who did what, or who you want to point fingers at. The public sector unions have been warned about the unsustainability of their pension programs for DECADES now, yet they continuously ignored those warnings. They didn't want to deal with it before it was a problem, and they don't want to deal with it now that is is a problem. To them, this is obviously something that someone else should pay for. Thinking they should pay(take the consequences) of it doesn't make sense to them it seems.
Their inability to make the correct long term decisions(or the union they voted for), is all that is to blame here.
Remember, the whole point of unions is to give the workers a voice. The whole idea of there even being a 'public' union, is actually quite absurd. As a citizen, you already have a voice... voting.
Tim
7:34 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
910 non-public employees were killed in their cars in 2009 just in Illinois, most of them going to their jobs.
173 cops died in the entire US last year. Only 10 in Illinois.
Don't think that cops are somehow more likely to die at their job. The reality of it is that everyone else is almost TEN TIMES more likely to die, than a cop will ever be, just driving to their job.
When you stop pretending that cops and firefighters are some sort of god-like figure, then we can sit at the table and discuss the finances. But until you drop the delusions of grandeur, your ideas are going to hurt more people than they are going to help.
On the other hand, perhaps the rest of the population does not think these professions actually deserve to be paid what they currently are. Obviously you are biased because you are either still in a public union, or are retired from one and seeing your gravy train come to an end.
The more you continue with the "I got mine" attitude that underlies your line of discussion, the more likely the rest of the taxpaying public is going to see it, and be more than willing to cut off your gravy train.
John Moreli
8:48 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Tim use some common sense! We aren't talking about people driving to work ! Police and firemen are killed going to work too! We are talking about Police and firemen getting killed at work! Very dangerous work! What do you do? A desk jockey! Please tell use what they should pay Police and Fire? As far as pension, yes they are guaranteed! If pensions go belly up the City or Town still has to pay the full pension! You have no clue how suburban police/fire pensions are vested or work!! The state pensions system has no bearing on suburban Police and Fire pensions! Did you know that?
John Moreli
3:23 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Ed I bet you sit on your fat ass at a safe job and earn more than Police and Fire for doing squat! Plus tell that to the Police when they approach a situation on patrol protecting the citizens and they got shot for what? Protecting all of us! Tell that to the Firemen who go inside of burning building to save someone and then get caught in a flash over and burn to death! You will be the first to call the Police or Fire when you need them! So stop your liberal whining!
Edward Andrysiak
10:42 am on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
John...my point is simply this; All cops and fire aren't 911 people just like all veterans aren't Audie Murphy. Some are great, not all. You want us to believe they all are special and entitled. I say it's a job that MAY call some to great sacrafice, not all nor do all have the fiber to be heroic. Your unions negotiated fat pensions and you continue to make the case that you deserve it. It's excessive and we can't afford it...the party is over. Whine as you might about the great sacrafice...the pensions are excessive and need to be brought into line.
p.s. My skinny butt don't even get a pension.
Carl McLean
3:35 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
This is my last post, First i am in total agreement with whomever mentioned the parasite politicans and "educators" pension and benefits being entirely out of whack, they should be cut in half. I don't blame it on polce and firemen. No, i don't necessarily want 60 year people putting out fires or chasing people around. But i see plenty of these same retirees sticking within the same field after taking down that fat pension and none of them are doing it to make ends meet. Obviously I definitely don't want to be that 72 year old Walmart greeter working to pay the property taxes so you can take those 4 vacations a year. Or maybe that single parent with the autistic kid thats getting assistance cut in half because this state is so broke, but it continues to pay the medical plans for these parasites with 100K pensions.The biggest beef i have is that your unions defend the status quo and this is breaking everybody and everything else through greed.By the way, I don't pay for your buddy in the office or his retirement plan, nothing. Good talking to you all.
Kimberly J Kantowski
4:30 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Like u said, rank and file employees don't see 100k pensions!!! But the state needs to stop paying employee healthcare bills late and Medicaid bills on time. Employees pay premiums, deductibles and co-pays. When the state pays bills late, it has to pay interest. Employee's doctors are being paid late by the state while the employees pay their premiums on time. April 2011 bill just paid now and $170 in interest...of my taxpayer money!!!
Diane Vandegraft
9:11 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012
You are absoutely right Kimberly. I am married to a retired IL state trooper and I pay the state for my insurance. Had a mammogram last March and the bill has still not been paid and the doctors and labs, etc. are sending threatening letters to send the bills to a collection agency, even though I paid our portion. Now I have to pay for my insurance (which I do gladly), pay my portion (which I also do gladly) and now I will have to pay the portion my insurance is supposed to pay so that my good credit that I worked hard to earn is ruined? How aboout cutting all the handouts for people who sit back and don't work and then maybe the state can pay their bills???
Carl McLean
4:42 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Sorry, I couldn't resist. Start talking to your neighbors about what we've talked about. get them interested for everyone's benefit. Don't just vote in the the same scumbags, republican or democrat. Whatever they call themselves, hold them accountable. Its not us sinking the ship. Good luck to everyone, we will need it.
John Moreli
5:36 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Real logical thinking! Not ! Who do you vote in then! No one at all?
Carl McLean
7:22 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
You figure it out. Doing the same thing that got us here. The game warden.
John Moreli
8:55 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
What??
Karma Gonna Get You
7:42 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
I love it!!! Multiple post of nothing but.... Blaming this guy and that guy for what this guy has and that guy doesn't....I didn't get that... so you shouldn't get it either...If I don't get perks you shouldn't get perks...If I'm paying for it... so you should have to pay for it...They have this benefit because they negotiated for this benefit. If you individuals from the private sector don’t like it – to bad…Do something about it instead piss-n-moaning!! Exercise your right to unionize and negotiate the benefits you deserve or what you think you deserve! Cry-babies…..Boo…whoooo…
Tim
7:55 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
You obviously have no idea what is coming.
Here's a hint:
Your pension is not 'locked in'. The state can cut it to 10% of its current value if it wants, all it takes is one vote in the statehouse to do it, and YOU will have to sue to get it back. The legal standing the amendment and your understanding of it is based on has never been tested, and there is a very real and very high probability that you will lose.
Remember, the law banning the recording of police was recently declared unconstitutional after judicial review. The only way to know for certain if the pension amendment will stand, is when it is challenged.
John Moreli
8:53 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
State employee pensions are the ones in bad shape and the State pension has no bearing with local downstate pension plans for suburban Police/Fire! Go learn something!!!
Tim
9:52 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
That is because this is a story about state retirement pensions.
You are the only one talking about suburban fire/police pensions. Does it confuse you that others are talking about what the story is about, instead of what you are talking about?
Karma Gonna Get You
9:21 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Blah…Blah..Blah.. your magniloquence theory of state pensions is hilarious! I hope you sleep tight knowing that firefighters and police officers are watching over sorry *ss tonight!
John Moreli
9:27 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Who are you referring this too?
John Moreli
9:29 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Tim if you are so concerned don't blame the Police/Fire!! Here is the blame!
Illinois lawmakers (you know, the guys who will be in charge of re-writing the laws that steal OUR pensions) get to retire…
* At age 55 with 8 years of credited service.
* At age 62 with 4 years of credited service.
* With 85 percent of their final salary with 20 years of service credit.
Source: General Assembly Retirement System of Illinois
Tim
9:55 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Again, this is a story about state workers pensions.
This has nothing to do with police/fire other than the posts you continue to make trying to idolize them. You are talking about something completely different than what the story, and most other comments, are talking about.
Why are you blaming others for your own confusion?
John Moreli
10:03 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Tim you should idolize Police/Fire! They are actually heroes!! Plus if you read other stories the State thinks they have the right to try and take control of downstate Police/Fire pensions!
Karma Gonna Get You
6:14 am on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Tim....Not you John.
John Moreli
9:41 am on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Thanks Karma